Specific fatty acids and disease - Assignment Example

Specific Fatty Acids and Disease Humans have been consuming a diet that contains about equal amounts of n-6 and n-3 needed fatty acids. Over the last 100 to 150 years, there has been an increase in consumption of n-6 fatty acids due to an increased intake of vegetable oil from sunflower seeds, vegetable oil, cottonseed and soya beans (Simopoulos 23). Studies have shown a high intake of n-6 fatty acids shifts the physiologic state to a prothrombotic and proaggregatory with a symptom of increase in blood viscosity, vasoconstriction, vasospasm and decrease in bleeding time which is shorter on patience with myocardial infarction, forms of atherosclerotic diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

However, n-3 fatty acids have antithrombin, antiinflammatory, hypolipidemic and vasodilatory properties (Higdon 34). Benefits of n-3 fatty acids are known for the preventive measures of coronary heart diseases. Studies have shown that during chronic fish oil feeding, concentrations of postprandial triacylglycerol decreases and this causes an increase in plasma cholesterol concentration hence a low rate of coronary artery diseases found in fish eating population. New research findings show Leukotrienes are thought to play an important role in pathology of asthma.

Increasing n-3 fatty acids intake decreases the formation of AA-derived leukotrienes (Reisman 6). A number of clinical trials have been used to examine the effects of a long-chained n-3 fatty acid supplementation on asthma. Although there is evidence that n-3 supplementation decreases the inflammatory mediators production of in asthmatic patients meaning the clinical trials have been having inconsistent results. Random control trials of the long-chain n-3 fatty acids supplements in asthmatic children and adults found no consistent effects on clinical measures including asthmatic symptoms, pulmonary function tests or bronchial hyper reactivity.

Works CitedHigdon .J, Essential Fatty Acids. Linus Pauling Institute, 2005.Simopoulos Artemis, Essential fatty acids in health and chronic disease. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999. Reisman J, Treating asthma with omega-3 fatty acids: where is the evidence? A systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med, 2006.