Why does fish oil provide cardiovascular protection?
The reasons are beginning to be revealed.
Fish oil has attracted a lot of interest in recent years because of its ability to prevent heart disease, stroke, and even
depression. Although omega-3 fatty acids are strongly suspected to play an important role in fish oil’s cardioprotective effects,
the reasons for such effects have been elusive.
A research group at Harvard University now seems to have discovered a crucial biochemical process by which omega-3 fatty acids
are converted to related substances that do the real work of cardioprotection. These new substances are previously unknown
fatty acids, and have been named ‘resolvins’ and ‘docosatrienes’. Several series of resolvins and docosatrienes and their
conversion pathways have been mapped out.
Furthermore, the Harvard researchers have found that the rate at which omega-3 fatty acids get converted into resolvins and
docosatrienes is greatly accelerated by the presence of aspirin. The conclusion seems clear: the benefits of fish oil supplements
may be significantly enhanced by concurrent use of low-dose aspirin.
Link to news article:
Secret of fish oil's healthy effects revealed
Link to research articles:
Resolvins, docosatrienes, and neuroprotectins, novel omega-3-derived mediators, and their endogenous aspirin-triggered epimers.
Stereochemical assignment, antiinflammatory properties, and receptor for the omega-3 lipid mediator resolvin E1.
LifeLink carries fish oil (‘DHA Complex’) in 500 mg softgels.
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