Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T07:00:12.431Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Study of the effects of dietary fish intake on serum lipids and lipoproteins in two populations with different dietary habits

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Isabel C. Torres ,
Lurdes Mira ,
Cristina P. Ornelas  and
Amélia Melim
Isabel C. Torres*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Química, Universidade da Madeira, Campus Universitário da Penteada, 9000 Funchal, Portugal
Lurdes Mira
Affiliation:
Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, R. Ernesto de Vasconcelos, Edifício C1, 1749–018 Lisboa, Portugal and Centro de Metabolismo e Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1749–018 Lisboa, Portugal
Cristina P. Ornelas
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigação e Tecnologia da Madeira (CITMA), 9000 Funchal, Portugal
Amélia Melim
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigação e Tecnologia da Madeira (CITMA), 9000 Funchal, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Isabel C. Torres, fax +351 91 705149, email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Increased concentrations of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), namely eicosapentaenoic acid (20 : 5; EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (22 : 6; DHA), have been shown to be beneficial in coronary artery disease (CAD). In the present study, the relationships between fish intake and concentrations of serum EPA and DHA and the effects of these fatty acids on serum lipids and lipoproteins were investigated. Two groups of men, one living in a fishing village and the other in a farming village, participated in this study. The daily fish consumption was ten times greater in the fishing village group than in the rural village group and the mortality from IHD in the rural village was four times higher. Serum concentrations of EPA and DHA were significantly higher in the fishing village group (P < 0·001). In this group, the serum concentration of arachidonic acid (20 : 4; AA), was significantly lower (P < 0·001), and the ratio EPA : AA was twice that of the rural village (P < 0·001). Moreover, in the fishing village group, the serum triacylglycerol and total cholesterol levels were significantly lower than those observed in the rural village (P < 0·01 and P < 0·05 respectively). In the fishing village group the serum LDL-cholesterol concentration was also lower, although the difference was not significant. Our results reinforce the hypothesis that a high intake of n-3 PUFA provides protection against CAD.

Keywords

n-3 Fatty acidsSerum lipidsEicosapentaenoic acidDocosahexaenoic acid
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 83 , Issue 4 , April 2000 , pp. 371 - 379
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2000

References

Ascherio, A, Rimm, EB, Stampfer, MJ, Giovannucci, EL and Willett, WC (1995) Dietary intake of marine n-3 fatty acids, fish intake, and the risk of coronary disease among men. New England Journal of Medicine 332, 977–982.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bang, HO and Dyerberg, J (1972) Plasma lipids and lipoproteins in Greenlandic West-coast Eskimos Acta Medica Scandinavica 192, 85–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bang, HO, Dyerberg, J and Nielsen, AB (1971) Plasma lipid and lipoprotein pattern in Greenlandic west-coast Eskimos. Lancet i, 1143–1144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bang, HO, Dyerberg, J and Sinclair, HM (1980) The composition of the Eskimo food in north western Greenland. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33, 2657–2661.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bronsgeest-Schoute, HC, Van Gent, CM, Luten, JB and Ruiter, A (1981) The effect of various intakes of ω-3 fatty acids on blood lipid composition in healthy humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 34, 1752–1757.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castelli, WP (1983) Cardiovascular disease and multifactorial risk: challenge of the 1980s. American Heart Journal 106, 1191–1200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Christie, WW (1989) The analysis of fatty acids. In Gas Chromatography and Lipids, pp. 67–68Glasgow, Ayr, Scotland: The Oily Press.Google Scholar
Daviglus, ML, Stamler, J, Orencia, AJ, Dyer, AR, Liu, K, Greenland, P, Walsh, MK, Morris, D and Shekelle, RB (1997) Fish consumption and the 30-year risk of fatal myocardial infarction. New England Journal of Medicine 336, 1046–1053.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DeLany, JP, Vivian, VM, Snook, JT and Anderson, PA (1990) Effects of fish oil on serum lipids in men during a controlled feeding trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 52, 477–485.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dyerberg, J, Bang, HO and Hjørne, N (1975) Fatty acid composition of the plasma lipids in Greenland Eskimos. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 28, 958–966.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dyerberg, J, Bang, HO, Stofferson, E, Moncada, S and Vane, JR (1978) Eicosapentaenoic acid and prevention of thrombosis and atherosclerosis?. Lancet ii, 117–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Folch, J, Lees, M and Stanley, GHS (1957) A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. Journal of Biological Chemistry 226, 497–507.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Friedewald, WT, Levy, RI and Fredrickson, DS (1972) Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clinical Chemistry 18, 499–502.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glantz, AS (1992) Primer of Biostatics. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Glomset, JA (1985) Fish, fatty acids, and human health. New England Journal of Medicine 312, 1253–1254.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goncalves Ferreira, FA & Da Silva, ME (1985) Composicão dos Alimentos Portugueses (Composition of Portuguese Foods). Lisbon: Instituto Nacional de Saúde.Google Scholar
Goodnight, SH (1996) The fish oil puzzle. Science and Medicine 3, 42–51.Google Scholar
Harris, WS (1989) Fish oils and plasma lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in humans: a critical review. Journal of Lipid Research 30, 785–807.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harris, WS (1994) The benefits and pathologies from excesses and deficiencies of dietary fatty acids. Current Opinion in Endocrinology and Diabetes 1, 260–266.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harris, WS (1997) n-3 fatty acids and serum lipoproteins: human studies. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 65, 1645S–1654S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hirai, A, Hamazaki, T, Terano, T, Nishikawa, T, Tamura, Y and Sajiki, J (1980) Eicosapentaenoic acid and platelet function in Japanese (letter). Lancet ii, 1132–1133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hirai, A, Terano, T, Saito, H, Tamura, Y & Yoshida, S (1987) Clinical and epidemiological studies of eicosapentaenoic acid in Japan. In Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Eicosanoids, pp. 9–24 [Lands, WEM, editor]. Champaign IL: American Oil Chemists' Society.Google Scholar
Illingworth, DR, Harris, WS and Connor, WE (1984) Inhibition of low density lipoprotein synthesis by dietary omega-3 fatty acids in humans. Arteriosclerosis 4, 270–275.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jennings, W (1987) Analytical Gas Chromatography. New York, NY: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Kagawa, Y, Nishizawa, M, Suzuki, M, Miyatake, T, Hamamoto, T, Goto, K, Motonaga, E, Izumikawa, H, Hirata, H and Ebihara, A (1982) Eicosapolyenoic acids of serum lipids of Japanese islanders with low incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology 28, 441–453.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kannel, WB, Thomas, HE and Kjelsberg, MO (1986) Overall and coronary heart disease mortality rates in relation to major risk factors in 325,348 men screened for the MRFIT. American Heart Journal 112, 825–836.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kromhout, D, Bosschieter, EB and Coulander, CL (1985) The inverse relation between fish consumption and 20-year mortality from coronary heart disease. New England Journal of Medicine 312, 1205–1209.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leaf, A & Weber, PC (1988 a) Omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. In Heart Disease and Update, pp. 49–60 [Braunwald, E, editor]. Philadelphia, PA and London: WB Saunders Company.Google ScholarPubMed
Leaf, A and Weber, PC (1988) Cardiovascular effects of n-3 fatty acids. New England Journal of Medicine 318, 549–557.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lovegrove, JA, Brooks, CN, Murphy, MC, Gould, BJ and Williams, CM (1997) Use of manufactured foods enriched with fish oils as a means of increasing long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake. British Journal of Nutrition 78, 223–236.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nordøy, A (1991) Is there a rational use for n-3 fatty acids (fish oils) in clinical medicine?. Drugs 42, 331–342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parkinson, AJ, Cruz, AI, Heyward, WL, Bulkow, LR, Hall, D, Barstaed, L and Connor, WE (1994) Elevated concentrations of plasma ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids among Alaskan Eskimos. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 59, 384–388.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reis, GJ, David, IS, Boucher, TM, Sipperly, ME, Horowitz, GL, Sacks, FM and Pasternak, RC (1990) Effects of two types of fish oil supplements on serum lipids and plasma phospholipid fatty acids in coronary artery disease. American Journal of Cardiology 66, 1171–1175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willett, WC, Sampson, L, Stampfer, MJ, Rosner, B, Bain, C, Witschi, J, Hennekens, CH and Speizer, FE (1985) Reproducibility and validity of a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. American Journal of Epidemiology 122, 51–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willett, WC, Stampfer, MJ, Underwood, BA, Speizer, FE, Rosner, B and Hennekens, CH (1983) Validation of a dietary questionnaire with plasma carotenoid and alpha-tocopherol levels. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 38, 631–639.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
World Health Organization (1990) Nutrition and Prevention of Chronic Diseases. Technical Report Series no. 797. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar