Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: The Way Forward in Times of Mixed Evidence.

lmost forty years ago, it was first hypothesized that an increased dietary\r\nintake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from fish fat could exert\r\nprotective effects against several pathologies. Decades of intense preclinical\r\ninvestigation have supported this hypothesis in a variety of model systems.\r\nSeveral clinical cardiovascular studies demonstrated the beneficial health\r\neffects of omega-3 PUFA, leading medical institutions worldwide to publish\r\nrecommendations for their increased intake. However, particularly in recent\r\nyears, contradictory results have been obtained in human studies focusing on\r\ncardiovascular disease and the clinical evidence in other diseases, particularly \r\nchronic inflammatory and neoplastic diseases, was never established to a degree\r\nthat led to clear approval of treatment with omega-3 PUFA. Recent data not in\r\nline with the previous findings have sparked a debate on the health efficacy of\r\nomega-3 PUFA and the usefulness of increasing their intake for the prevention of \r\na number of pathologies. In this review, we aim to examine the controversies on\r\nthe possible use of these fatty acids as preventive/curative tools against the\r\ndevelopment of cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory diseases, as well as\r\nseveral kinds of cancer.