The Epi-Paleo Rx audio blog

The study below in the cite shows omega-3 levels are better predictors of risk for death than serum cholesterol

A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology looked at the value of measuring blood levels of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids to assess an individual's risk for developing certain diseases. In this new report from Harris and colleagues, the "Omega-3 Index" (the EPA+DHA content of red blood cell membranes) was measured in 2500 participants in the Offspring cohort of the Framingham Heart Study. (This group is largely made up of the children of the original Framingham study which began in 1948.) The results showed that the risk for death from any cause was reduced by about 33% comparing the lowest Omega-3 Index participants to the highest.

An update on lipids and mitochondrial function: impact of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Review article:  Stanley WC, et al. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2012.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Recent evidence has linked n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation with dramatic alterations of mitochondrial phospholipid membranes and favorable changes in mitochondrial function. In the present review, we examine the novel effects of n-3 PUFA on mitochondria, with an emphasis on cardiac mitochondrial phospholipids.

RECENT FINDINGS: There is growing evidence that dietary n-3 PUFA, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), has profound effects on mitochondrial membrane phospholipid composition and mitochondrial function. Supplementation with n-3 PUFA increases membrane phospholipid DHA and depletes arachidonic acid, and can increase cardiolipin, a tetra-acyl phospholipid that is unique to mitochondrial and essential for optimal mitochondrial function. Recent studies show that supplementation with DHA decreases propensity for cardiac mitochondria to undergo permeability transition, a catastrophic event often leading to cell death. This finding provides a potential mechanism for the cardioprotective effect of DHA. Interestingly, other n-3 PUFAs that modify membrane composition to a lesser extent have substantially less of an effect on mitochondria and do not appear to directly protect the heart.

SUMMARY: Current data support a role for n-3 PUFA supplementation, particularly DHA, on mitochondria that are strongly associated with changes in mitochondrial phospholipid composition

CITES:

Harris WS, Tintle N, Etherton MR, Vasan RS, The Omega-3 Index can serve as a marker of overall health in older Americans. Erythrocyte Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels are Inversely Associated with Mortality and with Incident Cardiovascular Disease: the Framingham Heart Study, Journal of Clinical Lipidology (2018), doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2018.02.010.