The Effect of N-6 and N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Hemostasis, Blood Lipids and Blood Pressure

Diverging results from studies of marine oil supplementation to western diets initiated the undertaking of a double-blind crossover study, with administration to healthy volunteers for 4 weeks of either 10 g of fish oil or 10 g of vegetable oil. Each oil containing approx. 40% of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) respectively. During the n-3 PUFA period, systolic blood pressure, plasma total lipids, triglycerides and VLDL concentrations fell significantly whereas plasma antithrombin-III (AT-III) rose. Cutaneous bleeding time increased significantly. In contrast only AT-III rose during the n-6 PUFA feeding, however, more marked than during the n-3 oil period. It is concluded that a n-3 PUFA oil supplement to the western diet exerts an effect that generally is considered as beneficial in terms of the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. It is in this respect superior to that of n-6 PUFA, stressing the necessity of a more differentiated approach to advice on dietary PUFA enrichment than presently is exerted.