N-3 PUFA from fish- or seal oil reduce atherogenic risk indicators in Danish women

Abstract

In a previous pilot study among healthy young Danes intake of 5 and 10 gram seal oil per day significantly reduced serum triglycerides but did not significantly influence total cholesterol, HDL-or LDL-cholesterol. The aim of the present study was to test and compare this effect of seal oil with intake of fish oil capsules in a controlled study. The study was designed as a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial, in which 78 young normolipidemic women were given 5 capsules a day of either fish oil, fish oil with B 12, seal oil, or placebo consisting of “average” Danish fat, during a 3–4 months intervention period, followed by 8 weeks of washout period, no capsules. The participants answered questionnaires about dietary habits, other lifestyle factors and anthropometric parameters. The compliance was followed by blood and gluteal fat lipid profiles. During the three months intervention there were gradual reductions in total serum cholesterol and triglycerides in all treatment groups. In paired sample t-tests, the effects of fish oil with B 12 were highly significant p<0.01 whereas fish oil alone, p=0.07, and seal oil, p=0.09, were borderline significant. Multiple regression analysis showed that the reductions in TG and atherogenic risk index were strongly correlated to concomitant increases of n-3/n-6 ratio in gluteal fat, an association which highly depended on the consumed n-3 dose and was independent of the type of marine oil used.