Habitual fish consumption, plasma phospholipid fatty acids, and serum lipids: the Tromsø Study

Abstract

We examined the cross-sectional relationships between the frequency of habitual fish consumption, plasma phospholipid fatty acids, and serum lipids and lipoproteins in 152 men and women. There was a significant association between fish consumption starting from 1 dish/wk and plasma n−3, n−6, and n−9 fatty acids. Plasma eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20: 5n−3) reflected fish consumption to a greater extent than did docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n−3). Triglycerides decreased (P < 0.05) with fish consumption. In multivariate analysis in which anthropometric and lifestyle factors were controlled for, EPA correlated inversely with triglycerides (P < 0.05) and positively with high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I (both P < 0.001). In contrast, DHA did not correlate with triglycerides and showed negative associations to HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I (both P < 0.001). Platelet phospholipid EPA, but not DHA, was associated with lower triglyceride and higher HDL-cholesterol concentrations (both P < 0.05). This study suggests that long-term intake of small amounts of fish has biological effects, and that EPA and DHA have divergent relations with lipoprotein metabolism.