Natural Medicines Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 12, 04/09/2009

Question

What omega-3 fatty acids are traditionally found in fish oil supplements and how does knowing this impact dosing in clinical practice?

Answer

Fish oil has been used to treat a number of conditions which include asthma, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease.(1-6) Fish oil is most commonly used to treat high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia).  When clinicians refer to the use of fish oil they generally mean omega-3 fatty acids.  What are omega-3 fatty acids and how are they different from other fats? 

Simplistically, fats have a wide degree of variability of triacylglycerols - a glycerol molecule combined with 3 fatty acid chains.(7) The fatty acid chains attached to the glycerol molecule may be categorized as saturated or unsaturated.  A fatty acid is considered saturated if it does not have any double bonds and is generally solid at room temperature.  A fatty acid is said to be unsaturated when it has one or more double bonds incorporated into its chain and is generally liquid at room temperature.   As such, unsaturated fatty acids can be further categorized as monounsaturated (having only one double bond) or polyunsaturated (PUFA; those with more than one double bond).   The number of double bonds present is reflected in the name of the PUFA.  As it relates to the use of fish oil supplements......To read the full answer please LOGIN or SUBSCRIBE NOW.