Omega-3s positively affect all metabolic processes
Metabolism: omega 3 improves its processes
Omega 3s appear to have even more beneficial effects on metabolism than hitherto known. In particular, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) has a protective effect on many metabolic diseases, including nonalcoholic steatotic hepatopathy.
This was discovered by researchers at Oregon State University (USA) led by Professor Donald Jump,as part of a study in which the effects of Omega-3s on various metabolic processes were investigated. The results were published in the journal Plos One
Omega-3 and metabolism
Studies conducted over the past 30 years on omega-3 fatty acids have shown protective effects against numerous diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases. They, in fact, contribute to blood pressure control and give elasticity to artery walls, reduce plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, and act as antiplatelet agents. Omega-3s are thus important regulators of fat metabolism. Instead, this recent study investigated the effects of Omega-3s on the metabolism of vitamins, amino acids, and carbohydrates, using metabolomics, which is the analysis of molecules that result from the body's biochemical reactions,
DHA fights hepatic steatosis
The study was conducted on laboratory rats that, in addition to eating a diet comparable to a typical Western diet, high in saturated fats and sugars, received supplements of either olive oil, or DHA, in amounts comparable to 2-4 grams daily per person, or EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) plus DHA . By studying liver tissue and the genes expressed in it after 16 weeks of treatments, the researchers evaluated the effects of the different supplements.
Analyses showed that animals that had received olive oil, which is rich in oleic acid a monounsaturated fatty acid, showed genetic characteristics comparable to those of nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis (NASH), a condition characterized by the high amount of fat in the liver, and which can develop into carcinoma or cirrhosis. From the 'analysis of as many as 320 molecules, the researchers observed that Omega-3 supplementation had effects on all major metabolic pathways.
DHA appeared to prevent, partially or totally, the dysfunction of carbohydrate, vitamin and amino acid metabolism, often linked ,in men to excessive consumption of red meat and complex sugars. DHA, then, acted more effectively than EPA in reducing the symptoms of NASH.The main action of both omega-3s, however, appears to have been to limit the synthesis of saturated, monounsaturated fatty acids and hepatic sphingomyelin, a lipid molecule that, when in excess causes liver damage. This action, together with the reduction of NFkB factor, a protein that regulates inflammation and immune response, explains the ability of the supplements to limit the inflammatory process related to nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis In addition, EPA and DHA had reduced the oxidative state, producing oxidized lipids, derived from the Omega-3s themselves.
Effects on all metabolic pathways
Although the study confirms the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action of Omega-3s, it reports some limitations such as the existence of differences, which are not yet very clear, between human and animal NASH, and the difficulty of extracting and analyzing some metabolites, as they are very small. Despite this, the result of the analysis on the molecules established that Omega-3,particularly DHA, can have significant effects on liver metabolism, protecting against the effects of a diet rich in saturated fats and carbohydrates, and the risk of metabolic diseases. To stay up-to-date on the latest news from Omega-3 scientific research, subscribe to our newsletter.
Source: Christopher M. Depner, Maret G. Traber, Gerd Bobe, Elizabeth Kensicki, Kurt M. Bohren, Ginger Milne,Donald B. Jump . "A Metabolomic Analysis of Omega-3 Fatty Acid-Mediated Attenuation of Western Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in LDLR-/- Mice." Published: December 17, 2013
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083756
