Summary Fish plays a useful role in a healthy and balanced diet, and its consumption has long been associated with several health benefits. Fish provides a variety of nutrients, including protein and long‐chain omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFAs), as well as micronutrients including selenium, iodine, potassium, vitamin D and B‐vitamins. Intakes of some of these micronutrients, including iodine and vitamin D, are low in some population groups in the UK, which makes fish a valuable contributor to intakes of these. The long‐chain n‐3 PUFA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), present in oil‐rich fish and fish oil, have been suggested to be associated with beneficial health outcomes. In this paper, we review the evidence associating fish and long‐chain n‐3 PUFAs with various health outcomes. Evidence from observational studies shows a protective effect of fish intake on risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD; including stroke). Eating at least two portions of fish per week has been associated with a 23–25% lower risk of death from coronary heart disease (CHD) compared with those eating no or very little fish; eating fish once a week has been associated with a 15% lower risk of CHD death. Fish intake seems only moderately associated with lower risk of stroke, with results from meta‐analyses showing a risk reduction of between 6% and 18% in those eating fish 2–4 times per week compared with those eating none. There have been some inconsistencies in study findings relating to fish intake and risk of CVD. Differences in habitual fish intakes of the study populations may account for some of this inconsistency. Evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of long‐chain n‐3 PUFA supplementation on CVD risk has come mainly from secondary prevention studies and is inconsistent. While early studies support a protective effect, recent studies do not support the hypothesis that long‐chain n‐3 PUFA supplementation is beneficial in secondary prevention of CVD. Different study outcomes have been influenced by variations in study design and the characteristics of the study populations. Furthermore, the increased use of modern treatments for cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. statins) may not have been sufficiently controlled for in more recent studies. Treatment doses of long‐chain n‐3 PUFA also varied substantially between studies, ranging from 0.3 to 6.9 g/day. Current evidence suggests that there is no association between fish consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. We also found no evidence to suggest that fish intake has a protective effect on several types of cancer (pancreas, prostate, bladder, stomach and ovaries). However, studies do suggest that maternal fish intake during pregnancy may reduce the risk of eczema and asthma in her baby, the evidence being somewhat more consistent for eczema. There may also be a link between fish intake during infancy and childhood and the risk of developing asthma and eczema later in childhood, although the evidence is inconsistent and more ...

This study investigates what effect adding zinc to a final dietary concentration of 23.9 mg MJ−1 and/or linoleic acid to a dietary concentration of 3.6 g MJ−1 in a complete and balanced diet has on the skin and haircoat condition of adult dogs. All animals were fed for nine weeks on a standard diet followed by nine weeks on a supplemented diet. After each phase animals were quantitatively assessed with respect to the condition and function of their skin and coat. Dogs supplemented with the combination of zinc and linoleic acid showed a significant improvement in coat gloss (P = 0.05) and coat scale (P = 0.007) when compared to the control group of dogs receiving the standard diet. In addition dogs supplemented with either zinc alone or in combination with linoleic acid demonstrated a significant decrease (P = 0.05) in transepidermal water loss over the time course of the test phase. As far as we are aware this is the first reported research to show that supplementation of a complete and balanced commercial dog food with zinc plus linoleic acid can make significant and substantial enhancements of the skin and coat condition in dogs

No abstract

No abstract

Obesity is set to be a major public health crisis. Recent data indicate that 24.5% of adults and 13.9% of children in England are obese, with the situation likely to worsen if no further action is taken. Obesity is directly linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes; and the number of adult people with diabetes is also predicted to grow. Both conditions are associated with an increased risk of incidence of several morbidities, which has a significant impact on health and wellbeing. The risk of both obesity and type 2 diabetes can be reduced through lifestyle advice, to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. Diets that are low to moderate in fat and high in fibre, in combination with increased levels of physical activity, should be encouraged in order to help accomplish this. More recent evidence shows that the energy density of the diet may also help with weight loss and maintenance.