title: Seafood diets: hypolipidemic and antiatherogenic effects of taurine and n-3 fatty acids.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health aspects of seafood have primarily been linked to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Although animal studies have suggested beneficial contributions from taurine, highly abundant in seafood, its effect in humans is obscure. This study evaluates the combined effects of n-3 PUFA and taurine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy volunteers (n=80) were recruited to a 7-week double-blind and parallel intervention trial. One group (n=39) received fish pâté (36g/day) enriched in n-3 (1.1gEPA+DHA/day) and the second (n=41) an identical pâté enriched both in n-3 and taurine (425mg/day).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total cholesterol (TC) (-5%, P<0.001), low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (-8%, P<0.001) and Apo B (-4%, P<0.001) decreased more in the n-3+taurine compared to the n-3 group. A significant within-group enhancement of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol was demonstrated in the n-3+taurine group (6%, P<0.0001). Reductions in triacylglycerol (TG) (-16%, P<0.05 in n-3; -14%, P<0.05 in n-3+taurine), thromboxane B(2) (TxB(2)) (-21%, P<0.001 in n-3; -15%, P<0.05 in n-3+taurine), tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha) (-24%, P<0.001 in n-3; -12%, P<0.05 in n-3+taurine) and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1) (-12%, P<0.05 in n-3; -6%, P<0.0001 in n-3+taurine) were evident in both groups. Reductions in interleukin (IL)-6 (-16%, P<0.05) and LTB(4) (-18%, P<0.05) were only significant in the n-3 group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The effects, particularly on blood lipids, of combining n-3 PUFA's and taurine proved superior to those of n-3 alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biotechnology, Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway. edel.elvevoll@nfh.uit.no
authors.forename: Edel O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Elvevoll
authors.forename: Karl-Erik
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Eilertsen
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brox
authors.forename: Bjørn T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Dragnes
authors.forename: Pål
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falkenberg
authors.forename: Jan O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: Bente
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kirkhus
authors.forename: Amandine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lamglait
authors.forename: Bjarne
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Østerud
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D012107:Research Design; D017747:Seafood; D013654:Taurine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D013654:Taurine; D002784:Cholesterol