HEALTH NEWS

Study Title:

DHA Promotes Healthier Fat Metabolism During Weight Loss

Study Abstract

Short-term weight-reducing regimens were shown to influence fatty acid composition of serum lipids unfavorably. Adding long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC PUFA) to a low-calorie diet (LCD) could avoid these changes. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a short-term in-patient weight-reducing regimen including LCD with yogurt enriched by low doses of n-3 PUFA (n-3 LCD). The enriched yogurt contained 790 mg of fish oil, predominantly eicosapentaenoic (20:5n-3; EPA) and docosahexaenoic (22:6n-3; DHA). Forty obese women were randomly assigned to the group consuming LCD and joghurt either with or without n-3 enrichment. Following the 3-week diet in the n-3 LCD group a significantly higher increase in the proportion of n-3 LC PUFA (sum of n-3 FA, EPA and DHA) in serum lipids was confirmed. In phospholipids (PL) a significant difference in the sum of n-6 fatty acids was found, a decrease in the n-3 LCD group and an increase in LCD group. Significantly higher increase in the PL palmitate (16:0) was shown in the LCD group. The results suggest that low doses of n-3 fatty acid enrichment can help to avoid unfavorable changes in fatty acid composition in serum lipids after a short-term weight-reducing regimen.

Study Information

Hlavatý P, Kunesová M, Gojová M, Tvrzická E, Vecka M, Roubal P, Hill M, Hlavatá K, Kalousková P, Hainer V, Zák A, Drbohlav J.
Change in fatty acid composition of serum lipids in obese females after short-term weight-reducing regimen with the addition of n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in comparison to controls.
Physiol Res
2008 April
Obesity Management Centre, Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czech Republic.