Christine Dawczynski

On the human consumption of the red seaweed dulse (Palmaria palmata (L.) Weber & Mohr)

The red seaweed dulse (Palmaria palmata) is one of the more popular seaweed species for human consumption in the Western world. With a documented historical use up to present days in Ireland, Brittany (France), Iceland, Maine (USA), and Nova Scotia (Canada), it has remained a snack, a food supplement, and an ingredient in various dishes. The trend towards more healthy and basic foodstuffs, together with an increasing interest among chefs for the seaweed cuisine, has posed the need for more quantitative knowledge about the chemical composition of dulse of relevance for human consumption. Here, we report on data for amino acid composition, fatty acid profile, vitamin K, iodine, kainic acid, inorganic arsenic, as well as for various heavy metals in samples from Denmark, Iceland, and Maine.

Randomized placebo-controlled intervention with n-3 LC-PUFA-supplemented yoghurt: Effects on circulating eicosanoids and cardiovascular risk factors

BACKGROUND & AIMS The study examined the value of n-3 LC-PUFA-enriched yogurt as means of improving cardiovascular health. DESIGN Fifty three mildly hypertriacylglycerolemic subjects (TAG ≥ 1.7 mmol/L) participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel designed study. The subjects consumed 1) control yoghurt; 2) yoghurt enriched with 0.8 g n-3 LC-PUFA/d; or 3) yoghurt enriched with 3 g n-3 LC-PUFA/d for a period of 10 wks. Blood samples were taken at the beginning and the end of the study period. RESULTS Following daily intake of 3 g n-3 LC-PUFA for 10 weeks, n-3 LC-PUFA levels increased significantly in plasma and red blood cells (RBC) with concomitant increase in the EPA-derived mediators (PGE₃, 12-, 15-, 18-HEPE) in plasma whilst cardiovascular risk factors such as HDL, TAG, AA/EPA ratio, and n-3 index were improved (P < 0.05); the decrease of TAG and increase in HDL were associated with the CD36 genotype. CONCLUSION The observed increase of n-3 LC-PUFA in RBC and plasma lipids due to intake of n-3 LC-PUFA enriched yoghurt resulted in a reduction of cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory mediators showing that daily consumption of n-3 PUFA enriched yoghurt can be an effective way of supplementing the daily diet and improving cardiovascular health.

Incorporation of n-3 PUFA and γ-linolenic acid in blood lipids and red blood cell lipids together with their influence on disease activity in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis - a randomized controlled human intervention trial

Background and aimMarine n-3 fatty acids and γ-linolenic acid both have anti-inflammatory effects and may be useful to help treat inflammatory diseases. The effects of these alone or combined were examined in patients with arthritis in a randomized controlled trial.DesignPatients with rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis were randomized into four groups in a double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel designed study. Patients received the respective capsules (1: 3.0 g n-3 LC-PUFA/d; 2: 3.2 g γ-linolenic acid/d; 3: 1.6 g n-3 LC-PUFA + 1.8 g γ-linolenic acid/d; 4: 3.0 g olive oil) for a twelve week period. Clinical status was evaluated and blood samples were taken at the beginning and at the end of the period. Differences before and after intervention were tested with paired t-test or with Wilcoxon test for non-normal data distribution.Results60 patients (54 rheumatoid arthritis, 6 psoriatic arthritis) were randomised, 47 finished per protocol. In group 1, the ratio of arachidonic acid (AA)/eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) decreased from 6.5 ± 3.7 to 2.7 ± 2.1 in plasma lipids and from 25.1 ± 10.1 to 7.2 ± 4.7 in erythrocyte membranes (p ≤ 0.001). There was no significant influence on AA/EPA ratio due to interventions in group 2-4. In group 2, the intake of γ-linolenic acid resulted in a strong rise of γ-linolenic acid and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid concentrations in plasma lipids, cholesteryl esters, and erythrocyte membranes. The combination of n-3 LC-PUFA and γ-linolenic acid (group 3) led to an increase of γ-linolenic acid and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid concentrations in plasma lipids, cholesteryl esters, and erythrocyte mem-branes. This increase was only half of that in group 2.ConclusionsIncorporation of eicosanoid precursor FAs was influenced by an intake of n-3 LC-PUFA and γ-linolenic acid suggesting a possible benefit for therapy of chronic inflammatory diseases.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials NCT01179971

Trans-fatty acids and cardiovascular risk: does origin matter?

ABSTRACT Several studies have aimed to unravel the contribution of different types of dietary fatty acids to human health and disease. Investigations have consistently shown that high consumption of industrially produced trans-fatty acids from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils is harmful to human health, in particular cardiovascular health. Therefore, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that partially hydrogenated oils are no longer ‘generally recognized as safe’, and trans-fatty acids are not permitted in the U.S. food supply. On the other hand, recent studies analyzing the association between circulating trans-fatty acids and disease have revealed that some ruminant-specific trans-fatty acids are associated with a reduction in incidence of disease. In this special report, we highlight recent findings and point out perspectives for future studies on this topic.

Saturated fatty acids are not off the hook.

A recent meta-analysis by Chowdhury et al. (2014) has disclaimed the association between coronary artery diseases and either circulating blood levels or the intake of total saturated fatty acids (SFA). Scrutiny revealed that two of the eight studies included in the meta-analysis focused on the proportion of pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) and heptadecanoic acid (C17:0) and their impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. These odd-chain fatty acids are markers for milk or ruminant fat intake. Both studies indicated inverse associations between milk-fat intake and first-ever myocardial infarction. Neither of the two studies described the association between total circulating blood SFA on coronary outcomes. In contrast to the cardioprotective effects of dairy consumption, we expected that an elevated intake of palmitic acid (C16:0) and stearic acid (C18:0) de novo may raise CVD risk. Thus, it is of particular importance to differentiate the effects of individual circulating SFA on cardiovascular outcomes. Excluding the studies that evaluated the association of fatty acids from milk fat and cardiovascular outcomes revealed a positive association of total SFA blood levels and coronary outcome (RR 1.21, CI 1.04-1.40). Therefore, results obtained from studies of C15:0 and C17:0 cannot be mixed with results from studies of other SFA because of the opposite physiological effects of regular consumption of foods rich in C16:0 and C18:0 compared to high intake of milk or ruminant fat. In our opinion, it is vital to analyze the impact of individual SFA on CVD incidence in order to draw prudent conclusions.

Prävention kardiovaskulärer Erkrankungen

ZusammenfassungDas Nahrungsfett beeinflusst die kardiovaskuläre Gesundheit. Während eine zu hohe Aufnahme von gesättigten Fetten und industriellen trans-Fettsäuren das kardiovaskuläre Risiko erhöht, ist der Ersatz der Zufuhr gesättigter Fettsäuren durch einfach und mehrfach ungesättigte Fettsäuren (PUFA) mit einer Risikoreduktion assoziiert, wobei in diesem Zusammenhang insbesondere die langkettigen n-3 PUFA marinen Ursprungs bedeutend sind.