1 Juuso Koskinen & Mikko Luomaranta 14.2.2017Essential fatty acids Juuso Koskinen & Mikko Luomaranta
2 What are essential fatty acids?Cell membrane constituents Used as precursor for different essential lipid molecules Must be obtained from the food Polyunsaturated fatty acids Best known as ω-3 α-linolenic acid and ω-6 linoleic acid
3 Fatty acid synthesis Takes place in cytosolFour phases for fatty acid synthesis Condensation Reduction Dehydration Incapable of producing omega 3 and 6 double bonds Figure 1. Fatty acid synthesis
4 Chemical structure Usually carbons counted from the functional group (carboxylic acid) Omega carbons counted from the methyl end of the fatty acid Figure 2. Structure of dietary omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (Jump et al )
5 Fatty acids derived from essential fatty acidsArachidonic acid - Precursor for PG2 - Leukotriene synthesis - Abundant in brains Eicosapentaenoic acid - Precursor for PGG-3 - Inhibits arachidonic acid conversion to thromboxane-2 and prostaglandin family products Docosahexaenoic acid - Abundant in retina and brain phospholipids - Defiency related cognitive defiencies
6 Sources for essential fatty acidsFigure 3. Dietary sources of essential omega fatty acids( Flock et al. 2013)
7 Omega-6 to Omega-3 balanceThe ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 balance should be between 1/1 to 4/1 In Western diets the ratio is ranging between 15/1 and 17/1 Western diets usually have high intakes of red meat (ω-6), not enough of fish and vegetables (ω-3) Excessive amounts of omega-6 fatty acids can lead to many diseases: Cardiovascular disease Cancer Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases Increased omega-3 levels and low ω-6/ω-3 ratio reduce the risk for diseases and also decrease the mortality levels in cancer patients
8 Beneficial effects of ω-6 fatty acidsOmega-6 fatty acids are only beneficial in moderate doses Important role as a messenger on cellular level Important role in cell growth, essential for brain and muscle development Linoleic acid plays a role in production of hormone like PGE1 messengers PGE1 triggers immune responses and impact brain disorders like ADHD and schizophrenia PGE1 is also important as a transmitter of nerve impulses
9 Beneficial effects of ω-3 fatty acidsOmega-3 fatty acids are important for normal growth and development, mental focus and healthy mood They also help to prevent and fight different diseases: Heart diseases Autoimmune diseases, like type 1 diabetes Mental disorders Age-related mental decline and Alzheimer disease It is recommended to eat fatty fish two times per week to ensure optimal intake of omega-3 Omega-3 supplements, like fish oil capsules are also recommended Omega-3 rich diet and using omega-3 supplements are easy ways to improve your general health
10 Omega-3 supplements The most used omega-3 supplement is cod liver oilCod liver oil also has vitamins A and D in it Commonly used for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease They also decrease mortality among patients with CVD Fish liver oil is a natural blood thinner and anticoagulant, so it prevents blood clots and heart attacks Omega-3 supplements are not recommended to people who use anticoagulant or blood pressure drugs
11 References Flock MR, Harris WS, Kris-Etherton PM. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids: time to establish a dietary reference intake. Nutr Rev. 2013;71(10): Horrocks LA & Yeo YK (1999) Health benefits of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Pharmalogical research 40 (3): Jump DB, Depner CM, Tripathy S. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and cardiovascular disease. J Lipid Res. 2012;53(12): Liou S (2010) Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Stanford University Simopoulos AP (1999) Essential fatty acids in health and chronic disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;70:560S-569S Mohebi-Nejad A & Bikdeli B (2014) Omega-3 supplements and Cardiovascular Diseases. Tanaffos. 2014;13(1):6-14.