Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may aid spinal cord injury recovery, according to new research summarized in the March edition of the Fats of Life and the PUFA Newsletter.
Animal research suggests that human treatment with DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) within the first hour after a spinal cord injury could be effective in limiting the extent and spread of damage. Oily fish, including salmon, tuna and mackerel, are rich in DHA.
Also, the effect of fish oil consumption on arterial elasticity, which allows for more rapid blood flow, was examined in China in overweight patients with high blood pressure. Participants who took 900 milligrams of omega-3s daily for eight weeks showed a 21 percent increase in arterial elasticity.
"While blood pressure did not change in these participants, their arterial elasticity significantly improved," said Editor Joyce Nettleton, D.Sc. "This observation suggests another way in which these omega-3s protect heart health."
Numerous other studies covered by the e-newsletters link long-chain omega-3 fatty acids with increased heart, brain and eye health.
A U.S. study reported that seafood omega-3s prevented atrial fibrillation - uncontrolled rapid trembling - from developing in animals with fast heartbeats. By increasing the heart's recovery time, the omega-3s prevented abnormal rhythms from becoming established.
Investigators in the Netherlands recently examined the relationship between children's omega-3 status at birth, which depends on the mother's omega-3 intake during pregnancy, and their motor development at age seven. Those with the highest levels of the omega-3 DHA at birth had significantly higher total motor scores than children born with less DHA.
"This means that a mother's consumption of seafood omega-3s during pregnancy is important for her child's later motor development," Nettleton said.
Treating substance abuse patients with EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) resulted in significantly lower scores for anxiety and anger. In adults diagnosed with neuroticism, researchers found the condition was related to low blood levels of EPA.
