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Omega-3 May Improve Cardio
Measures in Overweight Teens
Reports Study
New Omega-3 Research Shows The Benefits
Of These Nutritional Fish Oils For
Cardiovascular Health
Daily supplements of the omega-3s EPA
(eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic
acid) may improve blood pressure levels in slightly
overweight teenage boys. Blood pressure reductions
in order of 3 mmHg were observed following 16 weeks
of consumption of omega-3 fortified bread by overweight
boys going through their adolescent growth spurt,
according to new findings from Copenhagen
University and the Technical University of Denmark.
“A blood pressure decrease of about 3 mmHg corresponds
to a [greater than] 15 percent reduction in the risk of stroke
at a whole population level in adults,” wrote the researchers
in The Journal of Pediatrics.
“Blood pressure has been shown to track into adulthood,
with children and adolescents with high blood pressure
more likely to suffer from hypertension later in life. Thus,
adolescents with blood pressure in the higher range can
be viewed as ‘prehypertensive,’ but whether the tracking
of high blood pressure is a result of unhealthy diet and
exercise habits carried from childhood to adulthood or
whether some programming of blood pressure occurs
during adolescence is not known,” they added.
The heart health benefits of consuming oily fish, and the
omega-3 fatty acids they contain, are well-documented,
being first reported in the early 1970s. To date, the
polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been linked to
improvements in blood lipid levels, a reduced tendency of
thrombosis, blood pressure and heart rate improvements,
and improved vascular function.
Beyond heart health, omega-3 fatty acids, most notably
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic
acid), have been linked to a wide-range of health benefits,
including reduced risk of certain cancers, good
development of a baby during pregnancy, joint health,
and improved behavior and mood.
Study Details
The new study extends our understanding of the
cardiovascular benefits of the fatty acids, and involved
78 mildly overweight adolescent boys aged between 13
and 15. “We chose to recruit slightly overweight boys,
because we wanted clear potential for improvement in
the risk factors evaluated,” explained the researchers.
At the end of the study the researchers recorded a
significant increase in EPA and DHA levels in the red
blood cells of the omega-3 group of 1.2 and 6.7 percent,
respectively, compared with increases of 0.6 and 4.1
percent in the control group.
In addition, systolic blood pressure was 3.8 mmHg lower
following 16 weeks of omega-3-rich bread consumption,
compared with control, while diastolic blood pressure
was 2.6 mmHg lower in the omega-3 group.
No changes in blood levels of triacylglycerol
or insulin sensitivity.
Increases in HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels were
also recorded in omega-3 group of 5 and 7 percent,
respectively, compared with 2 and 0 percent in the
control group.
“In this study, the non- HDL/HDL ratio, which is believed
to be a better indicator of risk, was unaffected by the
treatment, and thus the net effect appears to be neutral,”
added the researchers.
Commenting on the potential mechanism to explain the
apparent benefits, the researchers point to the competition
between EPA/DHA and arachidonic acid (AA) in the
synthesis of inflammation-related eicosanoids: AA
derivatives may stimulate the constriction of blood vessels
which would increase blood pressure, while EPA/DHA
derivatives may inhibit this pathway.
Source: The Journal of Pediatrics
September 2010, Volume 157, Issue 3,
Pages 395-400.
“Effects of Fish Oil Supplementation on
Markers of the Metabolic Syndrome”
Interested in Promoting Cardio Health in Teens
The Natural Nutritional Way?
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