American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 13, 158-168, Copyright © 1963 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Studies with the Use of Fish Oil Fractions in Human Subjects

¹ From the Institute for Metabolic Research, Highland-Alameda County Hospital, Oakland, California

Quantitatively constant ingestion of fish and of a fish liver oil fraction containing relatively large amounts of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids results in predictable amounts of these acids in specific plasma lipid fractions in human subjects. The amounts do not bear a linear relationship to the quantities of the polyunsaturated fats ingested. Reciprocal relationships between the fish oil polyunsaturated fats and the "native" unsaturated fats raise questions as to the physiologic significance of these exchanges.

C:20 and C:22 monounsaturated acids appear only in minimal concentration in any plasma lipid despite high concentration in one of the fish oil fractions. The reason for this is not apparent at the present time.