Omega-3 Fatty Acids improve COPD

COPD (Chronic obstructive lung disease) is a group of serious lung conditions that have symptoms such as difficulty in breathing usually accompanied by wheezing and coughing. Conditions in the category of COPD include emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma. In this study 64 patients with COPD were given either a drink rich in Omega-3 fatty acids or Omega 6 fatty acids for two years. At the end of two years it was found that the patients on Omega-3 fats had improved breathing during brief exercise bouts and at the same time inflammatory chemicals decreased in their blood and mucus. The study appears in the December 2005 issue of the journal Chest.

Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.

At the start of this study the impact of the supplements Green Tea Extract and CLA were not even thought of yet - studies show these both impact weight.

Omega-3 with Omega-6 fatty acids improve language skills in children with behavioral problems

65 children with behavioral problems were given a daily combination of Omega-3 fish oil and Omega-6 primrose oil for five months. These children had an average 7 month delay in language skills. The children taking the oils had on average a seven month improvement in receptive language ability and a nearly nine month improvement in expressive language ability. The control group of kids not on the oils made only an average 5 month improvement - the expected improvement over 5 months. At the start of the study 47 percent of the parents rated their children as having either poor or very poor behavior, by the end of the study this figure dropped to 4 percent. The daily supplement consisted of 475mg EPA, 151mg DHA, and 54mg GLA. The research was performed at the University of Durham, UK, and appears in the current Peterlee Sure Start Program Report and will be published in the Nutrition and Health Series of books.