DHA keeps the heart healthy through its action on mitochondria

Omega 3 DHA: healthier heart through action on mitochondria

Confirmed benefits of Omega 3 for the heart: in fact, the fatty acid DHA introduced through the diet protects the mitochondria, the "powerhouses" of the cell. Taking in these nutrients makes it possible to change the membrane composition of these cellular elements and thus reduce the likelihood that the cell itself may die. The confirmation comes from the pages of the journal Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrion and Metabolic ^Care1, on which researchers from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, USA, published a detailed analysis of their latest findings in this regard.

Omega-3: the fats that are good for your health

Fats are essential molecules for our bodies; however, excessive consumption of these nutrients can be detrimental to health. However, there are fatty acids that have a positive action at different levels and can only be taken in through food: Omega-3s. Omega-3s are nutrients in which various foods are rich:

• Fatty fish, such as tuna, salmon, mackerel;
• Some foods of plant origin, especially nuts.

The benefits of these molecules were discovered by studying the Eskimo populations of Greenland, characterized by very low incidence of cardiovascular disease. Scientists were able to show that this fortunate characteristic was associated with the high consumption of Omega-3-rich fish typical of these populations. Years of research have confirmed the protective role of these fatty acids toward the heart and arteries and have also shown that Omega-3s are important for the nervous system as well as for the health of the body in general. The authors focused on the effects of intake at the level of mitochondria present in heart cells precisely because of the close association between these fatty acids and the cardiovascular system.

DHA to energize the heart

Analysis of data collected in the scientific literature shows that taking Omega-3 with food profoundly influences the membrane composition of mitochondria, and consequently their functioning. DHA plays a predominant role in this phenomenon. It is one of the Omega-3s in which fatty fish are rich. Taking DHA increases its concentrations in mitochondrial membranes and reduces levels of arachidonic acid, a molecule involved in inflammatory processes. DHA also increases levels of cardiolipin, a molecule essential for the functioning of these cellular elements. Finally, this Omega-3 decreases the likelihood of mitochondria undergoing a phenomenon known as "permeability transition," which often leads to cell death. The effect of DHA is greater than that of other Omega-3s, which change the composition of mitochondrial membranes in a more limited way.

Confirmations

For the authors, this analysis confirms that enriching one's diet with Omega-3s, especially DHA, helps protect the heart through mechanisms that directly involve the "power plants" of heart cells.  

Source: 

1. Stanley WC, Khairallah RJ, Dabkowski ER, "Update on lipids and mitochondrial function: impact of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids," Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2012 Mar;15(2):122-6