News
Antioxidants may reduce risk of depression
15 October 2012
Adults with increased blood concentrations of antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are less likely to have depression, a new US study suggests.
09 January 2013
According to a new US review, supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids may not be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in patients after all. Experts have criticized the review as flawed. It will not change the current health recommendations by authoritative bodies such as the World Health Organization, recommending an adequate consumption of omega-3 fatty acids in order to maintain health and prevent age-related chronic diseases.
The review and meta-analysis included 20 randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on CVD in 68,680 adult patients at increased cardiovascular risk (1). The analysis showed no statistically significant association between the intake of supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids and a lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiac death, sudden death, myocardial infarction, or stroke.
The researchers concluded that these findings do not therefore justify the use of omega-3 fatty acids as a structured intervention in everyday clinical practice or guidelines supporting dietary omega-3 fatty acid administration. An individual patient data meta-analysis would, however, be more appropriate in order to refine possible associations linked, among others, to dose, adherence, baseline intake, and CVD risk group.
Experts have criticized that the meta-analysis combined studies that were not comparable in their design: studies on healthy individuals were combined with those targeting cardiovascular patients already undergoing treatment with one or more cardioprotective drugs (e.g., statins), which may mask the less potent and more long-term effects of omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, the researchers apparently did not examine whether participants were sufficient or insufficient in their dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids within each individual study included in the meta-analysis. Since all-cause mortality can be affected by many lifestyle factors apart from nutrition, it cannot necessarily be expected to find that omega-3 fatty acids alone will have a significant preventive effect.
The scientists further commented that consumers should not be swayed by the results. The study will not change the current recommendations by authoritative bodies such as the World Health Organization, American Heart Association and the US National Academy of Sciences, who recommend an adequate consumption of omega-3 fatty acids. While people should ideally be eating a diet high in fatty fish containing these nutrients, the reality is that many people do not do this. For these people, supplements can serve as an affordable and safe way to add omega-3 fatty acids to the diet.
Two previously published meta-analyses have shown positive correlations between increased intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and reduced cardiovascular risk (2). Increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids from fish or fish-oil supplements has been shown to reduce rates of all-cause mortality, cardiac and sudden death, and possibly stroke (3).
15 October 2012
Adults with increased blood concentrations of antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are less likely to have depression, a new US study suggests.
14 October 2015
A new paper from a distinguished group of academic experts on the effects of LCPUFAs on neural development has challenged a 2014 EFSA recommendation on the fatty acid composition of infant formula, which stated that ARA is not required in infant formula, even if DHA is present. The authors pointed out a range of shortcomings in the scientific review that gave rise to the recommendation, including the fact that papers prior to 2000 were not considered, which disqualified many of the key papers including those of the 1982 Nobel Prize winners Bergstrom, Samuelson and Vane. Further, they point out that ARA is ubiquitous in human milk throughout the world and that the consequences of its removal from infant formula are unknown.
19 March 2014
A new data review suggests that while higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids may be linked with a reduced coronary disease risk, the overall evidence is insufficient to encourage high consumption of omega-3 fatty acids for cardiovascular health. Experts commented that the new data analysis should not change the current recommendation of diets high in polyunsaturated fats.