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Docosahexaenoic Acid-Rich Fish Oil Does Not Affect Serum Lipid Concentrations of Normolipidemic Young Adults^1,2,

Tomohito Hamazaki³, Shigeki Sawazaki, Etsuko Asaoka^*, Miho Itomura^*, Yutaka Mizushima, Kazunaga Yazawa, Toyomi Kuwamori^** and Masashi Kobayashi

The First Department of Internal Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama-shi, Toyama 930-01, Japan ^* Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, School of Medicine, Toyama-shi, Toyama 930-01, Japan Sagami Chemical Research Center, Nishi-ohnuma, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa 229, Japan ^** Toyama Women's Junior College, Gankaiji, Toyama-shi, Toyama 930-01, Japan

Fish oils, purified eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been reported to improve blood lipid concentrations, especially those of triglycerides in humans. However, to our knowledge there have been no double-blind studies investigating the effects of DHA-rich fish oil on blood lipid concentrations. Therefore, we conducted a placebo-controlled double-blind study. Twenty-four healthy, normolipidemic young adults took either DHA-rich fish oil capsules containing 1.5–1.8 g of DHA or control oil capsules containing 97% soybean oil and 3% fish oil for 13 wk. Blood samples were taken at the start and end of the study, and serum lipids concentrations were compared. There were no significant changes over time in the DHA group in the following serum lipids: total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), and apolipoproteins A1 and B. In contrast, apolipoprotein A1 concentrations slightly (10%) but significantly increased over time in the control group. Docosahexaenoic acid at a dose of less than 2 g/d did not change serum lipid concentrations of normolipidemic subjects. The effects of DHA in hyperlipidemic patients remain to be investigated in a double-blind study.

KEY WORDS: • docosahexaenoic acid • humans • serum • lipids • lipoprotein(a) • cholesterol

¹ Partly supported by Shorai Foundation for Science and Technology.

² The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

³ To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Manuscript received 8 January 1996. Revision accepted 9 July 1996.