Fortified foods could spread fish oil's benefits

January 3, 2004

Last Updated: 2004-01-02 15:42:39 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adding fish oil to a range of commercial

foods, from margarine to lunch meats, could get more of the

heart-healthy fats into the Western diet, according to Australian

researchers.

Their study of 16 men found that foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids -

including products fortified with fish oil - boosted blood levels of the

fats, which are believed to help ward off heart disease.

Participants' menus included offerings of fresh and canned fish, canola

oil and flaxseed, which are all naturally high in omega-3. The men were

also offered fish oil-enriched versions of foods that do not normally

provide omega-3: margarine, lunch meat, sausage, French onion dip and

shelf-stored milk.

According to the researchers, the margarine, cooking oil and flaxseed

products were the biggest hits, with all of the men choosing to eat them

at some point during the four-week study. And after two weeks of eating,

participants showed large increases in their blood levels of omega-3

fatty acids.

Dr. G. Metcalf and his colleagues at Royal Adelaide Hospital

report the findings in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The

foods were supplied by several food manufacturers, and Sydney-based

Roche Vitamins provided the fish oil.

Most of the men did choose to eat fish during the study, and fish

provided the biggest contribution to their intake of so-called

long-chain omega-3 fats. Vegetable oils that contain omega-3 provide a

different type called alpha-linolenic acid. In this study, flaxseed

products gave the biggest dose of that fatty acid.

Still, the study authors found, fortified foods provided a substantial

amount of omega-3, and they argue that such enriched fare could be a

good alternative for people who do not want to eat more fish.

" Incorporating fish oil into a range of novel commercial foods, " they

write, " provides the opportunity for wider public consumption of

(omega-3 fatty acids) with their associated health benefits. "

SOURCE: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 2003.

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