Study: Ultra-High Fish Oil Intake of Yup’ik Eskimos Linked to Better Health

A new study links Yup'ik Eskimos' diet high in fish oil to their lower risk of chronic diseases.

If a little is good, then is more better? In the case of fish oil, to answer this question, researchers studied blood samples of Yup’ik Eskimos of western Alaska whose traditional diet of fish provides them long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in amounts well above—more than 20 times—that of which is provided by an average U.S. Western-style diet.

According to the data of the new study, which was accepted for publication in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, an increased intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids—eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—meeting the same amounts as that of the Eskimos could “have strong beneficial effects” on risk of chronic diseases.

Earlier studies have already confirmed an association with EPA and DHA intake and lower risk of chronic diseases such as coronary artery diseases and possibly type 2 diabetes and cancer, write the researchers.

Previously, however, most studies have reviewed EPA and DHA intake on biomarkers of risk of chronic diseases in low and narrow ranges.  “Only 3 published observational  studies were based on populations with chronic, high intakes of EPA and DHA,” the researchers point out.

When analyzing the blood samples of the Yup’ik, the researchers of the new study found that their higher levels of EPA and DHA were linked to a decreased level of C-reactive protein (CRP) of which is a known inflammatory biomarker linked to coronary artery disease. The researchers also found the Yup’ik with higher levels of EPA and DHA had lower triglycerides and higher HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).

An association between EPA and DHA and CRP was stronger when EPA was at a concentration of equal to or more than 3 percent of total fatty acids in the blood samples, and DHA at concentrations of equal to or more than 7 percent of total fatty acids in the blood samples.

The study’s researchers wrote in conclusion, “the high consumption of EPA and DHA by Yup’ik Eskimos may partially explain the relatively low prevalence of CVD [cardiovascular disease] and diabetes in this population.”

The health advantages of fish oil’s long-chain omega-3 fatty acids have become well known since their initial discovery by Dutch medical scientists in the 1970s who studied blood samples of Greenland’s native Inuit people.

Later, studies confirmed that EPA and DHA have profound benefits on the health of the body including the cardiovascular system, the brain and eyes, as well as joints.