Clinical Effects of n-3 PUFA Supplementation in Human Health and Inflammatory Diseases

2011 by AOCS Press. All rights reserved. Long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) derived from marine sources, namely, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been shown to exhibit beneficial anti-inflammatory effects in multiple inflammatory disease states. This chapter highlights some of the recent findings pertaining to the impact of n-3 PUFA consumption on prevalent human diseases, which include an inflammatory dimension, and thus are most likely to be impacted by an anti-inflammatory food component. Research conducted to elucidate the beneficial effects of n-3 PUFA on both physiological and pathophysiological processes highlights the attempt to determine if this bioactive food component is beneficial with respect to both preventing disease onset and/or improving the clinical outcomes in already established pathologies. The inconclusive effects of n-3 PUFA supplementation in human clinical trials in connection with various pathologies, overall, suggest that further research is necessary to elucidate the mechanism(s) through which n-3 PUFA may reduce human disease incidence/severity either through prevention, delayed onset, or in extending disease remission periods. The basic scientific literature provides strong and conclusive evidence that supports the beneficial roles for the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of n-3 PUFA on both physiological and pathophysiological processes.

Clinical Effects of n-3 PUFA Supplementation in Human Health and Inflammatory Diseases Chapter