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Animal studies have shown that diets rich in omega-3 fats help to protect against obesity. Although the mechanisms behind this are not yet firmly established, it is thought that omega-3 fats may help to suppress appetite, play a role in the break down of fat cells (adipocytes) or increase the rate at which fats are metabolised. Further work is now needed to see if similar findings are found in human studies.

 

A new randomised trial has tested the whether different levels of omega-3 fats in infant formula affects vision. After 12 months, visual acuity was much improved amongst infants that had taken the infant formulas supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) compared with controls. However, different doses of DHA did not make much difference when results were compared. Overall, authors concluded that supplementation of infant formula with DHA at 0.32% of total fatty acids may help to improve visual acuity in infancy.

 

For more information see: Buckley et al. (2009) Obesity Reviews Vol.10: pg 648-59 and Birch EE et al. (2010) American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [Epub ahead of print].