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Plasma Omega-3 Fatty Acid Response to a Fish Oil Supplement in the Healthy Elderly

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Lipids

Abstract

Little information is available concerning whether incorporation of dietary omega-3 fatty acids into plasma lipids changes during healthy aging. Elderly (74 ± 4 years old) and young (24 ± 2 years old) adults were given a fish oil supplement for 3 weeks that provided 680 mg/day of docosahexaenoic acid and 320 mg/day of eicosapentaenoic acid, followed by a 2 week wash-out period. Compliance was monitored by spiking the capsules with carbon-13 glucose, the excretion of which was measured in breath CO2. In response to the supplement, plasma docosahexaenoic acid rose 42% more in the elderly but eicosapentaenoic responded similarly in both groups. Despite raising docosahexaenoic acid intake by five to tenfold, the supplement did not raise plasma free docosahexaenoic acid (% or mg/dL) in either group. We conclude that healthy aging is accompanied by subtle but significant changes in DHA incorporation into plasma lipids.

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Fig. 1

Abbreviations

ARA:

Arachidonic acid

DHA:

Docosahexaenoic acid

EPA:

Eicosapentaenoic acid

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Acknowledgments

Financial assistance was provided by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada Research Chairs (SCC), the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and FORMSAV (MV). Excellent technical assistance was provided by Mary Ann Ryan, Julie Desgagné and Martine Fisch.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center on Aging, Health and Social Sciences Center, Sherbrooke University Geriatrics Institute, 1036 Belvédère St. South, Sherbrooke, QC, J1H 4C4, Canada

    Milène Vandal, Erika Freemantle, Jennifer Tremblay-Mercier, Mélanie Plourde, Mélanie Fortier, Joannie Bruneau, Johannie Gagnon, Michel Bégin & Stephen C. Cunnane

  2. Departments of Medicine and Physiology and Biophysics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada

    Milène Vandal, Erika Freemantle, Jennifer Tremblay-Mercier, Mélanie Plourde, Mélanie Fortier, Joannie Bruneau, Johannie Gagnon, Michel Bégin & Stephen C. Cunnane

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  1. Milène Vandal
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  2. Erika Freemantle
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  3. Jennifer Tremblay-Mercier
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  4. Mélanie Plourde
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  5. Mélanie Fortier
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  6. Joannie Bruneau
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  7. Johannie Gagnon
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  8. Michel Bégin
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  9. Stephen C. Cunnane
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen C. Cunnane.

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Vandal, M., Freemantle, E., Tremblay-Mercier, J. et al. Plasma Omega-3 Fatty Acid Response to a Fish Oil Supplement in the Healthy Elderly. Lipids 43, 1085–1089 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-008-3232-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-008-3232-z

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