Healthy fats are vital for overall health, since they support cell membranes, boost brain function and enhance immune function. Research indicates that consuming fish oil, which contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and flaxseed oil, which contains the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, might provide several health benefits. Consult your health care provider before taking any supplements.
Blood Pressure
Scientists from Harokopio University in Greece investigated the effects of flaxseed oil on blood pressure in men with elevated lipid levels. For 12 weeks, participants were randomly assigned flaxseed oil, which contained 8 g of ALA, or safflower oil, which contained 11 g of linoleic acid. At the end of the study, researchers found that the flaxseed oil group experienced significant decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to the safflower oil, according to findings published in the October 2007 issue of the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
C-Reactive Protein
Researchers from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands studied the impact of ALA on C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation, in men and women with high cholesterol levels. For two years, participants received margarine enriched with ALA or linoleic acid. At the end of the treatment, scientists discovered that the ALA group experienced reductions in C-reactive protein compared to the linoleic acid group, according to research reported in the July 2003 issue of the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Inflammation
In research reported in the March 2005 issue of the "Journal of Experimental Medicine," researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School studied the mechanism behind fish oil's ability to reduce inflammation. They found that EPA is converted to resolving E1 in the human body, which in turn reduces inflammation by inhibiting the turning on of inflammatory cells.
Breast Cancer
Scientists from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Washington explored the impact of fish oil consumption on breast cancer risk. They discovered that regular consumption of fish oil supplements reduced the risk of invasive ductal breast cancer, the most common type of the disease, according to the July 2010 issue of the journal of "Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention."
References
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Dietary Supplementation with Flaxseed Oil Lowers Blood Pressure in Dyslipidaemic Patients; G.K. Paschos et al.; October 2007
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Increased Alpha-Linolenic Acid Intake Lowers C-reactive Protein, But Has No Effect on Markers of Atherosclerosis; W.J. Bemelmans et al.; July 2004
- "Journal of Experimental Medicine"; Stereochemical Assigment, Antiinflammatory Properties, and Receptor for the Omega-3 Lipid Mediator Resolvin E1; M. Arita et al.; March 2005
- "Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention"; Specialty Supplements and Breast Cancer Risk in the VITamins And Lifestyle (VITAL) Cohort; T.M. Brasky et al.; July 2010
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