Oil for Life to Balance omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ... - Oil4Life

The condition of well-being could also have been influenced by oxidative effects. Free
radicals and ROS are continuously produced by cells, and the free radicals are neutralized by
an elaborate antioxidant defence system consisting of enzymes and non-enzymatic
antioxidants including vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Our results show that the N and Z diets
reduced the oxidative stress of healthy subjects: there was a strong reduction of MDA, a
plasma marker of oxidative damage to lipids, and considerably higher concentrations of
vitamin C. MDA has been used in several experiments as a measure of oxidative stress, e.g.
that due to exercise. When free radicals are generated, they can attack polyunsaturated fatty
acids in the cell membrane. This leads to lipid peroxidation, which reduces the membrane
fluidity, permeability and excitability, producing hydrocarbon gases and aldehydes such as
MDA. Plasma MDA is a marker of lipid oxidation (Gokhan M. et al., 2003, Urso M.L. et al.,
2003) and its measurement may provide a further indication of oxidative injury in vivo.
Quantification of MDA by HPLC is recommended because of its high analytical sensitivity
and specificity, especially in the study of lipid peroxidation in human subjects (Karatas F. et
al., 2002). Our study shows that the plasma MDA levels in subjects on the N and Z diets
supplemented with n-3 fatty acids were significantly reduced with respect to basal levels
(with a greater decrease in the Z diet subjects), indicating that nutritional status has an
important role in preventing lipid peroxidation by increasing the plasma total antioxidant
capacity. For the above experiment, it must be underlined that olive oil (used as placebo)
contains antioxidant components and thus cannot be considered inactive. Therefore, some of
the antioxidant effects observed in the related groups may have been due to the olive oil as
indicated above (see paragraph 7.5).
Another important result of this experiment is the modulation of mood state, as revealed by
the POMS questionnaire. Supplementation with n-3 seems to be linked to an increase of
vigour and a decrease of negative factors such as anger, anxiety and depression. The ratio
between vigour and the mean of the negative factors (i- POMS) increased after n-3
supplementation and there was a negative relationship between i-POMS and AA/EPA. This
correlation was only present in subjects on the Z diet. These results confirm the influence of
n-3 on the central nervous system (Neuringer M. et al., 1994, Heude B. et al., 2003 ),
probably involving neuronal excitability (Rybach R., 2001). They are also in line with the
suggested action of these compounds on dementia, depression and mood disorders, in which
they may act as mood stabilisers (Silvers K.M. et al., 2002, Heude B. et al., 2003, Rybach
R., 2001, Haag M., 2003, Mishoulon D. et al., 2000, Rogers P.J., 2001 ).
On the whole, the results of this experiment in healthy subjects provide confirmation of the
effects of diet and micronutrients described in pathological conditions. They highlight the
value of dietary rules in improving health and add new evidence concerning the effects of the
diet with low carbohydrate content and with low glycemic index food. The results suggest
that some of these effects are due almost exclusively to diet, e.g the reduction of body fat,
while others, such as the mood state variations, are mainly due to n-3 supplementation.
8.3 ADHD in children and depression in elderly (Germano et al, 2007)
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of most common
neurodevelopmental syndrome of childhood.
Recent reviews estimate ADHD prevalence between 2%-18% (Goldman L.S. et al., 1998;
Elia J. et al., 1999; Brown R .T. et al., 2001). The 2002 National Health Survey of the CDC
indicates that 7% of children between the ages of 5-11 have been diagnosed with ADHD
(Dey A.N. et al., 2002).
The diagnosis of the syndrome is complicated by the frequent occurrence of comorbid
conditions such as learning disability, behavior, and anxiety disorder.
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