Omega watch: Researchers develop new blood test for measuring levels of critical omega-3 fatty acids
Researchers at McMaster and the University of Guelph have discovered a convenient new way to track levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the bloodstream, making it much easier to access information that is critical to cardiovascular and cognitive health, but which has previously been challenging to gather. While the human body can generate most of […]
Preterm babies given certain fatty acids have better vision
Preterm babies given a supplement with a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have better visual function by the age of two and a half. This has been shown by a study at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe, covers 178 extremely preterm babies at the […]
Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Also Help Lung Health
Omega-3 fatty acids may play a protective role in long-term lung health, according to longitudinal and Mendelian randomization analyses. Higher plasma levels of omega-3 fatty acid were associated with attenuated lung function decline in 15,063 patients with repeated measures of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), reported Patricia […]
Omega-3 fatty acids appear promising for maintaining lung health
Omega-3 fatty acids, which are abundant in fish and fish oil supplements, appear promising for maintaining lung health, according to new evidence from a large, multi-faceted study in healthy adults supported by the National Institutes of Health. The study provides the strongest evidence to date of this association and underscores the importance of including omega-3 […]
Scientists find that a special omega-3 lipid might prevent fatty liver disease
Long-running research by Duke-NUS Medical School into the omega-3 transporter protein Mfsd2a has shown that it plays a key role in a specific mechanism that prevents the liver from storing too much fat from food. Published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, this latest study by Duke-NUS and collaborators from Singapore General Hospital (SGH) signals […]
Omega-3 fatty acids linked to slower decline in ALS
People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who eat more foods high in certain omega-3 fatty acids like flaxseed oil, walnuts, canola oil and pumpkin seeds may have a slower physical decline from the disease and may have a slightly extended survival. The study, which looked at the survival of people with ALS over the course […]
New form of omega-3 could prevent visual decline with Alzheimer’s disease: By crossing into the retina, new DHA supplement achieves what previous ones could not
For the first time, researchers have developed a form of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that is capable of crossing into the eye’s retina to ward off visual declines related to Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and other disorders. The DHA found in fish oil capsules and other supplements is typically in a form called […]
Not all micronutrients created equal: Study identifies some supplements that benefit cardiovascular health: A meta-analysis of more than 884 studies finds omega-3, folic acid and CoQ10 among the micronutrients that reduce risk
Healthy diets are rich in antioxidants like amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C, but exactly how beneficial these micronutrients are for cardiovascular health has long been controversial. Now a new meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology provides some clarity. Researchers systematically reviewed a total of 884 studies available […]
About 3 grams a day of omega-3 fatty acids may lower blood pressure, more research needed
About 3 grams daily of omega-3 fatty acids, consumed in foods or supplements, appears to be the optimal daily dose to help lower blood pressure, according to a research review published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. Omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid […]
Higher levels of omega-3 acids in the blood increases life expectancy by almost five years: A 1% increase in this substance in the blood is associated with a change in mortality risk similar to that of quitting smoking.
Levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood are as good a predictor of mortality from any cause as smoking, according to a study involving the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), in collaboration with The Fatty Acid Research Institute in the United States and several universities in the United States and Canada. The […]