FACTSheet · 2018. 1. 25. · FACTSheet SPONSORED BY: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Find out...
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FACTSheet SPONSORED BY: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Find out what’s special about omega-3 fatty acids Nutritional supplements and “functional foods” are popular in both human and veterinary medicine. Equine nutritional sup- plement sales continue to climb, with an estimated $650 million spent each year on products such as joint and hoof supplements, multivitamins, and products containing omega-3 fatty acids. 1 This continued popularity of nutritional supplements is attributable, at least in part, to the growing body of evidence sup- porting the beneficial health effects of a variety of supplements, including omega-3 fatty acids. WHAT ARE FATTY ACIDS? Fatty acids are long chains of carbon and hydrogen linked together by chemical bonds that resemble the tail of a flying kite. The number of carbon and hydrogen atoms and the number and arrangement of bonds between adjacent carbon atoms help distinguish one type of fatty acid from another. Saturated fats, such as those found in animal fats (e.g., beef, lard, butter, cream, cheese), have no double bonds between the carbon atoms. Unsaturated fats, such as those found in seeds, nuts, grains, and vegetables, have at least one double bond. Polyunsaturated fatty acids have more than one double bond between carbon atoms. WHAT ARE OMEGA FATTY ACIDS? Omega fatty acids are a special type of polyunsaturated fatty acid. Omega fatty acids are not produced by the body and therefore must be obtained through the diet. 2 There are two main forms of omega fatty acids: omega-3 and omega-6. Omega-3 fatty acids have the first double bond at the third carbon atom, whereas omega-6 fatty acids have the first bond at the sixth carbon atom. Al- though this detail seems relatively small, it makes a big difference in how these two omegas are metabolized. Fatty acids are metabolized to produce inflammatory mediators called prostaglandins. The prostaglandins produced during omega-6 fatty acid me- tabolism are proinflammatory, which can be detrimental to health. In contrast, the omega-3 fatty acids are metabolized to mediators that inhibit the production of proinflammatory mediators and modulate the “inflammatory cascade.” 2,3 The most important omega-3 fatty acids are alpha- linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosa- hexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA are obtained primarily from cold water fish (e.g., salmon, herring, mackerel) and fish-oil supplements, and alpha-linolenic acid is found in high quantities in flaxseed. Linoleic acid and arachi- donic acid are classic examples of omega-6 fatty acids. Researchers believe diets high in omega-6 fatty acids might contribute to many health issues. Altering a diet’s ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids by increasing the amount of omega-3 through supple- mentation can change the type of inflammatory mediators produced and potentially confer beneficial health effects to the horse. 2 THE SCIENCE BEHIND OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS Equine nutrition has not yet reached the level of mass supplementation currently seen in human products (i.e., omega fatty acids added to create “functional foods,” such as breads, cereals, eggs, etc.). However, fatty-acid supplements for horses are available, widely used, and popular for: ■ Coat and skin health; ■ Hoof quality; ■ Immune system support; and ■ Weight gain in unthrifty horses. In addition to those “general benefits,” evidence now exists supporting the benefits of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for a variety of inflamma- tory conditions, such as osteoarthritis and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO, heaves). In fact, a recently published review article found that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation does appear to have a beneficial impact on animals with osteoarthritis. 4 OTHER USES FOR OMEGAS Reproduction: Research results show that omega-3 fatty acids have the potential to improve sperm quality. 5 Research in broodmares showed they pass fatty acid levels in their milk and plasma reflective of the omega-3 and omega-6 levels they consumed. This caused an earlier inflammatory response in foals, suggesting that omega-3 could confer an early advantage in responding to infection. 2,6 Performance: Horses appear to benefit from fatty acid supplementation. Specifically, researchers have assessed omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in terms of its ability to improve exercise-induced hypertension and pulmonary hemorrhage. 7 Preliminary studies have also found that horses supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids have lower heart rates and that fish oil alters exercise metabolism in condi- Fast Fact Dozens of published human- medicine studies show omega-3 fatty acids’ efficacy in helping manage patients with a variety of medical conditions, including heart disease, head trauma, inflammatory bowel disease, depression and stress, and cancer, as well as assisting with postsurgical recoveries. THINKSTOCK Fish oil and flax are two excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
Transcript of FACTSheet · 2018. 1. 25. · FACTSheet SPONSORED BY: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Find out...
FACTSheet SPONSORED BY:
Omega-3 Fatty Acid SupplementationFind out what’s special about omega-3 fatty acids
Nutritional supplements and “functional foods” are popular in both human and veterinary medicine. Equine nutritional sup-plement sales continue to climb, with an estimated $650 million spent each year on products such as joint and hoof supplements, multivitamins, and products containing omega-3 fatty acids.1 This continued popularity of nutritional supplements is attributable, at least in part, to the growing body of evidence sup-porting the beneficial health effects of a variety of supplements, including omega-3 fatty acids.
WHAT ARE FATTY ACIDS? Fatty acids are long chains of carbon and hydrogen linked together by chemical bonds that resemble the tail of a flying kite. The number of carbon and hydrogen atoms and the number and arrangement of bonds between adjacent carbon atoms help distinguish one type of fatty acid from another. Saturated fats, such as those found in animal fats (e.g., beef, lard, butter, cream, cheese), have no double bonds between the carbon atoms. Unsaturated fats, such as those found in seeds, nuts, grains, and vegetables, have at least one double bond. Polyunsaturated fatty acids have more than one double bond between carbon atoms.
WHAT ARE OMEGA FATTY ACIDS? Omega fatty acids are a special type of polyunsaturated fatty acid. Omega fatty acids are not produced by the body and therefore must be obtained through the diet.2 There are two main forms of omega fatty acids: omega-3 and omega-6. Omega-3 fatty acids have the first double bond at the third carbon atom, whereas omega-6 fatty acids have the first bond at the sixth carbon atom. Al-though this detail seems relatively small, it makes a big difference in how these two omegas are metabolized. Fatty acids are metabolized to produce inflammatory mediators called prostaglandins. The prostaglandins produced during omega-6 fatty acid me-tabolism are proinflammatory, which can be detrimental to health. In contrast, the omega-3 fatty acids are metabolized to mediators that inhibit the production of proinflammatory mediators and modulate the “inflammatory cascade.”2,3
The most important omega-3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosa-hexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA are obtained primarily from cold water fish (e.g., salmon, herring, mackerel) and fish-oil supplements, and alpha-linolenic acid is found in high quantities in flaxseed. Linoleic acid and arachi-donic acid are classic examples of omega-6 fatty acids. Researchers believe diets high in omega-6 fatty acids might contribute to many health issues. Altering a diet’s ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids by increasing the amount of omega-3 through supple-mentation can change the type of inflammatory mediators
produced and potentially confer beneficial health effects to the horse.2
THE SCIENCE BEHIND OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS Equine nutrition has not yet reached the level of mass supplementation currently seen in human products (i.e., omega fatty acids added to create “functional foods,” such as breads, cereals, eggs, etc.). However, fatty-acid supplements for horses are available, widely used, and popular for:■ Coat and skin health;■ Hoof quality;■ Immune system support; and■ Weight gain in unthrifty horses. In addition to those “general benefits,” evidence now exists supporting the benefits of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for a variety of inflamma-tory conditions, such as osteoarthritis and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO, heaves). In fact, a recently published review article found that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation does appear to have a beneficial impact on animals with osteoarthritis.4
OTHER USES FOR OMEGAS Reproduction: Research results show that omega-3 fatty acids have the potential to improve sperm quality.5 Research in broodmares showed they pass fatty acid levels in their milk and plasma reflective of the omega-3 and omega-6 levels they consumed. This caused an earlier inflammatory response in foals, suggesting that omega-3 could confer an early advantage in responding to infection.2,6
Performance: Horses appear to benefit from fatty acid supplementation. Specifically, researchers have assessed omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in terms of its ability to improve exercise-induced hypertension and pulmonary hemorrhage.7 Preliminary studies have also found that horses supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids have lower heart rates and that fish oil alters exercise metabolism in condi-
Fast FactDozens of published human-
medicine studies show omega-3 fatty acids’ efficacy in helping manage patients with a variety of medical conditions, including
heart disease, head trauma, inflammatory bowel disease, depression and stress, and cancer, as well as assisting with postsurgical recoveries.
THINKS
TOCK
Fish oil and flax are two excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
tioned horses. Fish oil also appears to make the outer membrane of red blood cells more “fluid,” facilitating oxygen delivery. Finally, unpublished research from Texas A&M showed that horses supplemented with soy oil versus corn oil experienced a reduced inflammatory response following exercise.
FEEDING OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS Forages, which make up the bulk of a horse’s diet, typically contain only small amounts (2-3%) of crude fat. However, forages naturally have higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids than they do pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. In contrast, crude fat in cereal grains contains approximately 50% omega-6 fatty acids and only small amounts of omega-3s. Thus, horses supple-mented with concentrates are consuming more omega-6 fatty acids that are metabolized to inflammatory mediators. Vegetable oils such as corn, safflower, or sunflower oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids. As mentioned, horses need both types of omega fatty acids, but a diet with a higher omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is more desirable. The exact levels of omega-3 fatty acids and the ideal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 in equine diets or supplements remains unknown. We do know, however, that horses absorb fatty acids following supplementation. In one study researchers found that horses fed 40 g/day of EPA and DHA had elevated EPA and DHA levels three days after initiation of supplementation. Those levels remained elevated until 42 days post-supplementation.8 Another study con-firmed that increased omega-3 fatty acid consumption leads to increased levels in blood plasma (the fluid part of blood) as well as red blood cells.9
SUPPLEMENT REGULATION Like any dietary supplement, safety and quality varies from product to product. As recently reported on ConsumerLab.com, problems were identified for >30% of tested omega-3 fatty acid supplements. Visit TheHorse.com for more information on choosing a safe, quality supplement.11
Key References1. Packaged Facts. Pet supplements and nutraceutical treats in the U.S. 4th ed. Rockville (MD); 2013.2. King M. The latest on the omegas. www.TheHorse.com/pdf/nutrition/nutrition.pdf.3. Lewis M, Ghassemi P, Hibbeln J. Therapeutic use of omega-3 fatty acids in severe head trauma. Am J Emerg Med. In
press. 4. Vandeweerd JM, Coisnon C, Clegg P, et al. Systematic review of efficacy of nutraceuticals to alleviate clinical signs of
osteoarthritis. J Vet Intern Med 2012;26(3):448-56. 5. Brinsko SP, Varner DD, Love CC, Blanchard TL, Day BC, Wilson ME. Effect of feeding a DHA-enriched nutriceutical on
the quality of fresh, cooled and frozen stallion semen. Theriogenology 2005;63(5):1519–27.6. Stelzleni, EL, Warren LK, Kivipelto J. 2006. Effect of dietary n-3 fatty acid supplementation on plasma and milk
composition and immune status of mares and foals. J Anim Sci Suppl 84:392. 7. Erickson HH, Epp TS, Poole DC. Review of alternative therapies for EIPH. Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Convention of
the American Association of Equine Practitioners. 2007. www.ivis.org/proceedings/aaep/2007/erickson/chapter.asp8. King SS, AbuGhazaleh AA, Webel SK, et al. Circulating fatty acid profiles in response to three levels of dietary
omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in horses. J Anim Sci 2008;86(5):1114–23. www.journalofanimalscience.org/content/86/5/1114.full.pdf+html
9. Pagan JD, Lawrence TL, Lennox MA. Fish oil and corn oil supplementation affect red blood cell and serum eicosapen-taenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentrations in Thoroughbred horses. www.Ker.com/library/health/2010/07/fish-oil-and-corn-oil-supplementation-affect-red-blood-cell-and-serum-eicosapentaenoic-acidepa-and-d.html
10. Hess TM, Rexford JK, Hansen DK, et al. Effects of two different dietary sources of long chain omega-3, highly unsaturated fatty acids on incorporation into the plasma, red blood cell, and skeletal muscle in horses. J Anim Sci. 2012;90(9):3023-31.
11. Oke S. General equine supplements. www.TheHorse.com/30002 Authored by Stacey Oke, DVM, MS; reviewed by Amy Gill, PhD
FACTSheet
This Fact Sheet may be reprinted and distributed in this exact form for educational purposes only in print or electronically. It may not be used for commercial purposes in print or electronically or republished on a website, forum, or blog. For more horse health information on this and other topics visit www.TheHorse.com.
Published by The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care, © Copyright 2013 Blood-Horse Publications. Contact [email protected].
Why Fish?Welactin Equine is a rich source of long chain omega-3 fatty acids derived from cold water fish. Short chain fatty acids derived from plant-based sources such as corn, soy, flax and rice bran may not provide the same health benefits as long chain fatty acids.For more frequently asked questions, go to WelactinEquine.com
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