Dietary fatty acid intake effects on risk for Lou Gehrig disease

ω = omega

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-07/tjnj-sed071114.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 14-Jul-2014
Contact: Todd Datz
617-432-8413
The JAMA Network Journals
Study examines dietary fatty acid intake, risk for Lou Gehrig disease

Bottom Line: Eating foods high in ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from vegetable and marine sources may help reduce the risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the fatal neurodegenerative disease commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Author: Kathryn C. Fitzgerald, M.Sc., of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues.

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Results: Researchers documented 995 ALS cases during follow-up, which ranged from nine to 24 years. A greater ω-3 PUFA intake was associated with a reduced risk for ALS. Consuming both α-linolenic acid (ALA, which can be found in plant sources and nuts) and marine ω-3 PUFAs contributed to this association. Intake of ω-6 PUFAs was not associated with ALS risk.

Discussion: "Overall, the results of our large prospective cohort study suggest that individuals with higher dietary intakes of total ω-3 PUFA and ALA have a reduced risk for ALS. Further research, possibly including biomarkers of PUFA intake, should be pursued to confirm these findings and to determine whether high ω-3 PUFA intake could be beneficial in individuals with ALS."