This Heart-Healthy Cooking Oil Prevents Cardiovascular Disease, Alleviates Inflammation

Consuming Camelina Sativa oil (or false flax oil) and fatty fish reduce the formation of fatty acid derivatives that damages the heart, says a new study.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are one of the healthy fats found in plants as well as animal foods. Consuming moderate amounts of these fats can be beneficial to health. Polyunsaturated fats can help lower bad cholesterol levels in the blood. More than 50% of the fatty acids in Camelina sativa oil are polyunsaturated.

Camelina Sativa has exceptionally high levels of omega-3 fatty acids (a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids) which is quite uncommon in vegetable sources. It is also well suited for use as cooking oil, thanks to its almond-like flavor and aroma.

The researchers from the University of Eastern Finland reported that dietary intake of both plants, as well as animal-based polyunsaturated fatty acids, improved lipid mediators with anti-inflammatory properties.

“Camelina sativa oil and fatty fish had a major effect on lipid metabolism. Our study shows that dietary fats can be used to target metabolic pathways that are linked to cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes,” News Medical quoted Topi Meuronen, Early Stage Researcher, Lead Author of the Article, University of Eastern Finland.

The Study:

The researchers examined the link between fatty fish and Camelina Sativa oil that are associated with lipid metabolism and low-grade inflammation.

They included 79 participants in the age group 43-72 with impaired fasting glucose. They were then divided into 4 different groups:

• Group 1: Participants whose dietary fats were replaced with Camelina Sativa oil and reduced their fish intake to just one serving per week
• Group 2 and 3: Consumed fish four times per week and two servings of fatty fish (salmon or vendace) and two servings of low-fat fish (pike or saithe)
• Group 4: control group

Key findings:

• High intake of omega-3 fatty acids from Camelina Sativa oil and fatty fish lowered the circulatory proportions of arachidonic acid
• People who consumed Camelina Sativa oil recorded lower levels of mediators that might be harmful to cardiovascular health
• Fatty fish intake increased circulatory concentration of fatty acid derivatives that reduce inflammation

“Our results indicate that dietary intake of both long and short-chain n-3 fatty acids is reflected in the plasma concentration of lipid mediators derived from these fatty acids,” concluded the researchers in their paper published in the journal- Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids (PLEFA).