title: Plasma omega-3 fatty acid response to a fish oil supplement in the healthy elderly.
abstract: Little information is available concerning whether incorporation of dietary omega-3 fatty acids into plasma lipids changes during healthy aging. Elderly (74 +/- 4 years old) and young (24 +/- 2 years old) adults were given a fish oil supplement for 3 weeks that provided 680 mg/day of docosahexaenoic acid and 320 mg/day of eicosapentaenoic acid, followed by a 2 week wash-out period. Compliance was monitored by spiking the capsules with carbon-13 glucose, the excretion of which was measured in breath CO2. In response to the supplement, plasma docosahexaenoic acid rose 42% more in the elderly but eicosapentaenoic responded similarly in both groups. Despite raising docosahexaenoic acid intake by five to tenfold, the supplement did not raise plasma free docosahexaenoic acid (% or mg/dL) in either group. We conclude that healthy aging is accompanied by subtle but significant changes in DHA incorporation into plasma lipids.
authors.affiliation: Research Center on Aging, Health and Social Sciences Center, Sherbrooke University Geriatrics Institute, 1036 Belvédère St. South, Sherbrooke, QC, J1H 4C4, Canada. milene.vandal@usherbrooke.ca
authors.forename: Milène
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vandal
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Freemantle
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tremblay-Mercier
authors.forename: Mélanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plourde
authors.forename: Mélanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fortier
authors.forename: Joannie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruneau
authors.forename: Johannie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gagnon
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bégin
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cunnane
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood*; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid
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