Eurekalert. April 2013

Scientists of Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital decode the antihypertensive impact of omega-3 fatty acids.

Jena (Germany) Fish is healthy: easy to digest and with a high level of precious proteins, fish is considered an important part of a healthy diet. And with the so-called omega-3 fatty acids fish contains real 'fountains of youth'. These fatty acids – like docosahexaeonic acid (DHA) occur mostly in fatty fish like herring, salmon and mackerel. They are thought to lower the blood pressure, to strengthen the immune system and to have positive effects on the development on the nervous system and the cardiovascular system.

"Clinical studies about the intake of nutritional supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids haven't provided complete clarity so far," Prof. Dr. Stefan H. Heinemann from Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany) says. "The molecular impact of the omega-3 fatty acids isn't fully understood yet," the biophysicist continues. But now scientists of the DFG research group FOR 1738 based at Jena University are able to bring new facts to light: in two newly published articles for the well-known science magazine 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA' they describe how they analyzed the impact of omega-3 fatty acids on a systemic level and they also described the underlying molecular mechanisms for the first time.

The teams around Prof. Heinemann (Jena University), Prof. Dr. Michael Bauer (Jena University Hospital) and Prof. Dr. Toshinori Hoshi (University of Pennsylvania) were able to show that the so-called 'SLO1' potassium channel is an important component in the effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acids. "These ionic channels act like very specific receptors for DHA and are opened by the binding of the omega-3 fatty acids," Biophysicist Heinemann explains. In the case of other omega-3 fatty acids – like the shorter eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) extracted from plants – the impact is much weaker.

MedPage Today. April 2013

By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today

Published: February 25, 2013

Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner

Action Points

Eating a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil or nuts reduced the rate of major cardiovascular events by nearly 30% compared with a control group eating a low-fat diet among people at increased risk for heart disease.

Point out that the Mediterranean diet recommended for the study had olive oil, fruit, nuts, vegetables, legumes, some fish and poultry, and limited amounts of dairy products, red meat, soda drinkgs, processed meats, and sweets.

Eating a Mediterranean diet rich in unrefined olive oil or nuts lowered the rate of major cardiovascular events, at least among people at increased risk for heart disease, researchers reported.

In a randomized trial in Spain in high-risk people, those who ate the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or mixed nuts saw a reduction in the rate of major cardiovascular events by nearly 30% compared with a control group eating a low-fat diet, according to Ramón Estruch, MD, PhD, of the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, and colleagues.

The results support the use of the Mediterranean diet for "primary prevention" of heart disease, the researchers wrote online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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