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Omega-3 Benefits and Facts - Part 6

Introduction
Cardiovascular and Heart Disease
Pregnancy and Infant Nutrition
Skin Conditions
Joint Health and Arthritis
Other Diseases

Other Disease Studies and Clinical Trials:

Stretch Marks LotionOmega-3 fatty acids are studied for their potential benefits in many other areas of interest. There has been a whole host of clinical trials investigating the benefits of omega-3s in a variety of disease states such as:

  • Allergies and asthma
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Cancer (breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer)
  • Tumor growth inhibition
  • Crohn’s and inflammatory bowel disease
  • Diet, weight control, and obesity
  • Adult and child attention deficit disorder
  • Cholesterol reduction
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Arteriosclerotic diseases

When you think about it, it is amazing that omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to benefit so many disease states such as allergies, colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, ADD, and many more. The body of encouraging scientific information is ever increasing and more positive clinical trials and studies are coming out everyday associating the positive attributes of omega-3 fatty acids and human health.

Breast Cancer and Omega-3:

Supplementing the diet of tumor-bearing mice or rats with oils containing (n-3) (omega-3) or with purified (n-3) fatty acids has slowed the growth of various types of cancers, including lung, colon, mammary, and prostate. The efficacy of cancer chemotherapy drugs such as doxorubicin, epirubicin, CPT-11, 5-fluorouracil, and tamoxifen, and of radiation therapy has been improved when the diet included (n-3) fatty acids. Some potential mechanisms for the activity of (n-3) fatty acids against cancer include modulation of eicosanoid production and inflammation, angiogenesis, proliferation, susceptibility for apoptosis, and estrogen signaling. In humans, (n-3) fatty acids have also been used to suppress cancer-associated cachexia and to improve the quality of life. In one study, the response to chemotherapy therapy was better in breast cancer patients with higher levels of (n-3) fatty acids in adipose tissue [indicating past consumption of (n-3) fatty acids] than in patients with lower levels of (n-3) fatty acids. Thus, in combination with standard treatments, supplementing the diet with (n-3) fatty acids may be a nontoxic means to improve cancer treatment outcomes and may slow or prevent recurrence of cancer. Used alone, an (n-3) supplement may be a useful alternative therapy for patients who are not candidates for standard toxic cancer therapies.

Omega-3 Benefits to Bipolar Disorder and General Depression:

Epidemiologic studies have suggested that consumption of cold water fish oils may have some protective function against depression. This proposition is supported by a series of biochemical and pharmacologic studies that have suggested that fatty acids may modulate neurotransmitter metabolism and cell signal trans-duction in humans and that abnormalities in fatty acid and eicosanoid metabolism may play a causal role in depression. Aware of the critical need for antidepression treatments that might not carry the risk of precipitating a manic episode in bipolar patients, we decided to conduct an open-label add-on trial of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in bipolar depression. METHOD: Twelve bipolar I outpatients with depressive symptoms diagnosed by DSM-IV were treated with 1.5 to 2 g/day of the omega-3 fatty acid EPA for up to 6 months. The study was conducted between September 2001 and January 2003. RESULTS: Eight of the 10 patients who completed at least 1 month of follow-up achieved a 50% or greater reduction in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores within 1 month. No patients developed hypomania or manic symptoms. No significant side effects were reported. LIMITATIONS: This study is limited both by the open-label design and by the small sample size. As in all previous reported studies, patients in this study were treated in an outpatient setting, so that the most severely depressed bipolar patients (requiring hospitalization) are not represented. CONCLUSIONS: Although the ultimate utility of omega-3 fatty acids in bipolar depression is still an open question, we believe that these initial results are encouraging, especially for mild to moderate bipolar depression, and justify the continuing exploration of its use.

This is a report on a 37-patient continuation study of the open ended, Omega-3 Fatty Acid (O-3FA) add-on study. Subjects consisted of the original 19 patients, along with 18 new patients recruited and followed in the same fashion as the first nineteen. Subjects carried a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and were visiting a Mood Disorder Clinic regularly through the length of the study. At each visit, patients' clinical status was monitored using the Clinical Monitoring Form. Subjects reported on the frequency and severity of irritability experienced during the preceding ten days; frequency was measured by way of percentage of days in which subjects experienced irritability, while severity of that irritability was rated on a Likert scale of 1-4 (if present). The irritability component of Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) was also recorded quarterly on 13 of the 39 patients consistently. Patients had persistent irritability despite their ongoing pharmacologic and psychotherapy. Omega-3 Fatty Acid intake helped with the irritability component of patients suffering from bipolar disorder with a significant presenting sign of irritability. Low dose (1 to 2 grams per day), add-on O-3FA may also help with the irritability component of different clinical conditions, such as schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder and other psychiatric conditions with a common presenting sign of irritability.

Benefits for Atherosclerosis:

Dietary omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids have a variety of anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects that may be of relevance to atherosclerosis and its clinical manifestations of myocardial infarction, sudden death, and stroke. The n-3 fatty acids that appear to be most potent in this respect are the long-chain polyunsaturates derived from marine oils, namely eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and this review is restricted to these substances. A variety of biologic effects of EPA and DHA have been demonstrated from feeding studies with fish or fish oil supplements in humans and animals. These include effects on triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, platelet function, endothelial and vascular function, blood pressure, cardiac excitability, measures of oxidative stress, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and immune function. Epidemiologic studies provide evidence for a beneficial effect of n-3 fatty acids on manifestations of coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke, whereas randomized, controlled, clinical feeding trials support this, particularly with respect to sudden cardiac death in patients with established disease. Clinically important anti-inflammatory effects in man are further suggested by trials demonstrating benefits of n-3 fatty acids in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, asthma, and inflammatory bowel disorders. Given the evidence relating progression of atherosclerosis to chronic inflammation, the n-3 fatty acids may play an important role via modulation of the inflammatory processes.

Supporting Clinical trials and References:

Arnold, L. Eugene. Alternative treatments for adults with ADHD. [Clinical trial] Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol. 931, June 2001, pp. 310-41

Bartoli, G. M.; Marra, G.; Pallozza, P.; Armelao, F.; Piccioni, E.; Gentiloni, N.; Agostara, G.; Anti, M. Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on rectal mucosal cell proliferation in subjects at risk for colon cancer. Medica Romana (1992), 30(1-2), 119-25

de Deckere EA. Possible beneficial effect of fish and fish n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast and colon cancer. Eur. J. Cancer Prev. 1999; 8: 213-21

Chiu, Chih-Chiang; Huang, Shih-Yi; Su, Kuan-Pin; Lu, Mong-Liang; Huang, Ming-Chyi; Chen, Chiao-Chicy; Shen, Winston W. Polyunsaturated fatty acid deficit in patients with bipolar disorder. [Clinical trial] Eropean Neuropsychopharmacology (2003), 13(2), 99-103

Gassmann, B. Bergholz, R., Dietary reference intakes (DRI), report 6, part 2: Total fat, fatty acids, and cholesterol. Ernaehrungs-Umschau (2003), 50(4), 128-133

Gogos CA, Ginopoulos P, Salsa B, Apostolidou E, Zoumbos NC, Kalfarentzos F. Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids plus vitamin E restore immunodeficiency and prolong survival for severely ill patients with generalized malignancy. Cancer. 1998; 82: 395-402

Strohle, A., Schmitt, B., Watkinson, B. M. Hahn, A. Active substances of functional food in the prevention of arteriosclerosis part 1: physiological effects of n-3 fatty acids. Ernaehrungs-Umschau (2002), 49(5), 172-177

Hodge L. Salome CM. Hughes JM. Liu-Brennan D. Rimmer J. Allman M. Pang D. Armour C. Woolcock AJ. Effect of dietary intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids on severity of asthma in children. [Clinical trial. Journal Article. Randomized Controlled Trial] European Respiratory Journal. 11(2):361-5, 1998 Feb.

Nagakura T. Matsuda S. Shichijyo K. Sugimoto H. Hata K. Dietary supplementation with fish oil rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in children with bronchial asthma. [Clinical trial. Journal Article. Randomized Controlled Trial] European Respiratory Journal. 16(5):861-5, 2000 Nov.

Nordvik I, Myhr KM, Nyland H, et al. Effect of dietary advice and n-3 supplementation in newly diagnosed Multiple sclerosis patients. [Clinical trial] Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 2000;102:143-149

Papas, Andreas M. Antioxidant status of the digesta and colon cancer: is there a direct link? Antioxidant Status, Diet, Nutrition, and Health (1999), 431-447

Reddy, B. S.; Hirose, Y.; Rao, C. V. Types of dietary fat and colon cancer risk. Division of Nutritional Carcinogenesis, American Health Foundation, Valhalla, NY, USA. Falk Symposium (2003), 128(Exogenous Factors in Colonic Carcinogenesis), 120-127

Rose, David P.; Connolly, Jeanne M. Omega-3 fatty acids as cancer chemopreventive agents. [Clinical trial] Pharmacology & Therapeutics (1999), 83(3), 217-244

Tsujikawa, Tomoyuki, et al. Clinical importance of n-3 fatty acid-rich diet and nutritional education for the maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease. [Clinical trial] Journal of Gastroenterology, Vol. 35, 2000, pp. 99-104

Yount, Heidi R.; Siddiqui, Rafat A. Role of omega-3 fatty acids in the prevention of cancer-induced muscle proteolysis. Abstracts of Papers, 227th ACS National Meeting, Anaheim, CA, United States, March 28-April 1, 2004 (2004), CHED-242

Simopoulos, Artemis P. Omega-3 fatty acids and cancer. The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, Washington, DC, USA. Indoor and Built Environment (2003), 12(6), 405-412


Informational Links to Omega-3 fatty acids, Colon Cancer, and other Disease States:

Allergies, Eczema, and Omega-3s (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology)

Colon Cancer Information (Colon cancer Alliance)

Colon Cancer Information (National Cancer Institute)

Colon Cancer and Omega-3s (PubMed Articles on Colon cancer and Omega-3s)

This material has been provided for information purposes only and should not be construed as recommendations. Please consult your health care provider first if you have any health problems.

Soft-E-Care™ products that contain Omega-3s:
Omega-T™
Coromega™