Description
This document assessed the effect of low doses of omega-3 fatty acids from fish and linseed oil on plasma lipid parameters in normal and diabetic humans consuming diets with high or low polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratios. Subjects were first supplemented with olive oil and then randomly assigned to linseed or fish oil treatments, with blood samples analysed after each three-month period. Fish oil supplementation significantly reduced plasma triacylglycerol and increased lipoprotein levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5ω3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6ω3), while linseed oil caused minor changes and did not significantly alter triacylglycerol. Total, LDL and HDL cholesterol levels were not significantly affected by either supplement, although differences between dietary groups were observed in lipid composition of LDL and VLDL. The study concluded that low doses of purified fish oil induced long-term changes in plasma triacylglycerol and omega-3 fatty acid content of...