| Abstract: | The original "Eskimo" cardiovascular health benefit of omega-3 fatty acids was ascribed to EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). The two readily available fish body oils (from U.S. menhaden and Japanese sardines) have approximately 180 mg of EPA/gram, accompanied by much less (120 mg) DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). The EPA was recognized as the source of a prostaglandin (PGI3) acting as an agent to keep the vascular walls soft and flexible, thus hindering atherosclerosis and vascular constriction, but DHA presented a problem as no such role for it was known. Australian researchers identified DHA as preventing cardiac arrhythmia because they used tuna body oil (DHA ~5 x EPA) in their research. Generally our analyses of salmon muscle triglycerides seem to show DHA > EPA. Total salmon muscle lipids in fillets obtain extra DHA from phospholipids. In the United Kingdom an official medical body now recommends eating fish twice a week and "oily" fish once a week. Examination of DHA for a legitimate health claim in the cardiovascular system, and in infant neural developments and nutrition, and maternal nutrition, offers an alternative market exploiting the most recent developments. These matters should be investigated by the salmon aquaculture industry. |
