Research
Information on scientific research conducted using HiDHA® tuna oil
Nu-Mega works with scientific researchers to help uncover the effects of long chain omega-3s on various aspects of health. Here is a snapshot of some of the recent research which used Nu-Mega’s HiDHA® tuna oil.
See Nu-Mega’s e-newsletter DHA Update click here  Special Edition 2 Research on HiDHA tuna oil
Special Edition 1 Fish & fish oils: Safety and ecological issues
Blood fat benefits with combination of statins and HiDHA® tuna oil
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of a high DHA fish oil on people with high triglyceride levels who were already being treated with statin drugs for their high cholesterol levels. The volunteers were given either HiDHA® tuna oil or olive oil for 6 months. By 3 months there was a 27% reduction in triglyceride levels in the tuna oil group compared to the olive oil group which was maintained at 6 months. The total cholesterol was already well controlled by the statin treatment but there was a further reduction with tuna oil supplementation. The researchers stated that the results demonstrate that DHA-rich fish oil supplementation (2.16 g DHA/day) can improve plasma in people taking statins and these changes were achieved by 3 months.
The conclusion?
Fish oil in addition to statin therapy may be preferable to drug combinations for the treatment of high blood cholesterol and triglycerides. Reference: Meyer BJ, Hammervold T, Rustan AC, Howe PR. Dose-dependent effects of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on blood lipids in statin-treated hyperlipidaemic subjects. Lipids. 2007 Mar;42(2):109-15.
HiDHA® tuna oil and reductions in body fat and risk factors for heart disease
This study by Dr Alison Hill and colleagues at the University of South Australia received a huge amount of publicity when it was published – not surprisingly as overweight and obesity is a major health problem today.
Dr Hill placed overweight volunteers on one of 4 programs:
Group 1: HiDHA® tuna oil capsules – rich in long chain omega-3s
Group 2: HiDHA® tuna oil capsules plus an exercise program
Group 3: Sunflower oil capsules – containing no omega-3s
Group 4: Sunflower oil capsules plus an exercise program
They wanted to look at not only whether regular exercise and consuming long-chain omega-3s could independently improve cardiovascular and metabolic health, but whether combining these lifestyle modifications would be more effective than eithe alone.
The exercise consisted of walking 3 times a week for 45 min at 75% age-predicted maximal heart rate for the 2 exercise groups and 6 grams of oil per day were given to the two tuna oil groups (and 6 grams sunflower oil to the two sunflower oil groups).
The results were pretty amazing! The people on tuna oil showed lower triglycerides, increased HDL (good) cholesterol, and improved blood vessel health (measured by endothelium-dependent arterial vasodilation). The tuna oil and exercise independently reduced body fat.
The conclusion?
The authors stated that tuna oil supplements and regular exercise both reduce body fat and improve cardiovascular and metabolic health. Increasing intake of omega-3s could be a useful adjunct to exercise programs aimed at improving body composition and decreasing cardiovascular disease risk.
Reference: Hill AM, Buckley JD, Murphy KJ, Howe PR. Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85:1267-74.
Increasing levels of DHA in the body associated with reduced depression
The researchers gave volunteers who were receiving treatment for major depression either HiDHA® tuna oil or olive oil (placebo) for 4 months. Their depression was scored by a psychodiagnostician using several different measures during this time.
With HiDHA® supplementation, red blood cell omega-3 DHA content increased by almost 90% but there was no change with the placebo group. Red blood cell levels of omega-3 fatty acids are an indication of body levels of these nutrients.
A statistical analysis indicated that there was a significant association between the change in red blood cell DHA and the depression scores.
The conclusion?
Further study of the relationship between DHA and depression is warranted.
Reference: BJ Meyer BJ, Grenyer B, Crowe T, Owen AJ, Howe PRC. Improvement of major depression is associated with increased erythrocyte DHA - subset analysis in a double-blind omega-3 supplementation trial. Presented at ISSFAL conference, 2004.
Eye health with increasing age
Researchers from the University of Melbourne looked at the effects of dietary omega-3s on the pressure of fluid in the eye. Increased pressure is a risk factor for glaucoma, a common eye disorder which can lead to vision loss and blindness if untreated. This is due to permanent damage to the optic nerve.
The long chain omega-3 fatty acid known as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is found in concentrated amounts in the retina where it plays an important role in sending signals between the eye and brain. HiDHA® tuna oil is rich in DHA.
The researchers compared animals fed either a high omega-3 (using HiDHA® tuna oil) or low omega-3 diet. They found that increasing dietary omega-3s with age reduced the pressure by 13%. This was associated with a 56% increase in fluid flow and a 59% decreased rigidity of the cornea.
The conclusion?
“… dietary manipulation may provide a modifiable factor for intraocular pressure regulation. However, further studies are needed to consider whether this can modify the risk for glaucoma and can play a role in treatment of the disease.”
Reference: Nguyen CT , Bui BV , Sinclair AJ, Vingrys AJ. Dietary omega 3 fatty acids decrease intraocular pressure with age by increasing aqueous outflow. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007 Feb;48(2):756-62.
Heart benefits of omega-3s
Sudden cardiac death is generally caused by a blockage in a coronary artery which leads to ventricular fibrillation (VF). This means that the heart beats ineffectively and blood is no long pumped around the body. There have been previous animal studies which shows that long chain omega-3s help suppress ventricular arrhythmias such as VF.
The ventricles are the larger, lower chambers of the heart. The researchers in this study wanted to investigate the effects of fish oil on atrial arrhythmias – the atria are the smaller, upper chambers of the heart. Atrial fibrillation (AF) can cause palpitations, lack of energy, fainting, chest pain or, more seriously, heart failure.
HiDHA® tuna oil fed animals were compared to animals fed sunflower oil in their diet and those with a standard diet. AF was more difficult to induce and sustain in the tuna oil group compared to the sunflower oil and standard diet groups.
Also, red blood cell, atrial and ventricular omega-3 fatty acid levels were significantly higher in the tuna oil group. The ratio of atrial omega-6s/omega-3s was much lower in the tuna oil group – 1.5 compared to 13 in the sunflower oil group.
The conclusion?
Incorporation of dietary omega-3 fatty acids into atrial tissue reduces stretch-induced susceptibility to AF.
Ninio DM, Murphy KJ, Howe PR, Saint DA. Dietary fish oil protects against stretch-induced vulnerability to atrial fibrillation in a rabbit model. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2005 Nov;16(11):1189-94.
Corporate Profile · What is Omega-3 DHA? · Product Range · Research · Innovation · Service · Careers · News · Contact Us |
