Omega 3 fatty acid

Omega 3 rich foods you need to add in your meals now

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Alot has been said about omega 3 rich foods over the years. Omega 3 fatty acids are the chain of fats which are extremely important for our body in order to stay healthy. These are one of the most essential nutrients which are recommended by experts to incorporate in our daily meals. According to astudy published in EFSA Journal, an average human should consume 250–500 mg of omega 3 fatty acids per day to meet the required nutrition.

Here’s more on omega 3 rich foods and the benefits

What are omega 3 fatty acids?

Omega 3 fatty acids are the essential chain of polyunsaturated fats which are not produced by the human body. However, these fats are very helpful for us to consume daily and therefore, they are found in different varieties of foods. Omega 3 fatty acids come with multiple health benefits like keeping your cardiovascular health intact, help your mind relax and relieve stress and play a crucial role in your brain’s functioning. 

Which foods are rich in omega 3 fatty acids?

Omega 3 fatty acids are mainly found in fish but there are several other high-fat plant foods that contain this nutrient. We have summed up a list of vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods rich with omega 3s. 

Chia seeds

Chia seeds are one of the most talked-about superfoods in the Indian market which are gaining popularity. Apart from a good quantity of omega 3 fatty acids, these seeds are rich in other nutrients like dietary fibre, copper, calcium, protein, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese. Chia seeds are great for weight loss and your heart health. You can easily incorporate them in your summer diet through smoothies or even with desserts.

Spinach

A cup of cooked spinach contains 166 mg of omega 3 fatty acids. This leafy green also has a wide range of nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, folate and potassium. As per a Science Direct research, compounds in spinach called thylakoids, reduce your hunger pangs and satiate your taste buds in a way that you don’t crave for palatable foods. This helps with  healthy weight loss.

Flax seeds

Flax seeds function almost like chia seeds. These work wonders if you are looking forward to losing those extra kilos. Apart from flax seeds’ weight loss benefits, this superfood increases the level of good cholesterol (HDL) in your body and keeps your blood pressure in control. One of the common ways to add flax seeds in your daily summer meals is by mixing them in home-made raita.

Salmon

Salmon is undoubtedly the most popular source of omega 3 acids. This fish is rich in vitamin D, protein and phosphorus. Salmon not just takes care of increased blood pressure levels and cardiovascular health, but also reduces inflammation in your body. It is also considered good for weight loss. The best way to enjoy salmon in summer is to have it with mangoes or pair it with summer vegetables.

Kidney beans

Kidney beans, also known as rajma, is one of the most popular lunch meals in India. These beans are a good source of the Omega 3 fatty acids which can improve your skin health, control your blood sugar and even improve your heart health. You can simply cook kidney beans in a curry and have them with rice or you can add them to different types of salads.

Red lentils

Red lentils are also a good source of omega 3 fatty acids which come with interesting slimming benefits. A study published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, states that lentils can prove to be a good option for those who’re planning to lose weight. Red lentils contain resistant starch which is a source of acetate that signals your brain to stop overeating. Apart from omega 3 fatty acids, lentils contain vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, fibre, protein and thiamine that are extremely important nutrients for your body.

Soybeans

Besides omega 3 fatty acids, soybeans are rich in protein and fibre. If you are trying to have them in a meal, then half a cup of roasted soybeans that contains around 671 mg omega 3 acids is a good addition. This quantity can provide almost 14 gm protein and 8 gm of fibre in a serving. Soybeans are considered beneficial for your heart health and also improve your bone density.

Walnuts

Who said walnuts can only be had in winter? Although this dry fruit produces heat in your body, it can be had in moderation. It is recommended that you have 2-3 walnuts per day to meet your daily nutritional requirements. Walnuts are not only a good source of omega 3 fatty acids but also contain protein, iron and antioxidants. You can have them during summer by adding them in a milkshake or top it on desserts.

Omega-3 Meds Not Effective After MI, EMA Panel Concludes

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The European Medicine Agency’s (EMA’s) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has concluded that omega-3 fatty acid medicines are not effective for secondary prevention after myocardial infarction (MI).

Omega-3 fatty acid medicines at a dose of 1 g per day have been authorized in several European Union countries since 2000 for preventing heart disease or stroke after MI and for lowering high triglycerides.

When they were authorized, the available data showed “some benefits in reducing serious problems with the heart and blood vessels, although the benefits were considered modest,” the EMA said in a news release. “Further data that have become available since then have not confirmed the beneficial effects of these medicines for this use.”

The CHMP’s conclusion, released at their December meeting, means that these medicines will no longer be authorized for such use.

Their review included results of the open-label GISSI Prevenzione study from 1999, which supported the initial authorization of these products, as well as retrospective cohort studies, more recent randomized controlled trials, and results of meta-analyses.

“The review concluded that, while a small relative risk reduction was seen in the original open label GISSI Prevenzione study, such beneficial effects were not confirmed in more recent randomized controlled trials,” the EMA said. The review found no new safety concerns.

The Committee’s decision does not affect the authorization of omega-3 fatty acid medicines for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia.

The CHMP opinion will now be forwarded to the European Commission, which will issue a final legally binding decision applicable in all EU member states.

Support for the CHMP decision comes from results of the large VITAL trial, which found little benefit from omega-3 supplements (or vitamin D supplementation) for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, as reported by Medscape Medical News.

In the ASCEND trial, a 1 g dose of omega-3 fatty acids had no effect on serious vascular events (or cancer or mortality) when used for primary prevention in patients with diabetes.

However, in the REDUCE-IT trial, a high-dose purified form of the omega-3 oil, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), in patients with elevated triglycerides who had cardiovascular disease or diabetes and one additional risk factor did show significant benefit, with a 25% relative risk reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events.

Omega-3s boost brain health by improving neuron cell membrane functionality .

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Most Americans have an omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid imbalance due to the prevalence of unsaturated omega-6 fatty acids from polyunsaturated processed oils in processed foods.

omega-3

It should minimally be three to one omega-6 to omega-3, while one to one is considered ideal by experts. But it’s estimated that many SAD (standard American diet) consumers are at around 20 to 1 omega-6 to omega-3 or worse.

This imbalance creates chronic inflammation that invites obesity and even more serious autoimmune diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids from eggs, whole organic raw milk, and meat and fish from healthy sources provide instantly usable omega-3 fatty acids that are important for heart health and optimal brain function, despite medical dogma and “common knowledge” to the contrary.

Plant-based polyunsaturated seeds or oils, such as flax oils or ground seeds, hemp oils or seeds and chia seeds, do provide additional health benefits and elements of usable omega-3.

But the process of converting plant based ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) into usable omega-3 as EPA and DHA is less efficient among diabetics and wanes as we grow older.

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are already formed for us by fish and animal sources, and they are very supportive of heart and brain health and reduce rheumatoid arthritis issues. [1]

But it would be wise to balance those out with plant sources as well, since they offer other nutritional advantages that we all need. Omega-3s have provided amazing results for brain protection and restoration in animal studies and in real-life human brain damage recoveries.

Animal (in vivo) and lab (in vitro) studies

A study comparing mice with omega-3-rich diets to those without was conducted at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s Department of Neurology and published in the journal Stroke.

The researchers determined that omega-3s in brain-damaged mice brought about brain-damage repair and neuroprotection by suppressing an inflammatory process. [2]

The exact mechanics of this neuroprotection and reconstruction were explored more recently in 2014. Three Paris universities collaborated on in vitro (lab cultures) studies using high magnification.

That study proved that the presence of omega-3 lipids makes the brain cell membranes more malleable and therefore more sensitive to deformation and fission by proteins.

This might seem like a bad thing, but malleability, deformation and fission are elements of endocytosis, a vital function enabling brain cells’ membranes to transport hormones and nutrients and provide efficient neurotransmitter pathways for optimum brain function.

The study results were published in the journal Science on August 8, 2014. [3] [4]

And now for something more dramatic

In Virginia a couple of years ago, a high school teenager whose brain was so damaged in a car accident that his parents were informed that he would be vegetative for the rest of his life if he ever came out of his coma while on life support.

The teen’s dad refused to give up. An old Army buddy, now MD, told him about a recent similar case in neighboring West Virginia where a 26-year-old man brain-damaged and in a coma was flirting with death after a coal-mining accident. He was treated with high-dose fish oil through his feeding tube, 20 grams a day. One gram a day is considered normal supplementation, with three grams a day the limit. [1]

The West Virginia hospital’s neurosurgeon knew omega-3s were an important part of brain cell structures. He courageously broke the boundaries of the American Medical Association’s “standard of care” and helped the young coal miner walk out of the hospital just three months after the mining accident.

The Virginia hospital didn’t have that courageous neurosurgeon, so the teenage boy’s father’s efforts to convince the hospital to duplicate that West Virginia neurosurgeon’s protocol on his own son was an uphill drama.

But he ultimately succeeded with getting the hospital to duplicate that mega-dose fish oil feeding protocol to restore his son’s ability to walk and even formally address his high school classmates on graduation day. [5]

Sources for this article include:

[1] http://umm.edu

[2]http://science.naturalnews.com

[3] http://www2.cnrs.fr [PDF]

[4] http://www.sciencedaily.com

[5] http://www.naturalnews.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/046544_omega-3_fatty_acids_neurons_cell_membranes.html#ixzz3BDv44jad

Government Experts Say Supplements Don’t Prevent Heart Disease, Cancer.

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Americans spend nearly $12 billion each year on vitamin supplements, hoping they will steer us away from diseases like cancer and heart attacks. But it turns out they’re just a drain on our wallets.

Should healthy people take supplements to keep them healthy? A panel of experts convened by the government, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, says that for most vitamins and minerals, there is not enough evidence to determine whether the pills can lower risk of heart disease or cancer. And when it comes to beta-carotene (found in carrots and tomatoes) and vitamin E, there is no evidence that they can protect against either heart disease or cancer; in fact, beta-carotene use contributed to an increased risk of lung cancer in smokers.

That will come as a surprise to most Americans, who pop pills of omega-3 fatty acids hoping to fend off a heart attack or down vitamins C and E, which are high in antioxidants, to counteract the free-radical damage that contributes to cancer. “In the absence of clear evidence about the impact of most vitamins and multivitamins on cardiovascular disease and cancer, health care professionals should counsel their patients to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that is rich in nutrients. They should also continue to consider the latest scientific research, their own experiences, and their patient’s health history and preferences when having conversations about nutritional supplements,” task-force member Dr. Wanda Nicholson said in a statement.

(MORE: Vitamin D and Calcium Supplements May Not Prevent Fractures)

The panel based its conclusion on a review of 26 studies, conducted from 2005 to ’13, some of which involved single supplements and others that investigated multivitamins and their relationship to heart disease, cancer and death outcomes. The review built on the panel’s previous report on supplements, in 2003, in which the task-force members said that there was not enough evidence to recommend vitamin A, C or E supplements, multivitamins or antioxidant combinations to prevent heart disease or cancer. At that time, the members also recommended against beta-carotene supplements because of their connection to a higher risk of lung cancer among smokers. In the current review, the members considered additional data on other vitamins and nutrients, including vitamins B and D, as well as zinc, iron, magnesium, niacin and calcium.

The conclusions apply to otherwise healthy people who take the supplements to prevent disease, so it’s not clear how effective, if at all, the pills can be in those at higher risk of heart problems or cancer. There have been hints, however, that the pills might not be the panacea that many people hoped they would be. In 2012, for example, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that omega-3 supplements, touted as a powerful weapon against heart disease, did not lower risks of heart attack, stroke, or death from heart disease or any cause. Another study published in 2011 even linked vitamin-and-supplement consumption to a higher risk of death, reporting that women who took multivitamins were 6% more likely to die over a 19-year period, compared with women not taking them.

(MORE: Hold the Salmon: Omega-3 Fatty Acids Linked to Higher Risk of Cancer)

Why the takedown of vitamins, especially if they are so prevalent in good-for-you foods such as fruits and vegetables? Experts believe that the benefits of nutrients like vitamins may depend on how they are presented to the body; some may need the help of other compounds found in their natural form that are inadvertently stripped from individual pills that try to concentrate the health benefits of specific vitamins or minerals. “[T]he physiologic systems affected by vitamins and other antioxidant supplements are so complex that the effects of supplementing with only 1 or 2 components is generally ineffective or actually does harm,” write the authors in their report, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

They recognize, however, that their conclusions are based on relatively few studies, since few trials have addressed the question of whether supplements can prevent disease in healthy people. So the results hold only until more data become available to understand the association more completely. In the meantime, the best way to take advantage of any health-promoting effects of nutrients like vitamins and minerals is to get them in their natural state, by eating a well-balanced diet high in low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.

Fruits and vegetables often physically resemble the organs they benefit.

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The Doctrine of Signatures is an herbalist philosophy attributed to Paracelsus (1491-1541) and later popularized by the German shoemaker Jakob Bohme (1575-1624). It states that all fruits and vegetables share aesthetic properties or ‘signatures’ with the organ they benefit. While allopathic medicine has attempted to write off the Doctrine of Signatures as superstition, studies have repeatedly shown that its core principles are true. The kidney bean, for example, not only resembles a kidney in shape and color, but also helps to maintain kidney functioning when regularly consumed. Let’s take a look at some other examples:

Walnuts – Brain

Walnuts-Nuts-Health-Snack-Food-Raw

With its two hemispheres, cranium-like shell and knotted folds, the common walnut looks like the human brain on many levels – and the brain is exactly what it benefits. Walnuts are the only nut that contains large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which help to prevent cognitive decline since mammalian brains are composed of, and require, the exact same acids.

Grapes – Lungs

Bunched grapes closely resemble the branches of alveoli that comprise our lungs, and which allow oxygen to pass from the lungs into the bloodstream. Grapes are proven to reduce the risk of lung cancer, and the chemical proanthocyanidin – present in grape seeds – can minimize the risk of allergy-related asthma.

Tomatoes – Heart

Like the human heart, tomatoes are red and usually contain four chambers when sliced. They are an unbeatable source of lycopene, a plant chemical that helps prevent coronary heart disease and which neutralizes the harmful effects of LDL cholesterol. Furthermore, tomatoes are rich in folate, which aids the production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells – the very cells that the heart pumps around the body.

Carrots – Eyes

A sliced carrot strongly resembles the human eye, even down to the complex pattern of the iris. Is nature telling us something? Carrots are extremely rich in beta-carotene, a plant chemical that minimizes the chances of contracting cataracts and developing age-related macular degeneration (a common eye condition that affects approximately 25 percent of individuals above the age of 65).

Avocados – Womb

The womb-shaped avocado takes approximately nine months to grow from blossom to ripened fruit and contains an unusually large seed (‘baby’) in its center. Eating avocados helps to stabilize female hormones, remove excess birth weight and prevent cervical cancer.

Figs – Testicles

If avocados were designed for female health, then the testicle-shaped figs were surely designed for male health. These sweet fruits hang in pairs, are protected by a delicate skin and, when sliced, reveal thousands of stringy white seeds. Figs are known to increase sperm count and sperm mobility and can help men overcome sterility.

Other examples

Celery – Celery sticks contain identical amounts of sodium (23 percent) to the bones they resemble. Like calcium – which celery also contains in high amounts – sodium is essential for healthy bones.

Ginger – A piece of ginger looks a lot like the stomach it is renowned for settling.

Sweet potatoes – Sweet potatoes closely resemble the human pancreas and help to stabilize the blood sugar levels of diabetics.

DHA Linked to Intelligence in Children.

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Story at-a-glance

  • Low levels of the omega-3 fat DHA were associated with poorer reading, memory and behavioral problems in healthy school-aged children
  • Children who consumed an omega-3 fat supplement as infants scored higher on rule learning, vocabulary and intelligence testing at ages 3-5
  • Previous studies have also found children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related behavior/learning disabilities are more likely to have low omega-3 fat levels, as well as benefit from supplementation
  • I recommend supplementing with animal-based omega-3 fats like krill oil before and during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding (infants receive DHA through breast milk); as soon as your child can safely swallow a capsule, he or she can start taking a high-quality, animal-based omega-3 supplement
  • dha
  • If you want your child to reach his or her maximum intellectual potential, the research is clear that plentiful intake of the omega-3 fat DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is essential.
  • In the US, most kids get hardly any of this healthful fat, found primarily in seafood, in their diets, and may be missing out on this simple opportunity to boost brain performance.
  • Most recently, two new studies have confirmed that boosting your child’s intake of DHA as an infant and into the school-age years may be a simple way to generate measurable improvements in their brain function.
  • The first study involved children aged 7-9 who had below-average reading scores. In these kids, low levels of DHA and other omega-3 fats were associated with poor reading, memory and behavioral problems.1
  • Previous studies have also found children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related behavior/learning disabilities are more likely to have low omega-3 fat levels that could benefit from supplementation.
  • The new study was unique in that it looked at healthy children without learning disabilities, but with poor reading skills, and still found a link with low omega-3 levels.
  • “These findings require confirmation, but suggest that the benefits from dietary supplementation with Omega-3 LC-PUFA [long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids] found for ADHD, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, and related conditions might extend to the general school population,” the researchers concluded.
  • In the second study, a group of infants received either an omega-3 fat supplement or a placebo.2 Tests to evaluate their cognition were given every six months starting at age 18 months and continuing until they were 6 years old.
  • While no changes were noted in the early test done at 18 months, the study found that infants consuming omega-3 fats consistently outscored the placebo group later, between 3 and 5 years old.
  • Specifically, the omega-3 fat group scored higher on rule learning, vocabulary and intelligence testing, which suggests early omega-3 fat supplementation, during the key period when your child’s brain is still developing, may translate directly into greater intelligence in the pre-school and school-aged years. The researchers noted:
  • “ … although the effects of LCPUFAs [omega-3 fats] may not always be evident on standardized developmental tasks at 18 mo[nths], significant effects may emerge later on [for] more specific or fine-grained tasks.”
  • Sixty percent of your brain is made up of fat. DHA alone makes up about 15 percent to 20 percent of your brain’s cerebral cortex. It’s found in relatively high levels in your neurons – the cells of your central nervous system, where it provides structural support.
  • Because your brain is literally built from omega-3 fats, it makes sense that it would play an integral role in brain function (and even may help support healing after a brain injury).
  • Still more research found, for instance, that DHA supplementation might affect functional cortical brain activity in 8-10-year-old boys.3
  • The study included 33 healthy boys who were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose of either 400 milligrams (mg) of DHA, 1,200 mg of DHA, or a placebo, for two months. Researchers then measured the boys’ brain activation patterns, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), while the boys were playing video games.
  • In the group receiving the highest daily dose, the DHA levels in the membrane of red blood cells (erythrocytes) increased by a whopping 70 percent. The lower dose group saw an increase of 47 percent, while the placebo group had an 11 percent reduction in DHA levels while performing this type of sustained attention task.
  • The fMRI data indicates that there were significant increases in the activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex part of the brain in the groups receiving supplemental DHA. This is an area of your brain that is associated with working memory.

    They also noticed changes in other parts of the brain, including the occipital cortex (the visual processing center) and the cerebellar cortex (which plays a role in motor control). The researchers noted:

  • “These findings suggest that this imaging paradigm could be useful for elucidating neurobiological mechanisms underlying deficits in cortical activity in psychiatric disorders associated with DHA deficiencies, including ADHD and major depression.”
  • A high-quality, animal-based omega-3 supplement is something that I recommend for virtually everyone, especially if you’re pregnant, as the benefits likely begin in utero. Research has, in fact, linked inadequate intake of omega-3 fats in pregnant women to premature birth and low birth weight, in addition to hyperactivity in children. So not only is this one healthful fat your children should be consuming, but you should likely be consuming as well – and this includes in later life, too.
  • It is a point well worth emphasizing that omega-3 fats are considered essential because your body cannot produce them, and must get them from your daily diet. DHA-rich foods include wild fish, liver, and brain—all of which are no longer consumed in great amounts by most Americans. When your omega-3 intake is inadequate, your nerve cells become stiff and more prone to inflammation as the missing omega-3 fats are substituted with cholesterol and omega-6 instead. Once your nerve cells become rigid and inflamed, proper neurotransmission from cell to cell and within cells become compromised.
  • It’s thought that the unsaturated fatty acid composition of normal brain tissue is age-specific, which could imply that in addition to their importance during brain development, the older you get, the greater your need for animal-based omega-3 fat to prevent mental decline and brain degeneration becomes.4
  • For example, low DHA levels have been linked to memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease, and research suggests degenerative conditions can not only be prevented but also potentially reversed. For example, in one study, 485 elderly volunteers suffering from memory deficits saw significant improvement after taking 900 mg of DHA per day for 24 weeks, compared with controls.5 The point is, consuming omega-3 fats is a lifelong habit you should get into, just as important as drinking plenty of pure water and eating vegetables…
  • While a helpful form of omega-3 (ALA) can be found in flaxseed, chia, hemp, and a few other foods, the most beneficial form of omega-3 — containing the two fatty acids, DHA and EPA, which are essential to brain function — can only be found in fish and krill. While your body can convert ALA into DHA/EPA, it does so at a very low ratio, and only when sufficient enzymes (that many people are deficient in) are present.
  • Unfortunately, nearly all EPA- and DHA-rich fish are now severely contaminated with toxic mercury, which is why I generally don’t recommend consuming fish on a regular basis. About the only exception to this rule is wild-caught Alaskan salmon or very small fish, like sardines. Alaskan salmon is really the ONLY fish I eat regularly, and the only one I feel comfortable recommending as a good source of healthful fats. AVOID farmed salmon, as it contains only about half of the omega-3 levels of wild salmon. Farmed salmon may also contain a range of harmful contaminants, including environmental toxins, synthetic astaxanthin, and dangerous metabolic byproducts and agrichemical residues of genetically engineered organisms from the corn- and soy-based feed they’re given.
  • My latest recommendation for a source of high-quality omega-3 fats is krill oil. The omega-3 in krill is attached to phospholipids that increase its absorption, which means you need less of it, and it won’t cause belching or burping like many other fish oil products. Additionally, it contains naturally occurring astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant—almost 50 times morethan is present in fish oil.
  • This prevents the highly perishable omega-3 fats from oxidizing before you are able to integrate them into your cellular tissue. In laboratory tests, krill oil remained undamaged after being exposed to a steady flow of oxygen for 190 hours. Compare that to fish oil, which went rancid after just one hour. That makes krill oil nearly 200 times more resistant to oxidative damage (i.e. rancidity) compared to fish oil! When purchasing krill oil, you’ll want to read the label and check the amount of astaxanthin it contains. The more the better, but anything above 0.2 mg per gram of krill oil will protect it from rancidity.
  • As for your kids, I recommend supplementing with krill oil before and during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding. Infants receive vital DHA through your breast milk, so if you can continue breastfeeding through the first year, you will give your child a great head start for success in life.
  • Then, as soon as your child can safely swallow a capsule, he or she can start taking a high-quality krill oil supplement. The capsules should be kid-sized – about half the size of a regular capsule – and odor-free, making them easy and palatable for kids to swallow.

·         Low DHA Levels May Impact Reading, Memory and Behavior

·         DHA Supplementation Early in Life Increases Intelligence as Older Children

·         Omega-3s Found to Alter and Boost Brain Function

·         Omega-3 Fats Are Essential During Pregnancy (and Later in Life) Too

·         What’s the Optimal Source of Omega-3 Fats?

·         Tips for Giving Omega-3 Fats to Kids

Source: mercola.com

 

 

12 Best Anti-Inflammatory Foods.

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Inflammation is largely caused by the foods we put in our bodies. Consuming highly processed canned, frozen and bagged foods are foreign to the natural flora of our bodies and so the body naturally fights against the products in these foods (as a part of the immune response), leading to high levels of inflammation. Effects of chronic inflammation can range from heart disease to dementia, to cancer and arthritis. Most autoimmune diseases like inflammatory bowel disease are linked to excessive inflammation in the body.

The good news is that you can control the level of inflammation in your body by simply changing the way you eat. Getting regular sleep, eating well, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake (or quitting altogether), stressing less and engaging in regular exercise will all help make a difference.

Here is a list of 12 amazing foods that help combat inflammation in the body:

(1) Papaya

Papaya contains the enzymes ‘papain’ and ‘chymopapain’ which help reduce inflammation  in the body (and also improve digestion). Papaya has powerful antioxidants like beta-carotene and vitamins C and E which combat free radicals in the body that trigger inflammation-related diseases.

(2) Avocado

Avocados are polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs). PFAs are mostly present in seaweeds and other ocean plants, and are extremely rare in land plants, so this makes the avocado very unusual in this respect. The PFAs and phytosterols in avocados provide our bodies with anti-inflammatory benefits which help fight a variety of diseases. Particularly, avocado’s phytosterols prevent pro-inflammatory prostaglandin E2 synthesis by the connective tissue (and thus reducing inflammation in the joints of individuals experiencing arthritis and gout.

(3) Cranberries

Cranberries contain important anti-inflammatory phytonutrients that protect the cardiovascular system and prevent hardening of the arteries. They also prevent inflammation-associated diseases of the urinary tract (urinary tract infections), stomach (ulcers), and mouth (gingivitis).

(4) Broccoli

Broccoli is an incredible anti-inflammatory food, thanks to it’s abundant sulforaphane compounds which help the body get rid of potentially carcinogenic compounds (a cause of a highly inflamed body) and relieve inflammation and oxidative stress. It is also very high in vitamin C which is another powerful anti-inflammatory agent which cuts the levels of inflammation markers by up to 45%!

(5) Red Cabbage

If we do not ingest anti-inflammatory foods, our body cannot regulate the inflammation in our body we acquire from stress and the environment, as well as highly processed foods, wheat, and animal products. Anthocyanins found in red cabbage have been researched numerous times and time and time again they have been found to be one of the best anti-inflammatory vegetables out there!

(6) Hemp seeds

Raw hemp seeds contain an ideal ratio of omega’s 3 and 6. Omega-6 fats contain GLA which works in the body as an anti-inflammatory, decreasing inflammation and helping people suffering from things like asthma, arthritis and other body pain associated from exercising or being bruised. This healthy fat also improves the health of our skin and inhibits cancer cell growth.

(7) Blueberries

Inflammation and damage by free radicals have been linked with pretty much every disease we witness today. Many studies have found that blueberries prevent oxidative stress and inflammation. Blueberries help increase natural killer cell activity which help eradicate free radicals and fight disease. As well, they promote the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines in the body which leaves us with lower levels of inflammation and thus reduced chance of falling ill.

(8) Chia seeds

Many arthritis sufferers have reported reduced inflammation associated pain after just a few weeks of taking chia seeds. They contain important omega-3 fatty acids which are converted to prostagladins which have pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effects. Chia seeds are also a great source of antioxidants (they contain more than blueberries!), and antioxidants help keep the body healthy and reduce pain arising from inflammation in the body.

(9) Ginger

Ginger contains potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols which inhibit the production of nitric oxide (which naturally forms potent and very damaging free radicals called peroxynitrites). Ginger has also been found to suppress pro-inflammatory compounds like cytokines produced by synoviocytes, chrondrocytes and leukocytes, and thus making our immune system and joints stronger.

(10) Walnuts

Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, phytonutrients (tannins, phenolic acids and flavonoids), quinones and other anti-inflammatory nutrients. Consuming walnuts has been linked to decreased markers for blood vessel inflammation (reduced C-reactive protein) for those at risk for heart disease. Including walnuts as a part of your diet will ensure you gain these benefits.

(11) Turmeric

Turmeric, if you haven’t already heard, is one of the best anti-inflammatory foods out there! Thanks to the active ingredient, curcumin, this root can inhibit the activity and synthesis of COX-2 and 5-LOX, two important enzymes involved in the inflammatory response. One study found that osteoarthritis patients had significantly reduced pain and increased mobility when taking just 200 mg of curcumin per day (the control group with no curcumin had no significant improvements). Curcumin has also been found to block inflammatory pathways, and thus prevents proteins from triggering pain and swelling.

(12) Celery

A specific nutrient in celery, called “luteolin”, is particularly effective against inflammation and cancer. This compound is found in smaller amounts in peppers, parsley, thyme, basil and peppermint. It is a biofalvonoid which means that it has double the antioxidant properties of vitamin C! Luteolin essentially prevents the inflammatory pathway in the brain to get switched on, and thus helps reduce the amount of inflammatory responses triggered in the body.

Source: livelovefruit.com

 

Absurd Study Claims Omega-3 Fats Raise Prostate Cancer Risk.

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Story at-a-glance

  • A recent case-cohort study found that men with higher blood concentrations of omega-3 fat had a 44 percent increased risk of developing low-grade prostate cancer compared to those with the lowest levels
  • Specifically, higher blood levels of the omega-3 fat DHA correlated to higher prostate cancer risk, while no correlation was found for EPA and ALA. They also had a 71 percent higher risk of developing high-grade prostate cancer
  • The elevated blood levels of DHA found in the featured study is not necessarily indicative of higher fish consumption. In fact, low-fat diets can increase DHA levels in much the same way omega-3 supplementation can
  • While the researchers warn that fish oil supplements may be dangerous based on their findings, this study cannot show causation. Furthermore, no fish oil supplements were actually given as part of this study
  • Foods rich in omega-3 fats have previously been shown to prevent prostate cancer from spreading, and one recent meta-analysis found that fish consumption was associated with a 63 percent reduction in prostate cancer-specific mortality.
  • omega3

Omega-3 rich fish oil is one of the most well-researched substances on the market. Its wide ranging health benefits have been repeatedly proven, and animal-based omega-3 is one of the few supplements I recommend for virtually everyone to improve overall health.

But omega-3 fat, naturally found in salmon and krill, which are both excellent sources, has received some undeservedly bad press coverage lately. You may have seen some of the following headlines:

  • Link Between Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Increased Prostate Cancer Risk Confirmed (Science Daily1)
  • Omega-3 Supplement Taken By Millions ‘Linked to Aggressive Prostate Cancer’ (Huffington Post2)
  • Men who take omega-3 supplements at 71% higher risk of prostate cancer (NY Daily News3)
  • Omega-3 supplements may trigger prostate cancer (Nursing Times4)
  • Hold the salmon: Omega-3 fatty acids linked to higher risk of cancer(Time Magazine5)

These headlines are perfect examples of gross misreporting of science by the media, and it is instances like this that demonstrate why you cannot trust the conventional press to keep you informed about health. In the words of Jonny Bowden,6 PhD, CNS, the media’s reporting on this particular study is “disgraceful, incompetent, and scientifically illiterate.” I couldn’t agree more.

‘Omega-3 Fats Involved in Prostate Tumorigenesis,’ Researchers Claim

The study raising all this hoopla was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute7 on July 10. This case-cohort study8 examined associations between omega-3 levels in blood and prostate cancer risk among participants in the “Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial,” also known as SELECT.9

The researchers concluded that men with higher blood concentrations of animal-based (marine-derived) omega-3s had a 44 percent increased risk of developing low-grade prostate cancer compared to those with the lowest levels.

Specifically, higher blood levels of the omega-3 fat DHA correlated to higher prostate cancer risk, while no correlation was found for EPA and ALA. They also had a 71 percent higher risk of developing high-grade prostate cancer.

The “grade” refers to the level of abnormality found in the cancer cells.10 The more abnormal the cells appear, the higher the grade of the cancer. Based on these correlations, the researchers concluded that “these fatty acids are involved in prostate tumorigenesis.” But just how did they reach that conclusion?

According to Time Magazine:11

“The study measured omega-3 blood levels in the participating men, and did not include information on the volunteers’ eating habits, so researchers could not differentiate between the effects of fatty acids from fish from those of supplements. However, the overwhelming majority of the participants did not take fish oil supplements.

Based on the results, [lead author, Theodore] Brasky says that men with a family history of prostate cancer should discuss with their doctor whether fish oil supplements are safe for them, since these pills tend to contain concentrated doses of omega-3.

Supplements contain between 30% to 60% of a serving of fish, and if a fish oil supplement is taken every day, that adds up to a lot of daily fish oil. Brasky also suggested that men cut down on their fatty fish intake, though not eliminate it entirely.”

Folks, this is some of the most absurd advice I’ve seen in a long time. How they could possibly come to the conclusion that omega-3 supplements might be dangerous based on this study is a mystery in and of itself. Correlation is not the same as causation, first of all.

Secondly, no omega-3 supplements were actually given in this study. In fact, most participants reportedly did not take them. Another immediate tip-off that something’s awry is the finding that participants who had the highest levels oftrans fats in their blood had the lowest risk for prostate cancer… As Dr. Bowden writes in his Huffington Post12 rebuttal:

“How do you explain the fact that reporter after reporter and news outlet after news outlet conveniently equated higher blood levels of DHA with ‘fish oil supplement taking?’

There’s almost no other explanation other than a strong anti-supplement bias and a desire for shocking headlines. And any doubt about the objectivity of the researchers should have been abandoned after one of them—Dr. Alan Kristy—told reporters,13 ‘We’ve shown once again that use of nutritional supplements may be harmful.’”

Indeed, Dr. Kristy sounds like a spokesperson for Senator Durbin’s hypocritically idiotic supplement bill, which threatens the supplement industry by granting the FDA more power to regulate supplements as if they were drugs, potentially putting supplement companies out of business.

Do Omega-3s Raise Men’s Prostate Cancer Risk? Hardly!

Foods rich in omega-3 fats have previously been shown to prevent prostate cancer from spreading. One such clinical study (opposed to the featured study, which was observational and therefore cannot establish causality) was published in the British Journal of Cancer14 in 2006. This study found that while omega-6 fats (the kind found in most vegetable oils) increased the spread of prostatic tumor cells into bone marrow, the spread of cancer cells was blocked by omega-3 fats, suggesting that a diet rich in omega-3 fats could potentially inhibit the disease in men with early stage prostate cancer.

A more recent meta-analysis15 of available research, published in 2010, found that fish consumption was associated with a 63 percent reduction in prostate cancer-specific mortality, even though no association between fish consumption and a significant reduction in prostate cancer incidence could be found. GreenMedInfo.com16 recently discussed this topic as well, listing a number of additional studies that have shown fish/fish oil/omega-3 to be beneficial against prostate cancer.

As pointed out by Denise Minger,17 previous research18 has shown that the higher blood levels of DHA found in the featured study is not necessarily indicative of higher fish consumption. In fact, low-fat diets can increase DHA levels in much the same way omega-3 supplementation can. According to previous research:

“Plasma phospholipid fatty acids have the potential to function as a surrogate measure of the potential effects of diet on a whole range of cell membrane lipids… This difference in fatty acid levels after the consumption of similar proportions but varied content of fatty acids suggests competition among the lipid series [(n-3), (n-6), (n-7) and (n-9)] for the enzymes of elongation and desaturation.

When the relative supply of (n-3) fatty acids is abundant, these fatty acids are preferentially desaturated and elongated relative to (n-6) fatty acids)…

In summary… free fatty acid compositions are responsive to total dietary fat content. Specifically, the consumption of a low fat diet promotes an increase in the level of total and highly unsaturated long-chain (n-3) fatty acids and a decrease in the total (n-6) content of plasma phospholipid and cholesteryl ester fatty acids. The observed modifications in phospholipid and cholesteryl ester fatty acids in response to a low fat diet are similar to those observed when (n-3) fatty acids of plant or animal origin are fed.”

Why DHA Levels in Featured Study May Be Meaningless…

Furthermore, the featured study reported DHA levels based on percentage of total fatty acids rather than the absolute value, which in and of itself can be quite misleading,19 as it actually obscures any real differences. Dr. Bowden illustrates the dilemma well with the following analogy:

“Would you like 90 percent of all the money Mr. Jones has or 10 percent of all the money Mr. Smith has?”

How could you possibly tell how much money those percentages of total represent, unless you know how much money Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith each have to begin with? As explained in a 2009 commentary published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,20 the only time percentage of total might be meaningful is when the total fatty acid content is identical for all subjects, which it undoubtedly was not in this case.

As stated by Dr. Bob Roundtree, MD:21

“Considering the extensive body of literature that supports the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids, there is no credible biological mechanism, nor is one suggested in the article, that would explain why these essential fatty acids might increase tumorigenesis.”

Confounding Factors Ignored

Another problem with studies looking at correlations only, is that the factor you’re looking at may only be a minor player, or completely irrelevant, compared to other factors. For example, in this case:22

  • 53 percent of the subjects with prostate cancer were smokers
  • 64 percent of the cancer subjects regularly consumed alcohol
  • 80 percent of the cancer subjects were overweight or obese

According to a 2011 study published in PLoS One,23 aggressive prostate cancer was associated with obesity. More recently, a cohort study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention24 in April of this year found that men who were overweight or obese increased their risk of prostate cancer by 57 percent—a percentage that falls right smack in the middle of that 44-71 percentage range attributed to high DHA serum levels in the featured study. And this association between obesity and prostate cancer held for all cases— low-grade and high-grade, early stage and late, nonaggressive and aggressive prostate cancer.

Krill Oil vs. Fish Oil: What’s the Better Source?

From my perspective, based on medical experience and overwhelming scientific evidence, making sure you’re getting enough omega-3 in your diet, either from wild Alaskan salmon or a high-quality omega-3 supplement like krill oil, is absolutely crucialfor your optimal health. While a helpful form of omega-3 can be found in flaxseed, chia, hemp, and a few other foods, the most beneficial form of omega-3 — containing two fatty acids, DHA and EPA, which are essential to fighting and preventing both physical and mental disease — can only be found in fish and krill.25

Unfortunately, nearly all fish, from most all sources, are now severely contaminated with toxic mercury, which is why I have amended my previous recommendations to consume fish on a routine basis. It’s simply not advisable for most people any longer. About the only exception to this rule is wild-caught Alaskan salmon. This is really the ONLY fish I’ll eat on a regular basis, and the only one I feel comfortable recommending as a good source of healthful fats. AVOID farmed salmon, as they contain only about half of the omega-3 levels of wild salmon. Farmed salmon may also contain a range of harmful contaminants, including environmental toxins, synthetic astaxanthin, and genetically engineered organisms from the grain feed they’re given.

My latest recommendation for a source of high quality omega-3 fats is krill oil. The omega-3 in krill is attached to phospholipids that increase its absorption, which means you need less of it, and it won’t cause belching or burping like many other fish oil products. Additionally, it naturally contains astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant—almost 50 times more than is present in fish oil. This prevents the highly perishable omega-3 fats from oxidizing before you are able to integrate them into your cellular tissue. In laboratory tests, krill oil remained undamaged after being exposed to a steady flow of oxygen for 190 hours. Compare that to fish oil, which went rancid after just one hour. That makes krill oil nearly 200 times more resistant to oxidative damage compared to fish oil!

When purchasing krill oil, you’ll want to read the label and check the amount of astaxanthin it contains. The more the better, but anything above 0.2 mg per gram of krill oil will protect it from rancidity.

Source: mercola.com

Where Corn Is King, a New Regard for Grass-Fed Beef.

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Story at-a-glance

  • Grass-fed beef represents a sought-after solution to unsustainable agricultural practices – one that could not only drastically reduce pollution but also produce a nutritionally superior meat
  • While far from the norm at this point, a new appreciation for grass-fed meat, and all that it stands for, is steadily growing and these so-called ‘unconventional’ ranchers are now becoming mainstays in the industry
  • Grass-fed beef is higher in certain vitamins and minerals, lower in total fat, and has a more balanced omega-3 to omega-6 ratio than grain-fed beef
  • Grass-fed beef is now widely available via farmer’s markets, food coops, direct farm-to-consumer sales, and even online.
  • grass-fed-cows

In the grand scheme of all that is wrong with modern agriculture, the unnatural transition that turned cattle (which naturally eat grass) into grain-eating ruminants is at the top of the list.

When a cow is left to eat on its own, it doesn’t choose corn or soy to munch on… it selects grass, but in the twisted realm of agribusiness, raising grass-fed cows, especially in the heart of ‘corn country’ (the Midwest) is now regarded as a specialty industry “for the crazies,” as the New York Times recently reported.1

“Where the great cattle herds once roamed, grass finishing — an intricate and lengthy ballet involving the balance of protein and energy derived from the stalk, with the flavor rendered by earth, plants and even stress — is a nearly lost art.

…said Fred Kirschenmann, a distinguished fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University… ‘The attitude out there is that grass-fed is for the crazies.’”

Yet, far from being ‘crazy,’ grass-fed beef represents a sought-after solution to unsustainable agricultural practices – one that could not only drastically reduce pollution but also produce a nutritionally superior meat.

While far from the norm at this point, a new appreciation for grass-fed meat, and all that it stands for, is steadily growing and these so-called ‘unconventional’ ranchers are now becoming mainstays in the industry.

Change to the Cattle Industry Must Come ‘From Educated People From the Outside’

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), in which the majority of US beef (and pork, chicken and eggs) is raised, contribute directly to global warming by releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere – in fact, more than the entire global transportation industry.

They also contribute to climate disruption by their impact on deforestation and draining of wetlands, and because of the nitrous oxide emissions from huge amounts of pesticides used to grow the genetically engineered corn and soy fed to animals raised in CAFOs.

The cows are fattened for slaughter on giant feed lots as quickly as possible (on average between 14 and 18 months) with the help of grains, as CAFOs represent a corporate-controlled system characterized by large-scale, centralized, low profit-margin production, processing and distribution systems.

Contrary to popular arguments, factory farming is not a cheap, efficient solution to world hunger. Feeding huge numbers of confined animals actually uses more food, in the form of grains that could feed humans, than it produces. For every 100 food calories of edible crops fed to livestock, we get back just 30 calories in the form of meat and dairy. That’s a 70 percent loss.

With the Earth’s population predicted to reach 9 billion by mid-century, the planet can no longer afford this reckless, unhealthy and environmentally disastrous farming system. And as Prescott Frost, great-grandson of poet Robert Frost who has entered the grass-fed meat business, told the New York Times:2

“If change is going to come to the cattle industry, it’s got to come from educated people from the outside,” Mr. Frost said, quoting from Allan Nation, the publisher of The Stockman Grass Farmer, considered the grazier’s bible.”

Grass-Fed Beef Is Better for You, Better for the Planet and Better for the Cows

A joint effort between the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Clemson University researchers determined a total of 10 key areas where grass-fed is better than grain-fed beef for human health.3 In a side-by-side comparison, they determined that grass-fed beef was:

Lower in total fat Higher in beta-carotene Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium Higher in total omega-3s
A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84) Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)

 

Another troubling aspect of grain-fed cattle involves the well-being of the animal and, consequently, the health effect this has on you. Common consequences among grain-fed cattle include:4

  1. Acidosis. During the normal digestive process, bacteria in the rumen of cattle produce a variety of acids. Saliva neutralizes the acidity from grass-based diets, but grain-based eating in feedlots prohibits saliva production. The net result is “acid indigestion.”

Animals with this condition are plagued with diarrhea, go off their feed, pant, salivate excessively, kick at their bellies, and eat dirt. Over time, acidosis can lead to a condition called “rumenitis,” an inflammatory response to too much acid and too little roughage and results in inefficient nutrient absorption.

  1. Liver abscesses. From 15 to 30 percent of feedlot cattle have liver abscesses, which result when bacteria may leak out through ulcerated rumen in cattle and are ultimately transported to the liver.
  2. Bloat. During digestion, cows produce gas and when they are on pasture, they belch up the gas without any difficulty. Grain-based feeding causes these gasses to become trapped, and results in bloat. In more serious cases of bloat, the rumen becomes so distended with gas that the animal is unable to breathe and dies from asphyxiation.
  3. Feedlot polio. A highly acidic digestive environment may result in the production of an enzyme called “thiaminase,” which destroys vitamin B1, starving the brain of energy and creating paralysis.
  4. Dust pneumonia. In dry weather, the feedlot can become a dust bowl, which springs the cattle’s immune system into action and keeps it running on a constant basis, ultimately resulting in respiratory ailments and even death.
  1. Virginia farmer Joel Salatin is a living example of how incredibly successful and sustainable natural farming can be. He produces beef, chicken, eggs, turkey, rabbits and vegetables. Yet, Joel calls himself a grass farmer, for it is the grass that transforms the sun into energy that his animals then feed on. By closely observing nature, Joel created a rotational grazing system that not only allows the land to heal but also allows the animals to behave the way the were meant to — expressing their “chicken-ness” or “pig-ness,” as Joel would say.
  2. Cows are moved every day, which mimics their natural patterns and promotes revegetation. Sanitation is accomplished by birds. The birds (chickens and turkeys) arrive three days after the cows leave — via the Eggmobile — and scratch around in the pasture, doing what chickens do best.
  3. No pesticides. No herbicides. No antibiotics. No seed spreading. Salatin hasn’t planted a seed or purchased a chemical fertilizer in 50 years. He just lets herbivores be herbivores and cooperates with nature, instead of fighting it. It’s a different and refreshing philosophy. When cows are raised on a ‘salad bar’ of natural grasses, the meat takes on different flavors that cannot be achieved with grain. Frost told the New York Times:5
  4. “’When the wine industry started out in California, nobody had a language for what a bouquet was,’ Mr. Frost, 55, said. ‘Vintners had to come up with a way an audience could have a conversation about hints of raspberries, of chamomile. And that’s what we have to do with beef.’”
  5. Farming done in this type of sustainable manner can be incredibly profitable, too. Instead of making $150 per acre per year from a crop that produces food for three months, but lays fallow for the rest of the year, Salatin’s making $3,000 per acre by rotating crops throughout the year, thereby making use of his land all 12 months — and maintaining its ecological balance at the same time. This generates complementary income streams for the small farmer and allows them to compete with CAFO operations, while protecting the land from ecological disasters.
  6. Where Can You Find Grass-Fed Beef?
  7. Currently, meat in supermarkets will be labeled 100% grass-fed if it came from pasture, but if it contains no label it’s probably CAFO-raised. In 2013, a new alliance of organic and natural health consumers, animal welfare advocates, anti-GMO and climate-change activists will tackle the next big food labeling battle: meat, eggs and dairy products from animals raised on factory farms, or CAFOs.
  8. This campaign, which aims to have CAFO foods labeled, will start with a massive program to educate consumers about the negative impacts of factory farming on the environment, on human health and on animal welfare, and then move forward to organize and mobilize millions of consumers to demand labels on beef, pork, poultry and dairy products derived from these unhealthy and unsustainable so-called “farming” practices.
  9. In the meantime, you can boycott food products from CAFOs and choose to support farmers who produce healthful grass-fed meat, eggs and dairy products using humane, environmentally friendly methods. You can do this not only by visiting the farm directly, if you have one nearby, but also by taking part in farmer’s markets and community-supported agriculture programs, many of which offer grass-fed beef. The following organizations can also help you locate grass-fed beef and other farm-fresh foods in your local area, raised in a humane, sustainable manner.

 

Source: mercola.com

 

Fish oil increased adiponectin in humans

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Fish oil consumption may improve insulin sensitivity and adipocyte function, according to data from a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Using data from 14 trials, Jason Wu, PhD,and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health, along with the University of Western Australia, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, aimed to determine the effects of consuming long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) on circulating adiponectin in humans.

Participants in the 14 trials received fish oil at a median dose of 1.3 g/day for a median of 8 weeks (n=682) or placebo (olive and sunflower oil were most commonly used; n=641).

Fish oil was associated with a 0.37-mcg/mL (95% CI, 0.07-0.67) increase in adiponectin. According to the study results, statistical heterogeneity was evident but unexplained by n-3 PUFA dose or duration, study quality score, study location or baseline BMI (P>.05 each).

Two trial arms in one study examined the effect of fish meal feeding on adiponectin, but it was not statistically significant (–0.01 mcg/mL; P=.99).

“These findings support potential beneficial effects of fish oil supplementation on pathways related to adipocyte health and adiponectin metabolism,” Wu and colleagues wrote.

Source: Endocrine today