Plasman-3 fatty acids and psychological distress in aboriginal Cree Indians (Canada)

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relationship between psychological distress (PD) and plasma n-3 long-chain (LC) PUFA, i.e. EPA, docosapentaenoic acid (DPAn-3) and DHA. Design: Population-based, cross-sectional Santé-Québec Health Survey (1991). Participants were categorized as high-level PD if they scored over the 80th percentile of the PD Index in the Santé-Québec Survey; non-distressed subjects were those who scored less than this cut-off. Associations between tertiles of n-3 fatty acids (FA) and the risk of high-level PD were expressed as odds ratios, with the lowest tertile as the reference group. Setting: Québec, Canada. Subjects: Data were analysed from a representative sample of 852 James Bay Cree Indian adults aged 18 years and over. Results: Proportions of n-3 FA were statistically significantly lower in the PD than in the non-distressed group. After adjustment for confounders, EPA was the only individual n-3 FA significantly associated with the risk of high-level PD. Combinations of EPA 1 DHA or EPA 1 DPAn-3 1 DHA or the sum of n-3 were also associated with the risk of high-level PD. Compared with the lowest tertile of EPA 1 DHA, the OR for high-level PD was 0?89 (95 % CI 0?59, 1?36) for the second and 0?56 (95 % CI 0?32, 0?98) for the third tertile, after controlling for confounders. Conclusions: In the present retrospective, cross-sectional study, we found that proportions of n-3 LC PUFA in plasma phospholipids, markers of n-3 LC PUFA consumption from fish, were inversely associated with PD.

Supplementation with olive oil, but not fish oil, improves cutaneous wound healing in stressed mice

“…Psychological stress is also associated with increased oxidant production and oxidative damage, which may enhance the risk of many diseases . Dietary oils, such as fish and olive oils, can differentially modulate stress‐induced alterations in the behavior and etiology of various diseases . Fish oil is rich in n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), mainly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (C20:5 n‐3) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 n‐3) (DHA) .…”

“…Fish oil supplementation may also prevent adrenal activation stimulated by mental stress in humans . Epidemiological studies show that reduced levels of EPA and DHA are directly associated with elevated incidence of mood disorders, particularly depression . In addition, dietary deficiency in DHA increases freezing behavior and anxiety levels in stressed rats .…”

“…4 Dietary oils, such as fish and olive oils, can differentially modulate stress-induced alterations in the behavior and etiology of various diseases. [5][6][7] Fish oil is rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), mainly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (C20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 n-3) (DHA). 8 Olive oil is rich in oleic acid (C18:1 cis 9) (an n-9 monounsaturated fatty acid [MUFA]) and phenolic compounds (hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein), which have antioxidant properties.…”