"omega" news and stories

"Heart-smart" bacon? "Healthy" hamburger? Monsanto thinks it's found a way to make red meat better for you, and that's got some overseas environmental activists worried.

The biotech giant has genetically engineered a type of soybean that contains a plant-based version of omega-3, the fatty acid that has been shown to improve cardiovascular health. Omega-3 is typically found in seafood; hence, all those recommendations to eat more fish.

But what if you could ditch the salmon fillet and get your dose of omega-3 from, say, sausage instead?

That's exactly what Monsanto had in mind when it began replacing regular soybean feed with its omega-3 enhanced soybeans and feeding it to livestock. The result? Meat that contained higher levels of omega-3.

A Harvard-based study suggests that eating oily fish high in omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of arrhythmia by improving the electrical signals that keep the heart beating regularly. The study also linked diets high in oily fish to lower resting heart rates, which are generally regarded as less of a risk than high resting heart rates, Food Production Daily reported. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, was based on dietary data collected from more than 5,000 people in the U.S. in 1989 and 1990. Researchers of course noted that further studies are needed to explore and confirm the results.

The other day, Andrew posted on a BBC story about UK schools considering using Omega-3 supplements to improve students' behavior and performance. The BBC article cites a year old study, and now The Daily Mail reports on more recent findings that show fish oil to be more effective than Ritalin in treating children with ADHD. Groups of seven- to 12-year-olds were given six capsules of fish oil daily over the course of several months. By the end of a seven month period, researchers found that nearly half of the group showed better concentration and performance in school. Researchers also compared the results to studies done with Ritalin and Concerta and found fish oils to be more effective, the Daily Mail reported. The results of the study are to be published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.