Aortic calcification is a condition in which calcium deposits form on the aortic valve of the heart and can cause narrowing at the opening of the aortic valve. A new study has found that increased levels of DHA may be associated with less aortic calcification in men.

Participants in the study included 998 men who were Caucasian, African American, Japanese American, and Japanese. The participants were between the ages of 40 and 49. The researchers evaluated aortic calcification and found that 57% of the participants had some degree of aortic calcification. They also measured levels of DHA and EPA.

The researchers found that every 2% increase in DHA levels was associated with a 35% reduction in the Agatston aortic calcification score. The researchers believe the mechanism behind this association may be due to DHA’s anti-inflammatory properties. No association was found for EPA.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, Korea University, the University of Hawaii, and Shiga University of Medical Science. It was published online ahead of print on May 7, 2019 in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease.

Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is an air pollutant, and long-term exposure may increase the risk of chronic bronchitis, reduce lung function, and worsen asthma and heart disease. A new study has found that omega-3 fatty acids may provide cardio-protective benefits against PM_2.5. 

Participants included 65 healthy college students in Shanghai. Half of the group received 2.5g of fish oil and half of the group received a placebo daily for four months. The participants received four rounds of health examinations during the last two months of the study. These examinations measured blood pressure and 18 biomarkers of systematic inflammation, coagulation, endothelial functions, oxidative stress, antioxidant activity, and neuroendocrine stress. Fixed-site PM_2.5 concentrations on campus were measured in real time. 

The researchers used linear mixed-effect models to assess the effects of PM_2.5 on the participants. They found that omega-3 supplementation had a beneficial effect on 5 biomarkers of blood inflammation, coagulation, endothelial function, oxidative stress, and neuroendocrine stress. In the placebo group, most of the biomarkers of cardiovascular health responded significantly and negatively PM_2.5 fluctuations. 

The study was conducted by researchers from Fudan University, Shanghai and the University of Michigan. It was published online ahead of print on April 10, 2019 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology 

The incidence of asthma has nearly doubled in the past 30 years, and this may be due in part to changes in diet worldwide.  There is increasing consumption of omega-6 poly-unsaturated fats found in vegetable oil and decreasing consumption of omega-3 found in marine oils. According to a new study, consuming more fish may help reduce the risk of asthma and asthma-like symptoms by up to 62%.

Participants in the study included 642 adults who worked in a fish processing factory in a small village in South Africa. The researchers used the European Committee Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire, skin prick tests, spirometry and methacholine challenge tests to determine incidence of asthma and asthma-like symptoms. Blood samples were analyzed to determine levels of omega-3s and omega-6s.

The researchers found that the prevalence of asthma symptoms was 11%, current asthma was 8%, and non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness was 26%. Participants with the highest serum levels of omega-3s from marine oils were found to have up to a 62% decreased risk of having asthma or asthma-like symptoms. Participants with the highest levels of omega-6s from vegetable oils were found to have up to a 67% increased risk of having asthma or asthma-like symptoms.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and James Cook University, Australia. It was published on December 25, 2018 in the journal Nutrients.

Estradiol is a sex hormone that is the most important form of estrogen in humans. In women, it plays a key role in the development and functioning of the reproductive system, as well as in the growth of certain bones. A new study has found that supplementation with vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids may help increase estradiol and vitamin D levels in vitamin D deficient women.

86 pre-menopausal women who were vitamin D deficient participated in the study. The participants were divided into four groups:

1. Received 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 once a week;
2. Received 1,000mg of wild salmon and fish oil containing 300mg of omega-3 once a day;
3. Received 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 once a week and 1,000mg of wild salmon and fish oil containing 300mg of omega-3 once a day;
4. Received a placebo

Participants took the supplements for 8 weeks. Fasting serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D and serum estradiol were assessed at baseline and at the end of the study. In addition, mid-follicular serum levels of vitamin D and estradiol were assessed at 8 weeks.

The researchers found that supplementation with vitamin D3 alone resulted in a significant increase in vitamin D levels and a significant decrease in estradiol levels. Supplementation with omega-3 alone resulted in a significant decrease in vitamin D levels and a significant increase in estradiol levels. Supplementation with vitamin D and omega-3 resulted in significant increases in both vitamin D and estradiol.

The study was conducted by researchers from Jordan’s Applied Science Private University and Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences. It was published February 4, 2019 in the journal Clinical Pharmacology: Advances and Applications.

Omega-3’s have been shown to have many health benefits, including improving eye health, improving cardiovascular disease risks, fighting inflammation, and reducing the risk of depression. According to a new study, intakes of omega-3 fatty acids are well below the recommended levels in the United States.

Researchers from various universities examined data from the 2003-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Intakes of fish and omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA were calculated for 45,347 people, ranging in age from toddlers and young children (1 to 5) through to mature adults (55 and older).

The researchers found that children aged 1-19 had significantly lower omega-3 intake compared to adults and seniors. Intakes for children were only approximately 40% of the intake recommended by the National Academy of Medicine. Women had lower intake levels than men, particularly adult and senior women. Women also consumed less fish than men, 5.8 servings per month compared to 6.1 servings.

Average intakes for all adults and seniors were well below recommended levels. Specifically, intakes were just 16% and 21%, respectively, of the 325 mg/day per 1,000 calories recommended by the Workshop on the Essentiality of and Recommended Dietary Intake for Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids. When the researchers used the minimum recommendation of 200 mg/day given by many organizations, they found that the majority of adults and seniors met less than 60% of the intake recommendation.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the University of Arizona, the Pennsylvania State University, and the University of California Riverside. It was published January 15, 2019 in the journal Nutrients.

An Omega-3 index in the range of 8-12% may help to maintain heart, brain, eye, and joint health. A recent study has found that Americans would need to consume oily fish 3 times or more per week and take an EPA+DHA supplement in order to achieve an Omega-3 index of 8% or greater.

Researchers with OmegaQuant looked at data from 3,458 people who submitted dried blood spot samples for Omega-3 index testing. The participants also answered questions regarding their fish intake and supplement use. Approximately 50% of the participants reported taking omega-3 supplements, 32% reported no fish intake, and 17% reported eating fish more than twice per week.

The average Omega-3 index for those who reported taking no supplements and consuming no fish was 4.1%. Participants who reported taking omega-3 supplements and consuming fish three times per week had an average Omega-3 index of 8.1%. Participants in the highest supplement and fish intake group had a 44% higher likelihood of having an Omega-3 index greater than 8%, compared to those in the lowest intake group. Participants who consumed fish twice per week but did not take supplements had a 10% higher likelihood of having an Omega-3 index greater than 8%, compared to those in the lowest intake group.

The American Heart Association currently recommends consuming 1 to 2 seafood meals per week. The researchers suggest that the recommendation should be changed to 4 to 5 servings of oily fish per week or 2 to 3 servings per week in conjunction with an EPA+DPA supplement.

The study was published online ahead of print January 11, 2019, in the journal Prostoglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids.

A recent study suggests that omega-3s do not increase perioperative bleeding during surgery. In fact, they may be associated with a reduced risk of bleeding.

Participants in the study included 1,516 people scheduled for cardiac surgery. The participants were given either 6.5 grams to 8 grams of EPA and DHA or placebo for two to five days before surgery. They were then administered 1.7 grams of omega-3s on the morning of the surgery. All of the participants received the maintenance dose of omega-3s until they were discharged.

After examining the data, the researchers found that the higher the blood level of omega-3s on the morning of the surgery, the lower the risk of bleeding during surgery. They also found a significant reduction in the number of units of blood used for transfusions in the omega-3 group, when compared with the placebo group.

Researchers from University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics led the study. It was published on November 5, 2018, in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

Because omega-3 fatty-acids are not found naturally in the human body, it is especially important to make sure that they are a part of your daily diet. Oily, dark fish such as tuna and salmon are high in omega-3s. For people who don’t like fish, consider taking a daily high-quality non-fish supplement that has been tested for purity and potency.

A recent study suggests that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation may boost blood flow in the brain and slow memory decline that can be cause by restricted blood flow or brain cell inflammation.

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Participants in the study include 48 people with borderline hypertension between the ages of 40 and 85. Over the course of 20 weeks, they were given either a fish oil capsule containing 400 milligrams of DHA and 100 milligrams of EPA for a total dose of 2 grams of omega-3s or a placebo of corn oil daily.

The researchers assessed cerebrovascular function at the beginning and end of the study. The tests were administered when the participants were at rest and also when performing cognitive tasks.

The researchers found cerebrovascular responsiveness to elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the blood increased to 26% in women, but there was no change in the men. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have been associated with reduced cerebrovascular responsiveness to carbon dioxide.

The researchers also found a significant increase in neurovascular coupling in men only, which correlated with an increase in EPA. Neurovascular coupling refers to the relationship between local neural activity and subsequent changes in blood flow, and tends to become impaired in people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers from the University of Newcastle in Australia led the study. It was published on October 2, 2018, in Nutrients.

Because omega-3 fatty-acids are not found naturally in the human body, it is especially important to make sure that they are a part of your daily diet. Oily, dark fish such as tuna and salmon are high in omega-3s. For people who don’t like fish, consider taking a daily high-quality non-fish supplement that has been tested for purity and potency.

Premature babies are at a higher risk of a range of long-term conditions including visual impairment, developmental delay, and learning difficulties. A recent study suggests that increasing intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty-acids during pregnancy may lower the risk of premature birth.

For this study, researchers examined data from more than 70 randomized trials that included nearly 20,000 women at low, mixed, or high risk of poor pregnancy outvcomes. The trials examined omega-3 supplementation in comparison with placebo or with no omega-3.

The researchers found that supplements of EHA and DPA omega-3s — the omega-3s found in fish oil — were associated with an 11% lower risk of having a premature birth of a baby less than 37 weeks; a 42% lower risk of having an early premature birth of less than 34 weeks’ and a 10% reduced risk of having a low birthweight baby.

Researchers from South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute led the study. It was published on November 15, 2018, in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Because omega-3 fatty-acids are not found naturally in the human body, it is especially important to make sure that they are a part of your daily diet. Oily, dark fish such as tuna and salmon are high in omega-3s. For people who don’t like fish, consider taking a daily high-quality non-fish supplement that has been tested for purity and potency.

High fasting blood glucose levels can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A recent study suggests that krill-derived omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce fasting blood glucose levels.

Participants in the study included 36 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 70 with fasting triglycerides of 1.3 to 4.0 millimols per liter (mmol/l). Over the course of eight weeks, they were given either krill oil capsules containing 4654 mg of omega-3s, lean or fatty fish containing 4103 mg of omega-3s, or a control of high-oleic sunflower oil.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that both the krill oil and the fish increased blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Additionally, the krill oil was associated with reduced fasting glucose levels. They also noted that the krill oil was associated with a change in the peripheral blood mononuclear cell mRNA expression of genes involved in glucose and cholesterol metabolism, while the fish was associated with altered expression of four genes and the sunflower oil down-regulated 16 genes.

Researchers from the University of Oslo led the study. It was published online ahead of print on March 21, 2018, in the Journal of Nutritional Science.

Because omega-3 fatty-acids are not found naturally in the human body, it is especially important to make sure that they are a part of your daily diet. Oily, dark fish such as tuna and salmon are high in omega-3s. For people who don’t like fish, consider taking a daily high-quality non-fish supplement that has been tested for purity and potency.