| Exercise and fish oil supplement dramatically decreases risk of atherosclerosis
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2004-06-10
Medical Research News
How much and what type of omega-3 fatty acid is correct
Nearly one
quarter of all Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease,
according to the Centers for Disease Control, and each year about
950,000 Americans die of heart disease. Prolonged elevation of
lipids, or fat, in the blood, a condition called post prandial
lipemia, causes a temporary risk for atherosclerosis even in
individuals who have normal lipid levels after fasting.
Researchers at
the University
of Missouri-Columbia found that a session of prolonged
exercise along with taking a fish oil supplement dramatically
decreases a condition that leads to atherosclerosis, a leading cause
of heart disease.
MU researchers
Tom Thomas, professor of nutritional science, Grace Sun, professor of
biochemistry and pathology, Owen Donahue, masters student at MU, and
Bryan Smith, a post-doctorate fellow at the University of Kansas,
conducted the study to examine the effects of exercise and fish oil
on triglyceride, a type of fat, levels in the bloodstream after
subjects ate high-fat meals. The results, which will be published
this summer in Metabolism, show that people who engage in
prolonged, aerobic exercise have muscle cells that break down
triglycerides quickly and that taking a fish oil supplement can be
even more effective in reducing triglyceride levels.
"Fat in the
bloodstream is a primary contributor to atherosclerosis, or partial
blockage of the arteries," Thomas said. "The results of
this research demonstrate that it is very beneficial for active
people to take fish oil if they're concerned about their triglyceride
levels after eating a fatty meal."
The researchers
examined triglyceride levels following meals in recreationally active
males. The subjects were divided into groups in order to discern the
benefits of exercise only; fish oil intake only; and exercise
combined with fish oil intake. The control group subjects ate a
high-fat meal only. A second group ate a high-fat meal following an
exercise session. Another group ate a high-fat meal after taking a
fish oil supplement. The final group ate a high-fat meal after taking
a fish oil supplement and engaging in an exercise session. Each
subject went through all four treatments on different days.
Results
indicated that peak triglyceride levels in the subjects who took a
fish oil supplement before eating a high-fat meal were reduced by 38
percent. Those who both exercised and took a fish oil supplement
reduced their triglyceride levels by 50 percent.
Thomas said he
hopes the research might ultimately help minimize the reliance on
drugs to treat conditions in people with heart disease.
http://www.missouri.edu
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