Category Archives: Docosanoids

Flaxseed Oil: Is Fish Oil Superior?

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Robert Barrington

Humans require two essential fatty acids, alpha linolenic acid and linoleic acid. These fatty acids are essential because they are metabolised to important cellular signal molecules called eicosanoids. Alpha linolenic acid belongs to the omega 3 family of fatty acids, … Continue reading →

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Docosahexanoic Acid and Eicosapentanoic Acid: Conditionally Essential Nutrients

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Essential nutrients are defined in nutrition as those required by the body, but which cannot be synthesised endogenously. There is therefore a requirement to obtain such nutrients from food. The essential nutrients include the vitamins and minerals, as well as … Continue reading →

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More on Alcohol and Omega 3 Fatty Acids Metabolism: This Time Wine

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Alcohol shows favourable effects on lipoprotein concentrations because it is associated with an increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL). This has been suggested to be the reason for its beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease. However, consumption of ethanol has been … Continue reading →

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Alcohol Raises Plasma Omega 3 Concentrations: We Have a Winner

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Alcohol is interesting because despite its unhealthy reputation within the mainstream, even relatively high intakes are protective of disease. In particular, alcohol appears to protect from cardiovascular disease, and a number of mechanisms have been put forward to explain this … Continue reading →

Posted in Alcohol, Alpha Linolenic Acid, Cardiovascular Disease, Delta 6-desaturase, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Docosanoids, Eicosanoids, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Essential Fatty Acids, Fatty Acids, Fish, Fish Oils, Flax Oil | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Alcohol Raises Plasma Omega 3 Concentrations: We Have a Winner

Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Robert Barrington

The role played by the n-3 (omega 3) fatty acids in the development cardiovascular disease is interesting because while the effects of the parent compound α-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3 (n-3)) are inconsistent, intakes of its metabolites eicosapentanoic acid (EPA, C20:4 … Continue reading →

Posted in Alcohol, Cardiovascular Disease, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Docosanoids, Eicosanoids, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Essential Fatty Acids, Fish, Fish Oils, HDL, LDL, Triglycerides / Triacylglycerols, VLDL | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Robert Barrington

pidemiological studies suggest that consuming fish is associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Fish may be protective of cardiovascular disease because of the long-chain fatty acids contained within it. Fish oil accumulates in the skin of some species … Continue reading →

Posted in Alpha Linolenic Acid, Arachidonic Acid, Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Disease, Delta 5-desaturase, Delta 6-desaturase, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Docosanoids, Docosapentaenoic Acid, Eicosanoids, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Essential Fatty Acids, Fish, Fish Oils | Tagged , | Comments Off on So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

Farmed Versus Wild Fish: Omega 3 to 6 Ratio Differences

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Robert Barrington

The long-chain fatty acids eicosapentanoic acid (EPA, C20:5 (n-3)) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA, C22:6 (n-3)) have been shown to be beneficial to human health. The benefits of EPA and DHA derive from their physiological role in the synthesis of cell … Continue reading →

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Delta 6-desaturase: The Essential Fatty Acid Roadblock

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA, C20:5 (n-3)) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA, C22:6 (n-3)) are precursors to a number of important signal molecules that are required for cell function. These long-chain fatty acids accumulate in cell membranes and are then used by the … Continue reading →

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Essential Knowledge: Fatty Acids

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Robert Barrington

Plants possess two enzymes, Δ12-desaturase and Δ15-desaturase, that allow the synthesis of linoleic acid (LA, C18:2 (n-6)) and α-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3 (n-3)), respectively. The Δ12-desaturase enzyme adds a double bond to a molecule of oleic acid (OA, C18:1 (n-9)) … Continue reading →

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Alpha Linolenic Acid: Is it Beneficial to the Heart?

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Robert Barrington

The essential fatty acid α-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3 (n-3)) is required for human health because it enters the metabolic pathway that synthesises hormones required to regulate cellular inflammation and immunity. Flaxseeds and walnuts are good sources of ALA but smaller … Continue reading →

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