Men and Women May Benefit from Different Omega-3 Fats

by | Apr 23, 2013 | 2013, Cardiovascular Health, DHA, Fish Oil Supplements, Omega - 3

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In a study of 94 healthy patients that were given one gram capsules of EPA and DHA rich supplements, men showed a significant reduction in blood clotting when taking EPA and women showed significant reduction after taking DHA.

The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for heart health have been intensely researched for nearly 40 years (1), especially in regards to coronary heart disease, which causes 1 in 4 deaths in the United States, is a primary cause for the 715,000 heart attacks suffered every year and costs our healthcare system $108.9 billion each year (2).

In 2004, the Food and Drug Administration published a health claim regarding two omega-3 fatty acids, EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and heart health  stating“Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease” (3).  Now a new study (4) suggests that these two omega-3 fatty acids may benefit men and women differently.

The study looked at 94 patients (41 men and 53 women) between the ages of 38 and 42 with no blood sugar problems or diabetes, a body mass index (BMI) <35 kg/m2, who did not consume fish oil supplements and consumed <2 servings of seafood per week.  They completed a medical history questionnaire and a 24-hour food recall questionnaire. They were given two 1-gram capsules of an EPA-rich supplement (totaling 1000 mg of EPA and 200 mg DHA), a DHA-rich supplement (totaling 1000 mg of DHA and 200 mg EPA) or a placebo per day for 4 weeks.  Before and after the study, the patients provided blood samples to measure for blood clotting proteins in the blood.

By the end of 4 weeks, those in the EPA groups saw blood clotting reduced by 11.8% (p = 0.02) and those in the DHA group saw blood clotting reduced by 14.8% (p = 0.001) compared to the placebo group.  When the researchers looked at men and women separately, men in the EPA group had an 18.4% reduction in blood clotting compared to 5.5% for women (p = 0.01).  In the DHA groups, the reverse was true.  Women had an 18.9% decrease in blood clotting and men had a 9.0% decrease (p = 0.001).  In attempting to explain this sex-specific benefit of omega-3 fats, the researchers pointed to studies showing that testosterone lowers DHA levels in men and estrogen increases DHA levels in women (5), which explains why DHA was mostly ineffective at helping men decrease blood clotting in previous research (6,7).

For the researchers, “These novel findings allow for optimal cardio-protection that is tailored for both gender groups and offers a safe and nonpharmacological approach” where “men would likely benefit more from supplementation with EPA, whereas women are more responsive to DHA.”

Source: Phang, Melinda, Lisa F. Lincz, and Manohar L. Garg. “Eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid supplementations reduce platelet aggregation and hemostatic markers differentially in men and women.” The Journal of nutrition 143.4 (2013): 457-463.

© 2013 American Society for Nutrition

Posted April 22, 2013.

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. Kantha SS. Dietary effects of fish oils on human health: a review of recent studies. Yale J Biol Med. 1987;60:37–44.
  2. “Heart Disease Facts: America’s Heart Disease Burden” posted on the CDC website
  3. “FDA Announces Qualified Health Claims for Omega-3 Fatty Acids” posted on the FDA website
  4. Phang M. Eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic Acid supplementations reduce platelet aggregationand hemostatic markers differentially in men and women. J Nutr 2013; 143(4):457-63. doi: 10.3945/jn.112.171249
  5. Giltay EJ, Gooren LJ, Toorians AW, Katan MB, Zock PL. Docosahexaenoic acid concentrations are higher in women than in men because of estrogenic effects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;80:1167–74
  6. Conquer JA, Holub BJ. Supplementation with an algae source of docosahexaenoic acid increases (n-3) fatty acid status and alters selected risk factors for heart disease in vegetarian subjects. J Nutr. 1996; 126:3032–9.
  7. Nelson GJ, Schmidt PS, Bartolini GL, Kelley DS, Kyle D. The effect of dietary docosahexaenoic acid on platelet function, platelet fatty acid composition, and blood coagulation in humans. Lipids. 1997;32:1129–36.