Omega-3 fats are good for several diseases. GM crops will supply these benefits in the near future.

Omega-3 fatty acids are the component of fish oil that delivers health benefits. This whole topic is subject to a huge amount of ongoing medical research over recent years. There are numerous compounds involved in these health benefits, and it indeed matters which and how much ofparticular omega-3 fats, EPA, DHA, or ALA or whatever, are used in the diet.

The following quotes give a small taste of the science being done in this area. GM oilseed crops of the future should allow these benefits to be more widely shared and will also reduce pressure on fish stocks.


Omega-3 fatty acids in inflammation and autoimmune diseases.
Simopoulos AP, The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, Washington, DC

Among the fatty acids, it is the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) which possess the most potent immunomodulatory activities, and among the omega-3 PUFA, those from fish oil-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)--are more biologically potent than alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

Some of the effects of omega-3 PUFA are brought about by modulation of the amount and types of eicosanoids made, and other effects are elicited by eicosanoid-independent mechanisms, including actions upon intracellular signaling pathways, transcription factor activity and gene expression. Animal experiments and clinical intervention studies indicate that omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and, therefore, might be useful in the management of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Coronary heart disease, major depression, aging and cancer are characterized by an increased level of interleukin 1 (IL-1), a proinflammatory cytokine. Similarly, arthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and lupus erythematosis are autoimmune diseases characterized by a high level of IL-1 and the proinflammatory leukotriene LTB(4) produced by omega-6 fatty acids.

There have been a number of clinical trials assessing the benefits of dietary supplementation with fish oils in several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases in humans, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis and migraine headaches.

Many of the placebo-controlled trials of fish oil in chronic inflammatory diseases reveal significant benefit, including decreased disease activity and a lowered use of anti-inflammatory drugs. (J Am Coll Nutr. 2002 Dec;21(6):495-505.)

Novel eicosanoid and docosanoid mediators: resolvins, docosatrienes, and neuroprotectins.
Serhan CN. Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

SUMMARY:
In view of the many beneficial actions attributed to omega-3 dietary supplementation, identification of novel potent mediators from omega-3 that are both anti-inflammatory and protective may have wide implications.(Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2005 Mar;8(2):115-21.)


Many clinical studies suggest that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid have beneficial actions in human diseases. RECENT FINDINGS: These demonstrate that eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid are precursors to potent bioactive mediators that possess both anti-inflammatory and protective properties.

These mediators were coined resolvins, docosatrienes, and protectins as general classes, since each possesses unique chemical structures that are features of the new chemical classes and are biosynthesized by new pathways. Resolvins, were identified during the resolution phase of acute inflammation.

Docosatrienes [are] generated from docosahexaenoic acid as a defining feature. The protectins comprise docosatrienes and resolvins of the D series that are both neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory.

Aspirin impacts on these new pathways by triggering formation of their epimers.

See also:

Resolvins : A Family of Bioactive Products of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Transformation Circuits Initiated by Aspirin Treatment that Counter Proinflammation Signals

Aspirin is unique among current therapies because it acetylates cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 enabling the biosynthesis of precursors of endogenous antiinflammatory mediators. Here, we report that analysis of exudates obtained in the resolution phase from mice treated with aspirin and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (C22:6) produce a novel family of bioactive 17R-hydroxy-containing di- and tri-hydroxy-docosanoids termed resolvins. Murine brain treated with aspirin produced endogenous 17R-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid as did human microglial cells.... [Our] results indicate that exudates, vascular, leukocytes and neural cells treated with aspirin convert DHA to novel 17R-hydroxy series of docosanoids that are potent regulators. These biosynthetic pathways utilize omega-3 DHA and EPA during multicellular events in resolution to produce a family of protective compounds, i.e., resolvins, that enhance proresolution status.

The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Volume 196, Number 8, 1025-1037
Charles N. Serhan, Song Hong, Karsten Gronert, Sean P. Colgan, Pallavi R. Devchand, Gudrun Mirick and Rose-Laure Moussignac

See later GMO Pundit post for more news on Omega-3, DHA, PUFAs, breast milk, fish, and brain development.