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Cited by 2,162Fatty Acid Research and HealthEdible Oils Quality and AnalysisAquaculture Nutrition and Growth

Omega-3 fatty acids in health and disease and in growth and development.

Simopoulos, AP·1991·The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
DOI 10.1093/ajcn/54.3.438
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Abstract

Several sources of information suggest that man evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids of approximately 1 whereas today this ratio is approximately 10:1 to 20-25:1, indicating that Western diets are deficient in omega 3 fatty acids compared with the diet on which humans evolved and their genetic patterns were established. Omega-3 fatty acids increase bleeding time; decrease platelet aggregation, blood viscosity, and fibrinogen; and increase erythrocyte deformability, thus decreasing the tendency to thrombus formation. In no clinical trial, including coronary artery graft surgery, has there been any evidence of increased blood loss due to ingestion of omega 3 fatty acids. Many studies show that the effects of omega 3 fatty acids on serum lipids depend on the type of patient and whether the amount of saturated fatty acids in the diet is held constant. In patients with hyperlipidemia, omega 3 fatty acids decrease low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol if the saturated fatty acid content is decreased, otherwise there is a slight increase, but at high doses (32 g) they lower LDL cholesterol; furthermore, they consistently lower serum triglycerides in normal subjects and in patients with hypertriglyceridemia whereas the effect on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) varies from no effect to slight increases. The discrepancies between animal and human studies most likely are due to differences between animal and human metabolism. In clinical trials eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the form of fish oils along with antirheumatic drugs improve joint pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis; have a beneficial effect in patients with ulcerative colitis; and in combination with drugs, improve the skin lesions, lower the hyperlipidemia from etretinates, and decrease the toxicity of cyclosporin in patients with psoriasis. In various animal models omega 3 fatty acids decrease the number and size of tumors and increase the time elapsed before appearance of tumors. Studies with nonhuman primates and human newborns indicate that DHA is essential for the normal functional development of the retina and brain, particularly in premature infants. Because omega 3 fatty acids are essential in growth and development throughout the life cycle, they should be included in the diets of all humans. Omega-3 and omega 6 fatty acids are not interconvertible in the human body and are important components of practically all cell membranes. Whereas cellular proteins are genetically determined, the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition of cell membranes is to a great extent dependent on the dietary intake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

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Authors
Simopoulos, A.
Corresponding author
Simopoulos, AP
Venue
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
1991-09
Volume
54
Issue
3
Pages
438-463
ISSN
0002-9165 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1093/ajcn/54.3.438
OpenAlex
W1895462365
Cited by
2,162
References
153
Citations by year
2026: 16 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 49 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 62 · 2018: 49 · 2017: 58 · 2016: 69 · 2015: 87 · 2014: 91 · 2013: 108 · 2012: 114
FWCI
9.88
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Fatty Acid Research and Health
  • Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Organic Chemistry › Edible Oils Quality and Analysis
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth
Keywords
omega-3 fatty acids, n-6/n-3 ratio, Western diet, platelet aggregation, blood viscosity, thrombosis, serum lipids, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, hyperlipidemia, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, fish oil, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, tumor suppression, retinal development, brain development, preterm infants, dietary supplementation
MeSH terms
Autoimmune Diseases, Coronary Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Diet, Disease, Biological Evolution, Fatty Acids, Unsaturated, Growth, Health, Humans, Hypertension, Inflammation, Neoplasms, Fatty Acids, Omega-3

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