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Ioannis Zabetakis
Caveat Emptor! very interesting and rather intriguing paper on omega-3 fatty acids and fish was published last May in Clinical Nutrition. The authors have reviewed literature with regard to the supplementation of omega-3 LC-PUFAs. Previous evidence stated that high doses omega-3 LC-PUFAs produce a small but significant decrease in blood pressure in older and hypertensive subjects. Due to the increasing interest in the benefits of LC-PUFAs, the authors aimed to evaluate the scientific evidence provided in the past five years (2012–2016) on the effects of the intake of omega-3 LC-PUFAs on cardiovascular risk factors such as inflammation and oxidative stress, through a systematic review in PubMed database. 28 articles were related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and are included in this systematic review. The studies included healthy subjects and CVD patients; we included the number of subjects, type of study, type and doses of omega-3 LC-PUFAs, primary outcomes, and results. The use of omega-3 LC-PUFAs for ameliorating CVD risk factors can be recommended. However, the administration of omega-3 does not seem to show any benefit for the management of CVD or associated complications (Rangel-Huerta and Gil). However, the devil is always hidden in the tiny details. Having a closer look at this paper and especially table 3, it can be seen that the authors compare head-to-head studies where pure omega-3 fatty acids were supplemented to humans to studies where fish was consumed. Despite the fact, that this comparison is not unusual in literature; we have some scientific concerns whether this is the right way of evaluating the cardioprotective properties of fish. Fish (as all foods) is not the sum of its components! Fish is superior to pure omega-3 fatty acids; fish is more than marine oils as we have presented in our book on Marine Oils (Zabetakis, 2015). When evaluating the anti-inflammatory or cardioprotective properties of food, compounds, nutraceuticals etc, it would be advisable to compare like with like. Fish is not equivalent to omega-3 fatty acids. Apart from the fact that omega-3 supplements are neutral compounds whereas fish cardioprotective lipids are polar (Megson et al., 2016), we need to remember that fish contains a myriad of other compounds that could inhibit the development of atherosclerosis. P.S. Caveat emptor is Latin for “Let the buyer beware” (from caveat, “may he beware”, a subjunctive form of cavēre, “to beware” + ēmptor, “buyer”).
Further reading
Megson, I.L., Whitfield, P.D., Zabetakis, I., 2016. Lipids and cardiovascular disease: Where does dietary intervention sit alongside statin therapy? Food and Function 7, 26032614. Rangel-Huerta, O.D., Gil, A., Omega 3 fatty acids in cardiovascular disease risk factors: An updated systematic review of randomised clinical trials. Clinical Nutrition. Zabetakis, I., 2015. Is fish something more than marine oils?, Marine Oils (From Sea to Pharmaceuticals), pp. 155-161. @yanzabet Ioannis.zabetakis@ul.ie
Currently working on Food Lipids at the University of Limerick, Ireland, focusing on feeds, food and nutraceuticals against inflammation, Ioannis is a co-inventor in two patents, has edited a book on marine oils, and has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles (h-index 19). He is currently writing a book on "The Impact of Nutrition and Statins on Cardiovascular Diseases" for Elsevier. 4 | September 2017 - International Aquafeed
Clearly defined environmental goals
G
ier Ove Ystmark, CEO, Sjømat Norge, explained, “We want seafood to represent Norway’s most important contribution to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Our goal is to double food production and reduce the environmental footprint between now and 2030.” At the AquaNor technology fair, Sjømat Norge presented its vision “Aquaculture 2030 – Think globally, act locally”. It states that the Norwegian aquaculture industry represents the world’s most environmentally friendly production of healthy food and that the industry is to provide world- class seafood, production competency and technology. Five years ago, the company presented a similar plan and has also coordinated industry efforts over many years to combat fish escape and salmon lice. Mr Ystmark stressed "We have now defined our ambitions more concretely on behalf of our member companies. The work is now underway and will result in a joint strategy for the further sustainable development of the aquaculture industry and how it should be managed by the year 2030. This will require a new way of thinking and change." Mr Ystmark continued, “We are very pleased that the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced that it wishes to enter into a partnership with Sjømat Norge in order to help the aquaculture industry achieve the vision laid out in ‘Aquaculture 2030’. Rounding off he says, “Seafood is part of the solution to the need for both food and climate-friendly production. That is why we believe that food-producing sea areas should clearly prioritise fishing and aquaculture operations. In addition, Norway is leading in aquaculture technology and competence and can contribute to more sustainable food production in many other countries by exporting our solutions.” He summarised, “It is our responsibility to set standards and provide direction on behalf of the industry. Our goal is to have the Norwegian aquaculture industry contribute to achieving the UN’s global sustainability goals through local and international measures. We also believe this will benefit numerous local communities here in Norway.”