Docosahexaenoic acid

About: Docosahexaenoic acid is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 14412 publications have been published within this topic receiving 620852 citations. The topic is also known as: all-cis-DHA & all-cis-docosa-4,7,10,13,16,19-hexaenoic acid.

n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cardiovascular diseases.

Abstract: An expert round table discussion on the relationship between intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) mainly of marine sources and coronary heart disease at the 34th Annual Scientific Meeting of European Society for Clinical Investigation came to the following conclusions: 1. Consumption of 1-2 fish meals/wk is associated with reduced coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality. 2. Patients who have experienced myocardial infarction have decreased risk of total, cardiovascular, coronary, and sudden death by drug treatment with 1 g/d of ethylesters of n-3 PUFA, mainly as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The effect is present irrespective of high or low traditional fish intake or simultaneous intake of other drugs for secondary CHD prevention. n-3 PUFA may also be given as fatty fish or triglyceride concentrates. 3. Patients who have experienced coronary artery bypass surgery with venous grafts may reduce graft occlusion rates by administration of 4 g/d of n-3 PUFA. 4. Patients with moderate hypertension may reduce blood pressure by administration of 4 g/d of n-3 PUFA. 5. After heart transplantation, 4 g/d of n-3 PUFA may protect against development of hypertension. 6. Patients with dyslipidemia and or postprandial hyperlipemia may reduce their coronary risk profile by administration of 1-4 g/d of marine n-3 PUFA. The combination with statins seems to be a potent alternative in these patients. 7. There is growing evidence that daily intake of up to 1 energy% of nutrients from plant n-3 PUFA (alpha-linolenic acid) may decrease the risk for myocardial infarction and death in patients with CHD. This paper summarizes the conclusions of an expert panel on the relationship between n-3 PUFA and CHD. The objectives for the experts were to formulate scientifically sound conclusions on the effects of fish in the diet and the administration of marine n-3 PUFA, mainly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), and eventually of plant n-3 PUFA, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3), on primary and secondary prevention of CHD. Fish in the diet should be considered as part of a healthy diet low in saturated fats for everybody, whereas additional administration of n-3 PUFA concentrates could be given to specific groups of patients. This workshop was organized on the basis of questions sent to the participants beforehand, on brief introductions by the participants, and finally on discussion and analysis by a group of approximately 40 international scientists in the fields of nutrition, cardiology, epidemiology, lipidology, and thrombosis.

Omega-3 fatty acids and risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.

Abstract: It has been suggested that the dietary intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids could be inversely related to the risk of dementia and cognitive decline. This analysis examined the association between plasma concentration of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and prevalence and incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia. Data are reported on subjects 65 years or older who had a complete clinical evaluation at the first two waves (1991-1992 and 1996-1997) of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. Main outcome measures were cognitive impairment and dementia by mean relative plasma concentrations of fatty acids in the phospholipid fraction at baseline. Results were adjusted for age, sex, education, smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index, history of cardiovascular disease, and apolipoprotein E e4 genotype. In the cross-sectional analysis, no significant difference in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations was observed between controls and both prevalent cases of cognitive impairment and dementia. In the prospective analysis, a higher eicosapentaenoic acid (p < 0.01) concentration was found in cognitively impaired cases compared to controls while higher docosahexaenoic acid (p < 0.07), omega-3 (p < 0.04) and total polyunsaturated fatty acid (p < 0.03) concentrations were found in dementia cases. These findings do not support the hypothesis that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids play a protective role in cognitive function and dementia.

Association of Plasma Phospholipid n-3 and n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids with Type 2 Diabetes : The EPIC-InterAct Case-Cohort Study

Abstract: Background: Whether and how n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are related to type 2 diabetes (T2D) is debated. Objectively measured plasma PUFAs can help to clarify these associations. Methods and Findings: Plasma phospholipid PUFAs were measured by gas chromatography among 12,132 incident T2D cases and 15,919 subcohort participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-InterAct study across eight European countries. Country-specific hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using Prentice-weighted Cox regression and pooled by random-effects meta-analysis. We also systematically reviewed published prospective studies on circulating PUFAs and T2D risk and pooled the quantitative evidence for comparison with results from EPIC-InterAct. In EPIC-InterAct, among long-chain n-3 PUFAs, α-linolenic acid (ALA) was inversely associated with T2D (HR per standard deviation [SD] 0.93; 95% CI 0.88–0.98), but eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were not significantly associated. Among n-6 PUFAs, linoleic acid (LA) (0.80; 95% CI 0.77–0.83) and eicosadienoic acid (EDA) (0.89; 95% CI 0.85–0.94) were inversely related, and arachidonic acid (AA) was not significantly associated, while significant positive associations were observed with γ-linolenic acid (GLA), dihomo-GLA, docosatetraenoic acid (DTA), and docosapentaenoic acid (n6-DPA), with HRs between 1.13 to 1.46 per SD. These findings from EPIC-InterAct were broadly similar to comparative findings from summary estimates from up to nine studies including between 71 to 2,499 T2D cases. Limitations included potential residual confounding and the inability to distinguish between dietary and metabolic influences on plasma phospholipid PUFAs. Conclusions: These large-scale findings suggest an important inverse association of circulating plant-origin n-3 PUFA (ALA) but no convincing association of marine-derived n3 PUFAs (EPA and DHA) with T2D. Moreover, they highlight that the most abundant n6-PUFA (LA) is inversely associated with T2D. The detection of associations with previously less well-investigated PUFAs points to the importance of considering individual fatty acids rather than focusing on fatty acid class.

Infant formula and baby food containing docosahexaenoic acid obtained from dinoflagellates

Abstract: Infant formula and baby food compositions are presented which contain single cell edible oil which is recovered from dinoflagellates and which lacks unpleasant tastes and fishy odors. This single cell edible oil comprises at least 70% triglycerides which contain about 20-35% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and lack eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). To produce the single cell oil, the dinoflagellates are cultivated in fermentors and induced to produce the single cell oil which is subsequently recovered by extraction with solvents.