Ω-3脂肪酸

title: ω−3脂肪酸列表.
content: 自然界常见的ω−3脂肪酸:
title: 生理功能.
content: n-3脂肪酸可降低心血管疾病危险性的机制包括:减少血栓形成、降低血中三酸甘油脂、减缓动脉粥瘤斑的生成、改善内皮细胞功能、轻微降低血压并抑制发炎反应。如过量摄取n-3脂肪酸会降低凝血力,有些人会血流不止,所以宜寻求医师指示,务必小心使用。增加摄入像aLA这样的omega-3脂肪可减少关节、消化道、肺部和大脑的炎症。
title: 作用机制.
content: 必需脂肪酸之所以“必需”,是因为研究人员发现,它们在幼儿和幼年动物的成长发育中起到不可或缺的作用。人类大脑含有丰富的二十二碳六烯酸(DHA),它正是一种ω−3脂肪酸。生成DHA这种物质,需要发生去饱和反应,反应中要用到去饱和酶,在ω−3和ω−6位碳原子上生成双键;但人类正正缺乏去饱和酶。正因如此,ω−3脂肪酸和ω−6脂肪酸都无法在体内合成,必须从食物中摄取;“必需脂肪酸”这个名称,充分反映了这种性质。<br> 1964年,研究人员发现,绵羊组织中有酶,可以把花生四烯酸这种ω−6转化为炎症因子——前列腺素E, 前列腺素E与创伤、感染组织发生的免疫应答有关。1979年,科学家进一步发现了血栓素、前列环素、白三烯等统称为类花生酸的物质。 类花生酸在体内发生效用的时间较短,由脂肪酸合成而得,最终由酶代谢分解。如果合成的速度大于代谢速度,过量的类花生酸就可能产生不良影响。研究人员发现,某些ω−3脂肪酸也可以合成类花生酸和类二十二碳六烯酸(docosanoids),但合成速度较低。合成期间,如果ω−6与ω−3脂肪酸同时存在,它们参与合成反应时会发生竞争,因此长链ω−3与ω−6脂肪酸的比例,直接影响合成所得的类花生酸种类。
title: 互相转化.
title: ω−6/ω−3比.
content: 在过去数百年间,人类的饮食结构快速改变,据报道,现今饮食的ω−6摄入量,大于ω−3的摄入量。在人类身上,ω−3多不饱和脂肪酸或许有助于预防心脏疾病,ω−6多不饱和脂肪酸的含量水平则并无影响(因此,ω−6/ω−3比值对此并不重要)。<br> 典型的西方饮食,其ω−6/ω−3比在10:1到30:1之间(也就是说,ω−6远多于ω−3)。常用植物油的ω−6/ω−3比分别为:菜籽油2:1、大麻籽油2:1至3:1、大豆油7:1、橄榄油3:1至13:1、葵花籽油不含ω−3脂肪酸、亚麻籽油1:3、棉籽油几乎不含ω−3脂肪酸、花生油不含ω−3脂肪酸、葡萄籽油几乎不含ω−3脂肪酸、玉米油46:1。

Summary: ω−3脂肪酸(Omega-3 fatty acids)又称"n"−3脂肪酸,是一类不饱和脂肪酸,其中最重要的3种为:ALA(存在于植物中的油),EPA和DHA(这二种发现存在于海洋动植物油中)。从脂肪酸分子中距离羧基最远的甲基端(称为ω端)的碳原子计数,这一类分子的第三个碳原子与第四个碳原子之间为双键(即第三根键为双键),因此称为ω−3脂肪酸。含有较多ω−3脂肪酸的油脂包括:鱼油、海藻油、鸡蛋黄油、鱿鱼油、磷虾油、沙棘果油, 亚麻籽油、车前叶蓝蓟油、南美印加果油、大麻籽油等。

Omega-3 fatty acid: Omega−3 fatty acids, also called Omega-3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or "n"−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their chemical structure. They are widely distributed in nature, being important constituents of animal lipid metabolism, and they play an important role in the human diet and in human physiology. The three types of omega−3 fatty acids involved in human physiology are α-linolenic acid (ALA), found in plant oils, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both commonly found in marine oils. Marine algae and phytoplankton are primary sources of omega−3 fatty acids. Common sources of plant oils containing ALA include walnut, edible seeds, clary sage seed oil, algal oil, flaxseed oil, Sacha Inchi oil, "Echium" oil, and hemp oil, while sources of animal omega−3 fatty acids EPA and DHA include fish, fish oils, eggs from chickens fed EPA and DHA, squid oils, krill oil, and certain algae. Mammals are unable to synthesize the essential omega−3 fatty acid ALA and can only obtain it through diet. However, they can use ALA, when available, to form EPA and DHA, by creating additional double bonds along its carbon chain (desaturation) and extending it (elongation). Namely, ALA (18 carbons and 3 double bonds) is used to make EPA (20 carbons and 5 double bonds), which is then used to make DHA (22 carbons and 6 double bonds). The ability to make the longer-chain omega−3 fatty acids from ALA may be impaired in aging. In foods exposed to air, unsaturated fatty acids are vulnerable to oxidation and rancidity. Dietary supplementation with omega−3 fatty acids does not appear to affect the risk of death, cancer or heart disease. Furthermore, fish oil supplement studies have failed to support claims of preventing heart attacks or strokes or any vascular disease outcomes.