Fish Oil and Olive Oil Improve Blood and Cellular Health in Those with Metabolic Syndrome

by | Apr 15, 2016 | 2015, Blood Sugar, Cardiovascular Health, Fish Oil Supplements, Metabolic Syndrome, Olive & Monosaturated

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In research with 102 middle aged adults, those taking fish oil and olive oil had 14.8% less total cholesterol levels than the control group and had other benefits.

Metabolic Syndrome is characterized by a number of risk factors that include central obesity (excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen), increased blood pressure (130/85 mmHg or higher), and insulin resistance (the body can’t properly use insulin or blood sugar). Because Metabolic Syndrome consists of so many symptoms, it is also known as “Syndrome X” (1). It currently affects 47 million Americans (1), with the average individual yearly pharmacy cost for those with Metabolic Syndrome to be $4,000. This makes Metabolic Syndrome “the most expensive disease you’ve never heard of” (2).

Research has started to shed light on dietary changes including tree nuts (3) and grape polyphenols (4) in addition to regular exercise, losing weight, quitting smoking, and improving overall diet (5). Now a new study (6) suggests that including fish oil and olive oil in the diet may also improve the health profiles for those with Metabolic Syndrome.

In the study, 102 patients (21 males, 81 females) between and ages of 44 and 59 were assigned to one of four groups for 90 days:

  • Control group: Maintained their usual diet (42 subjects)
  • Fish oil group: Took 3 grams per day of fish oil (21 subjects)
  • Olive oil group: Took 10 milliliters of extra virgin olive oil at lunch and dinner (13 subjects)
  • Fish oil/olive oil group: Took both 3 grams per day of fish oil and 10 milliliters of extra virgin olive oil (26 subjects)

Blood samples were taken before and after the study. After 90 days, the researchers observed the following results among the four groups:

What Was Measured Control GroupFish Oil GroupOlive Oil GroupFish/Olive Oil Groupp value
Total Cholesterol (milligrams/deciliter)2.4% Increase (207 to 212)1.4% Increase
(209 to 212)
5.6% Decrease (216 to 204)10% Decrease
(211.5 to 190.50)
< 0.05
Blood Sugar (mg/dL)No Change
(102 to 102)
1.9% Increase (101 to 103)7.6% Decrease (93 to 86)1.1% Decrease
(99.5 to 98.50)
< 0.05
Total Cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio3.1% Increase (4.13 to 4.26)8.5% Increase (4.54 to 4.93)5.5% Decrease (4.8 to 4.54)11.7% Decrease (4.98 to 4.4)< 0.05
LDL /HDL cholesterol ratio3.4% Increase (2.34 to 2.42)No change (3.03 to 3.03)5.8% Decrease (2.97 to 2.80)11.4% Decrease (3.25 to 2.88)< 0.05

The researchers commented on the 1.9% increase in blood sugar in the fish oil group and the 1.1% decrease in the fish/olive oil group compared to the 7.6% decrease in the olive oil group, stating that “although adverse effects on blood sugar have been seen in doses above 3 grams per day (7), concerns on this issue have decreased with a meta-analysis and reviews showing no adverse effects on blood sugar control (8) and substantial reduction in cardiac events (9) in those with type 2 diabetes.”

For the researchers, “the present study provides evidence that increased dietary omega-3 fatty acids and extra virgin olive oil have beneficial synergistic effects on lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in Metabolic Syndrome patients.”

Source: Venturini, Danielle, et al. “Effects of extra virgin olive oil and fish oil on lipid profile and oxidative stress in patients with metabolic syndrome.” Nutrition 31.6 (2015): 834-840.

© 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Posted February 10, 2015.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

References:

  1. “Metabolic Syndrome” posted on the American Heart Association Website
  2. “Metabolic Syndrome: The Most Expensive Disease You’ve Never Heard Of” – Medical News Today, May 9, 2005
  3. Jaceldo-Siegl K.Tree nuts are inversely associated with metabolic syndrome and obesity: the adventist health study-2. PLoS One 2014 Jan 8;9(1):e85133. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085133. eCollection 2014
  4. Barona J. Grape Polyphenols Reduce Blood Pressure and Increase Flow-Mediated Vasodilation in Men with Metabolic Syndrome. J Nutr 2012; 142(9):1626-1632
  5. Grundy SM, Brewer HB, Jr., Cleeman JI, Smith SC, Jr., Lenfant C. 2004a. Definition of metabolic syndrome: report of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/American Heart Association conference on scientific issues related to definition. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 24: e13‐
  6. Effects of Extra-Virgin Olive oil and Fish Oil on Lipid Profile and Oxidative Stress in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome. Nutrition 2015; DOI 1016/j.nut.2014.12.016
  7. Simão ANC, Lozovoy MAB, Dichi I. Effect of soy product kinako and fish oil on serum lipids and glucose metabolism in women with metabolic syndrome. Nutrition 2014;30:112-5
  8. De Caterina R, Madonna R, Bertolotto A, Schmidt EB. N-3 fatty acids in the treatment of diabetic patients: biological rationale and clinical data. Diabetes Care 2007;30:1012-26
  9. Oikawa S, Yokoyama M, Origasa H, Matsusaki M, Matsuzawa Y, Saito Y, et al. For the Jelis Investigators, Japan. Suppressive effect of EPA on the incidence of coronary events in hypercholesterolemia with impaired glucose metabolism: sub-analysis of the Japan Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS). Atherosclerosis 2009;206:535-9.