Common Name: Fish Oil
Synonyms: omega-3 essential fatty acid

Overview:

DHA (docosahexanoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are both essential omega-3 fatty acids. These omega-3’s are involved in the development and function of the retina of the eye as well as the cerebral cortex of the brain, reproductive organs and prostaglandins for cell membrane and heart health. They are found in high concentrations in cold water fish and their oils (salmon, cod, tuna or mackerel). DHA is an essential nutrient for optimal brain and eye function. This omega-3 fatty acid makes up about 60% of the rods (responsible for visual acuity and night vision) found in the retina of the eye. The tissue of the brain is about 60% fat of which DHA makes up about 25%. The levels of omega-3 essential oils, especially DHA, can be directly linked to visual and mental performance and to neurological as well as visual disorders. AMD (Age-related macular degeneration) is the leading cause of blindness in the United States.

Benefits

There are many health benefits associated with the adequate intake of essential fatty acids. They include:

1. Reduction in the development and progression of AMD. The National Institute of Health is conducting the second in a series studying the effects of nutritional supplements including fish oil in slowing the progression of vision loss from AMD These new studies will examine the benefits of adding fish oil, lutien and zeaxanthin supplements to the diet. Preliminary studies have shown that they may protect the vision loss associated with AMD. Two studies released by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in 2003 showed a direct link between the consumption of fish oil and a decreased incident of two serious eye diseases, AMD (age related macular degeneration) and dry eye syndrome. Studies into the many benefits of the amoega-3 essential fatty acids, DHA and EPA, are on going. The improvement in eye health is attributed to fish oils ability to strengthen and support circulation in the eye.
2. Decreased incident of heart attack and stroke. Studies of Inuit (inhabitants of the polar regions of North America) and their almost all meat diet show that they rarely suffer from heart attacks. This is attributed to the high omega-3 oils found in the fat of seals, whales and fish. Later studies confirmed this observation.
3. Diets high in omega-3s showed a decreased risk of heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms and stroke.
4. Lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as blood pressure.
5. Giving a boost to the immune systems. In early studies in the laboratory, fish oil shows promise of increasing the life span of people who suffer from autoimmune diseases such as diabetes.
6. Helping to managing the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A measurable reduction in joint tenderness, early morning stiffness and fatigue combined with an increased grip strength has be seen in RA suffers taking fish oil capsules. Fish oil also seems to reduce the symptoms of RA without side effects and increases the effectiveness of standard medications for RA.
7. Being of considerable benefit to people suffering from bipolar disorder. A three month double blind study showed significant improvement of emotional stability and prevention of relapse. Of fourteen people given fish oil supplements, 11 stayed well or improved while in the fourteen who got no fish oil, only six remained well. Two other large studies showed a strong connection between mood, depression and bipolar disorder and fish consumption. Although research in this connection between omega-3 and omega-6 and mental health are not conclusive, they are beginning to show that these essential fatty acids may work on mood enhancement.
8. Protecting women from osteoporosis. A study of 65 postmenopausal women found that those who took a combination of omega-6 fatty acids omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil combined with calcium showed a higher bone density and fewer broken bones than those taking calcium alone.
9. Protect cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease as found in studies done by Louisiana State University in 2005
10. In treating Attention Deficient Disorder. A study at the University of Adelaide showed that fish oil seemed to be as effective as Ritalin in treating this disorder.

Dietary Sources

Omega-3 essential oils are found in:

	Salmon		Lake Trout
	Herring, Mackerel, Tuna and Atlantic Cod		Sardines
	Flaxseed and Canola Oils		Walnuts

Recommended Dosage:

1. It is recommended that 3-9gms of fish oil daily be taken daily.
2. For in hypertriglyceridemia is about 5 grams of combined EPA/DHA daily.
3. For hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis 3 grams daily.

The daily intake should be taken in divided doses; the supplements are best tolerated with meals.
The most common side effects from taking fish oil supplements are mild indigestion and a fishy taste in the mouth. Those side effects that have been reported include mild gastrointestinal upsets such as nausea and diarrhea, halitosis, eructation and "fishy" smelling breath, skin and even urine
Recommended fish oil products must contain antioxidants such as tocopherol to protect against their oxidation. Further, fish oil products that contain high quantities of vitamin A and D, which could be toxic, should not be used.
Capsules — 400 mg, 500 mg, 1000 mg, 1200 mg, 2000 mg

Contra-indications

People who are allergic to fish should get their omega-3 from sources other than fish oil.

If using a cod liver oil supplement monitor Vitamin A and D intake. Vitamin A intake should not exceed 5,000 U/U per day. Amount of vitamin D at levels above 1000 I/U a day for long periods of time can cause a toxic build up of this vitamin in the body.

Women who are pregnant or nursing should consult their health care practioner before starting the use of fish oil capsules.

Drug interactions

Fish oil has blood thinning properties. It should not be taken with aspiron or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or pain killers, as well as Coumadin (warfarin).

NOTE: Fish oil supplements should be labeled that the product is from distilled, pharmaceutical grade fish oil. This will ensure that the product is free of mercury and other contaminates such as Chlordane. Fish oil becomes rancid easily. To ensure longer shelf life, purchase fish oil that contains added vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and prevents spoilage of the fish oil.

Web References

1. http://www.webmd.com/content/article/64/72431.htm
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_oil
3. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsSupplements/Omega3FattyAcidscs.htmlFatty Acids :
4. The Gale Encyclopedia of Science
5. DHA: The Mind Mender : Psychology Today

Printed Reference Material

1. NIH Medline Plus. MedlinePlus Herbs and Supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid. Retrieved on February 14.
2. "Harvard Study Outlines Role of Fats in Blinding Eye Disease." Angiogenesis Weekly (October 12, 2001).
3. Adler AJ, Holub BJ. Effect of garlic and fish-oil supplementation on serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in hypercholesterolemic men. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997; 65:445-450.
4. Appel LJ, Miller ER III, Seidler AJ, Whelton PK. Does supplementation of diet with "fish oil' reduce blood pressure? A meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Arch Intern Med. 1993; 153:1429-1438.
5. Ariza-Ariza R, Mestanza-Peralta M, Cardiel MH. Omega-3 fatty acid in rheumatoid arthritis: an overview. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 1998; 27:366-370.
6. Belluzi A, Brignola C, Campieri M, et al. Effect of an enteric-coated fish-oil preparation on relapses in Crohn's disease. N Engl J Med. 1996; 334:1557-1560.
7. Connor WE, Prince MJ, Ullman D, et al. The hypotriglyceridemic effect of fish oil in adult-onset diabetes without adverse glucose control. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1993; 683: 337-340.
8. Curtis CL, Hughes CE, Flannery CR, et al. n-3 Fatty acids specifically modulate catabolic factors involved in articular cartilage degradation. J Biol Chem. 2000; 275:721-724.
9. Donadia Jr, JV, Bergstralh MS, Offard MS, et al. A controlled trial of fish oil in Iga nephropathy. N Engl J Med. 1994; 331:1194-1199.
10. Gapinski JP, VanRuiswyk JV, Heudebert GR, Schectman GS. Preventing restenosis with fish oils following coronary angioplasty: a meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med. 1993; 153:1595-1601.
11. GISSI-Prevenzione Investigators. Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E after myocardial infarction: results of the GISSI-Prevenzione trial. Lancet. 1999; 354:447-455.
12. Gittleman, Ann Louise. Eat Fat, Lose Weight. Keats Publishing, 1999.
13. Grimsgaard S, Bonaa KH, Hansen J-B, Nordoy A. Highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acids in humans have similar triacylglycerol-lowering effects but divergent effects on serum fatty acids. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997; 66:649-659.
14. Harris WS. Fish oils and plasma lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in humans: a critical review. J Lipid Res. 1989; 30:785-807.
15. Homan van der Heide JJ, Bilo HGJ, Donker JM, et al. Effect of dietary fish oil on renal function and rejection in cyclosporine-treated recipients of renal transplants. N Engl J Med. 1993; 329:769-763.
16. Joyce A. Nettleton, ed. PUFA Newsletter. Retrieved on February 20, 2006. Two newsletters, both quarterly, reviewing recent publications in essential fatty acids. One is written for researchers, the second is for consumers. Industry sponsored, academic contributors
17. Judith Sims
18. Kim H-J, Takahashi M, Ezaki O. Fish oil feeding decreases mature sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) by down-regulation of SREBP-1c mRNA in mouse liver. J Biol Chem. 1999; 274:25892-25898.
19. Kremer JM. n-3 Fatty acid supplements in rheumatoid arthritis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000; 71:349s-351s.
20. Majumder, Barun, Klaus J. Wahle, Susan Moir, and Steven D. Heys. "Conjugated Linoleic Acid Reduces Breast Tumor Growth Both by P53-Dependent and P53-Independent Pathways." Journal of Nutrition 131 (November 2001): 3140S.
21. McManus RM, Jumpson J, Finegood DT, et al. A comparison of the effects of n-3 fatty acids from linseed oil and fish oil in well-controlled type II diabetes. Diabetes Care. 1996; 9:463-467.
22. Murray, Michael T., and Jade Beutler. Understanding Fats and Oils: Your Guide to Healing with Essential Fatty Acids. Apple Publishing Co. Ltd., 2000.

Periodicals

1. Rebecca J. Frey, PhD
2. Stoll AL, Severus WE, Freeman MP, et al. Omega 3 fatty acids in bipolar disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999; 56:407- 412.
3. Toft I, Bonaa KH, Ingebresten OC, et al. Effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on glucose homeostasis and blood pressure in essential hypertension. Ann Intern Med. 1995; 123:911-918.
4. Von Schacky C, Angerer P, Kothny W, et al. The effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acids on coronary atherosclerosis. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 1999; 130:554-562.