Anderson Breanne M, Ma David W L
Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1 Canada.
Lipids Health Dis. 2009 Aug 10;8:33. doi: 10.1186/1476-511X-8-33.
N-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids have been shown to have potential beneficial effects for chronic diseases including cancer, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in particular have been studied extensively, whereas substantive evidence for a biological role for the precursor, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is lacking. It is not enough to assume that ALA exerts effects through conversion to EPA and DHA, as the process is highly inefficient in humans. Thus, clarification of ALA's involvement in health and disease is essential, as it is the principle n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid consumed in the North American diet and intakes of EPA and DHA are typically very low. There is evidence suggesting that ALA, EPA and DHA have specific and potentially independent effects on chronic disease. Therefore, this review will assess our current understanding of the differential effects of ALA, EPA and DHA on cancer, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease. Potential mechanisms of action will also be reviewed. Overall, a better understanding of the individual role for ALA, EPA and DHA is needed in order to make appropriate dietary recommendations regarding n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid consumption.
已证明N-3多不饱和脂肪酸对包括癌症、胰岛素抵抗和心血管疾病在内的慢性疾病具有潜在的有益作用。特别是二十碳五烯酸（EPA）和二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）已得到广泛研究，而对于前体α-亚麻酸（ALA）的生物学作用，缺乏确凿证据。不能仅仅假定ALA通过转化为EPA和DHA发挥作用，因为该过程在人体内效率极低。因此，阐明ALA在健康和疾病中的作用至关重要，因为它是北美饮食中摄入的主要n-3多不饱和脂肪酸，而EPA和DHA的摄入量通常非常低。有证据表明，ALA、EPA和DHA对慢性疾病具有特定且可能独立的作用。因此，本综述将评估我们目前对ALA、EPA和DHA对癌症、胰岛素抵抗和心血管疾病的不同作用的理解。还将综述潜在的作用机制。总体而言，为了就n-3多不饱和脂肪酸的摄入提出适当的饮食建议，需要更好地了解ALA、EPA和DHA各自的作用。
