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Professor Alice Stanton, associate professor of molecular and cellular therapeutics at the Royal College of
Surgeons Ireland (RCSI), who led the trial, presented the results at the American Heart Association
Scientific Sessions Conference in California, on November 14.
The Northern Ireland firms algae derived, OmegaPro product, was the source of the omega-3
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) in the chicken and eggs used in the study; the same product
enriched the omega-3 chicken range that UK supermarket group, Waitrose, launched in June last year
those birds are reared on Moy Park farms in Northern Ireland.
Clinical trial
The RSCI led clinical trial evaluated 161 subjects who consumed at least three portions of omega-3
enhanced chicken and eggs per week over a six-month period.
The findings, said the authors, indicated a hike in omega-3-PUFA levels in the participants blood and a
positive shift in what is described as the omega-3 Index- a test that measures the amount of fatty acids,
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) in red blood cell membranes, which
reflects the levels in the heart and other tissues.
A low omega-3 Index (<4%) indicates a heightened risk of heart and brain disease. The trial showed that
consuming fatty acid enriched chicken and eggs over the six months resulted in a halving of the number of
subjects with such a high-risk omega-3 Index, said the researchers.
We certainly believe that from the blood responses that we got in our clinical study that, when omega-3-
PUFAs are provided as part of a complete diet, they are bioavailable in terms of, actually, being able to shift
the blood pattern, Dr Heather Hayes, director of food innovation with Devenish, told us.
We see the more omega-3 enriched food sources you have, on a little and often basis, the higher the
bioavailability than just taking a single dose of [omega-3 fatty acids] through a supplement, she continued.