Alpha-linolenic acid and cardiovascular diseases

Author: Lanzmann-Petithory D

Address: Hopital Emile Roux, Pavillon Buisson-Jacob, Service de Geriatrie, 1 avenue de Verdun, 94456 Limeil-Brevannes Cedex France EU. dominique.lanzmann@erx.ap-hop-paris.fr

Source: J Nutr Health Aging 2001;5(3):179-83

Abstract: The intake of saturated fat was postulated to be the main environmental factor for coronary heart disease. It was also postulated that the noxious effects of saturated fatty acids (FA) was primarily through the increase in serum cholesterol. Nevertheless intervention trials either in coronary patients or even in primary prevention did not observe significant reduction in cardiac mortality, especially sudden death, when the diet was markedly enriched in linoleic acid (LA), the most efficient FA to lower serum cholesterol. In intervention trials, it is only when the diet was enriched in omega-3 FA, especially alphalinolenic acid (ALA) that cardiac death was reduced.

Studies in animals as well as in vitro on myocytes in culture, have shown that ALA was preventing ventricular fibrillation, the chief mechanism of cardiac death. Furthermore, studies in rats have observed that among omega-3 FA, ALA, the precursor of the omega-3 family, may be more efficient to prevent ventricular fibrillation than eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In addition it was demonstrated that ALA was the main FA lowering platelet aggregation, an important step in thrombosis, i. e. non-fatal myocardial infarction and stroke. Thus, without side effects, a higher intake of ALA (2g / day) with a ratio of 5/1 for LA/ALA, could possibly constitute a nutritional answer to the main cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

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