Omega-3 fatty acids may help boost lung health: study

Omega-3 fatty acids, which are abundant in fish and fish oil supplements, now appear promising for maintaining lung health, according to new evidence from a large, multicenter study in healthy adults. Omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties, are already known to promote heart health, prevent heart disease and stroke, as well as reduce the risk of cancer.

The study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, provides the strongest evidence to date of a link between omega 3 and lungs. This suggested that omega-3 fatty acids, which are also found in nuts and seeds, plant oils and fortified foods, may help prevent a decline in lung function.

“We know a lot about the role of diet in cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but the role of diet in chronic lung disease is somewhat understood,” said corresponding author Patricia A. Cassano, director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca. , New York.

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“This study adds to growing evidence that omega-3 fatty acids, which are part of a healthy diet, may also be important for lung health,” Cassano said. The researchers developed a two-part study to examine the association between omega-3 fatty acid levels in the blood and lung function over time. In the first part, researchers conducted a longitudinal, observational study involving 15,063 Americans whose average age was 56.

The participants were generally healthy when the study began, and most had no evidence of chronic lung disease. They were followed for an average of seven years to 20 years. Longitudinal studies have shown that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in a person’s blood were associated with a lower rate of decline in lung function.

The researchers observed the strongest association for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in high levels in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines. DHA is also available as a dietary supplement.

In the second part, the researchers analyzed genetic data from a large study of European patients with more than 500,000 participants. They studied certain genetic markers in the blood as an indirect measure of omega-3 fatty acid levels in the diet, or as a proxy, to see how they related to lung health.

The results showed that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids — including DHA — were associated with better lung function. One caveat of the current study is that it only included healthy adults.

The researchers’ next goal is to examine blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids in relation to the rate of decline in lung function in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD — including heavy smokers — to determine whether similar beneficial relationships are found.