Abstract
lmost forty years ago, it was first hypothesized that an increased dietary
intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from fish fat could exert
protective effects against several pathologies. Decades of intense preclinical
investigation have supported this hypothesis in a variety of model systems.
Several clinical cardiovascular studies demonstrated the beneficial health
effects of omega-3 PUFA, leading medical institutions worldwide to publish
recommendations for their increased intake. However, particularly in recent
years, contradictory results have been obtained in human studies focusing on
cardiovascular disease and the clinical evidence in other diseases, particularly
chronic inflammatory and neoplastic diseases, was never established to a degree
that led to clear approval of treatment with omega-3 PUFA. Recent data not in
line with the previous findings have sparked a debate on the health efficacy of
omega-3 PUFA and the usefulness of increasing their intake for the prevention of
a number of pathologies. In this review, we aim to examine the controversies on
the possible use of these fatty acids as preventive/curative tools against the
development of cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory diseases, as well as
several kinds of cancer.
Lingua originale | English |
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pagine (da-a) | 143109-N/A |
Rivista | BioMed Research International |
Volume | 2015 |
DOI | |
Stato di pubblicazione | Pubblicato - 2015 |
Keywords
- beneficial effects
- chronic diseases
- clinical studies
- epidemiological studies
- omega-3 PUFA