Lee Swanson Research Update

DHA Boosts Heart Health in High Risk Group of Men

March 2009

Supplements of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may reduce compounds associated with inflammation by up to 20%, according to a new study.

Men with elevated levels of triglycerides in their blood (hypertriglyceridaemia) had lower levels of markers in their blood, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), following daily supplements of a DHA oil, compared to men receiving olive oil.

"The anti-inflammatory effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in hypertriglyceridemic men have not been previously reported, to our knowledge, and were the focus of this study," explained lead author Darshan Kelley from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.

Omega-3 fatty acids, most notably DHA and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), have been linked to a wide range of health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and certain cancers, good development of a baby during pregnancy, joint health and improved behavior and mood.

Kelley, in collaboration with scientists from the University of California, Davis and the Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System, recruited 34 men with hypertriglyceridaemia (age range 39 to 66) and randomly assigned them to receive DHA supplements (three grams per day) or an olive oil placebo for 90 days.

The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled parallel study showed that supplementation with DHA for 45 days resulted in decreased levels of the number of circulating white blood cells (neutrophils) by 11.7%, and these reductions were maintained until the end of the 90-day study (10.5% reduction).

The number of circulating neutrophils was positively linked to the concentration of omega-6 fatty acids in red blood cells and negatively linked to levels of both EPA and DHA in the red blood cells.

While no other markers of inflammation changed during the first 45 days, at the end of the study Kelley and her co-workers report that levels of CRP had decreased by 15% and IL-6 had decreased by 23%. Furthermore, levels of the anti-inflammatory matrix metalloproteinase-2 rose by seven percent, they said.

"In conclusion, DHA may lessen the inflammatory response by altering blood lipids and their fatty acid composition," wrote Kelley and her co-workers.

The results build on earlier data from the same study (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 86:324-333, 2007), which reported that the DHA supplementation was associated with decreased fasting levels of triacylglycerol (24%), very low density lipoproteins (92%) and intermediate-density lipoproteins (53%).

Journal of Nutrition 139(3):495-501, 2009

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