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from page 10)
Preliminary studies note
that type 2 diabetics taking four grams of fish oil per day for two months
increased HDL and lowered triglycerides and the ratio of LDL to HDL. (6)
Omega-3 fatty acid supplements are more effective for reducing fatal heart
attack, sudden death and overall mortality than a control diet or placebo.
(7) A diet rich in omega-3 PUFAs blocks arrhythmias to reduce the risk
of heart disease. (8) Results from a recent study of 31 HIV-negative women
showed a significant reduction in myocardial infarction risk with use of
EPA, DHA, and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). (9) Triglyceride levels fell
by 35% while LDL levels fell by 11%. A risk calculator named PROCAM
helped to assess blood lipid levels and account for other factors such
as age.
Daily omega-3 intake recommendations
for healthy people are based mainly on age and range from between 0.5g/day
for infants to 1.6g/day of alpha-linolenic acid for men. People wanting
to obtain omega-3 fatty acids from food can read information about calculating
daily fat goals, ratios of saturated, monounsaturated and omega-3 and omega-6
fatty acids in a book titled The
Healthiest Diet in the World. The book lists various fatty acid composition
of foods and notes that flaxseed oil and hempseed oil are good on salads,
or for dipping bread and ground flaxseeds can be added to cereals, spreads,
etc. Leaf notes that canned tuna packed in oil is not a good choice as
the extra oil will extract the beneficial omega-3 oil from the fish. (8)
Incidentally, tuna's mercury levels may be at or above the current U.S.
Food and Drug Administration limit of one part per million. (10)
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Although
the body naturally converts alpha-linolenic acid into EPA and DHA, the
process requires the presence of delta-6-desaturase, which may be lacking
in some people. Typically, the dose of omega-3 needed may be greater than
what can be achieved through diet alone. (8) Supplements containing two
grams to four grams of EPA and DHA per day may be needed to lower elevated
triglyceride levels. (6)
Jump notes that learning
more about how fatty acids partition lipids between synthesis, storage
and oxidation may help in developing novel therapeutic strategies to better
manage whole body lipid and cholesterol metabolism. (1) Direct examination
of omega-3 on human infectious disease resistance is also warranted.
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| "Typically, the dose
of omega-3 needed may be greater than what can be achieved through diet
alone." |
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