Omega-3 from yeast: EPA is as safe and effective as fish oil
Omega 3 from yeast: safe when classic fish oil
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) produced by genetically modifying yeast is as safe and effective as the Omega 3s found infish oil. In fact, a study published in the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology showed thatEPA oil obtained from this engineered yeast has no side effects and has comparable action to commonly used supplements.
Omega-3 sources: which one to choose?
Fatty fish, such as tuna, mackerel, salmon and herring, are the main source of Omega-3. Within them are high amounts of EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the other health "friend" fatty acid. The first approach to increasing the intake of these nutrients is to introduce more fish into the diet. However, there are other possible solutions:
- Omega-3 supplements made from fish oil, which is also rich in EPA and DHA;
- Omega-3 supplements made from krill oil, small shrimp that contain high amounts of fatty acids.
DHA is also found in supplements made from microalgae. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-derived Omega-3, is abundant in flaxseed oil and seeds. Despite this wide choice, research aimed at obtaining new food products to help increase Omega-3 intake does not stop, going so far as to generate genetically modified plants enriched with these nutrients.
Yeasts, new omega-3 factories
One of the latest opportunities is offered by yeasts. A group of researchers led by Susan MacKenzie of DuPont, a well-known chemical company, has engineered a strain of Yarrowia lipolytica to produce an EPA-rich oil. To test the product's safety, the researchers fed it to rats, comparing its effects with those offish oil. The animals took daily amounts of this oil corresponding to 98, 488, or 976 milligrams of EPA per kilogram of body weight for 90 consecutive days. On the one hand, the lowest dose of Omega-3 was not effective; on the other hand, the other doses showed the same benefits from fish oil intake. The researchers did, in fact, observe a reduction in total cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol levels. Not only that, EPA obtained from yeast did not produce any significant side effects, even at the highest dose. In fact, although at the beginning of the experiment taking the highest amount among those tested caused a decrease in "good" cholesterol, this effect disappeared in the following days.
Same safety for yeast and fish oil
Based on their results, the study authors concluded that the EPA produced by the engineered yeast is as safe and effective as that contained in fish oil.
