*2.1.1 Health effects of omega-3 fats*

*Nutrition and HIV/AIDS - Implication for Treatment, Prevention and Cure*

• Eating five to six servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

and ice cream should be limited for HIV-positive persons.

kinds of fat for energy, the following should be observed:

nuts, seeds, avocado, fish, canola and olive oils.

carbohydrates by:

nutrients.

Also, lean meat such as pork, beef, skinless chicken, fish and low-fat dairy products should be consumed. To get extra protein, there is need to add vegetable proteins such as legumes, nuts, vegetables and others. For carbohydrates which will give energy, HIV-positive persons should eat the right types and proportions of

• Adding to the meals fruits with a variety of colors so as to get a wide range of

• Eating legumes and whole grains, such as brown rice, corn and others. However, if HIV individuals do not have gluten sensitivity, whole-wheat flour, oats and barley may be good enough for them. But if there is gluten sensitivity, wholewheat flour should not be taken. Then, brown rice and potato should form useful sources of carbohydrate. If HIV individuals are diabetic or pre-diabetic or have insulin resistance, most of their carbohydrates should come from vegetables.

• The practice of consuming much of simple sugars, such as candy, cake, cookies

Fat will provide extra energy. For HIV-positive persons to get enough of the right

• 10% or more of daily calories should come from monounsaturated fats like

• less than 10% of daily calories should be made up of polyunsaturated fats such as fish, walnuts, flax seed, corn, sunflower, soybean and safflower oil.

• less than 7% of daily calories should be saturated fats like fatty meat, poultry

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats that must be present in the diet of HIVpositive individuals. Consuming these healthy fats that the body cannot produce unlike other fats has important benefits for the HIV persons' body and brain. However, most HIV-positive people whose meals are mainly made up of standard Western diet end up not eating enough omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that the body needs but cannot produce on its own. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids are classified as essential fatty acids. There are basically three important types of omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial to the health of HIV-positive individuals. The first is eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). This is a 20-carbon-long chain omega-3 fatty acid, primarily found in fatty fish, seafood and fish oils. EPA is important in the formation of signaling molecules like eicosanoids that will reduce inflammation. EPA is effective in protecting HIV persons against depression. The second type of omega-3 is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is a 22-carbon-long chain omega-3 fatty acid primarily found in fatty fish, seafood, fish oils and algae. The main role of DHA is to serve as a structural component in cell membranes, particularly in the nerve cells of the brain and eyes. DHA constitutes about 40% of the polyunsaturated fats in the brain. DHA is very important during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It helps in the development of the nervous system

with skin, butter, whole-milk dairy foods, coconut and palm oils.

• 30% of daily calories should come from fat like omega-3 fatty acid.

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Omega-3 fatty acids have both negative and positive effects when consumed in certain proportions. On the positive side, omega-3 fatty acids have several health benefits in various body systems. For example, studies have shown that omega-3 supplements will significantly lower blood triglycerides. Consuming foods such as salmon, sardines, cod liver oil and others that contain enough amounts of omega-3 has been linked to reduced risk of colon, prostrate and breast cancers. Taking omega-3 fatty acid supplement helps to reduce excess fat in the liver. Consuming omega-3 supplements like fish oil helps to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Inflammation, pain and other symptoms of autoimmune diseases such as in rheumatoid arthritis have been reduced using omega-3 supplements. Omega-3 has been found effective in controlling menstrual pains and in preventing asthma in children and young adults. DHA if taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding has been found to improve the intellectual and eye development of the child. Studies have linked a higher intake of omega-3 to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. However, for optimal health, mainstream health organizations like the World Health Organization and European Food Safety Authority recommend a minimum of 250–500 mg combined EPA and DHA each day for healthy adults. The American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish at least two times per week in order to ensure optimal omega-3 intake for heart disease prevention. For pregnant and breastfeeding women, it is recommended to add an additional 200 mg of DHA to the recommended intake.

On the negative side, consuming more than the upper limit of omega-3 fatty acid will have adverse health effects. According to food and drug agencies (FDA), taking up to 2000 mg of combined EPA and DHA per day from supplements will be safe, but in high doses, omega-3 fatty acids can cause blood thinning and excessive bleeding. Therefore, care should be taken in the consumption of omega-3 if an individual has a bleeding disorder or is taking blood-thinning medications. It has been shown that some omega-3 supplements, especially fish oil, can cause digestive problems and unpleasant fish oil burps because many omega-3 supplements are high in calories. For example, cod liver oil is very high in vitamin A, and can be harmful when taken in large doses. The bottom line is that taking up to 2000 mg of omega-3 per day from supplements is safe according to the FDA, but anything more than this is classified as lethal. The fact remains that getting enough omega-3 fatty acid is not difficult when one eats fishes. For instance, when one consumes salmon, one gets 4023 mg per serving (EPA and DHA). For cod liver oil, one gets 2664 mg per serving (EPA and DHA); for sardines, 2205 mg per serving (EPA and DHA); for anchovies, one gets 2338 mg of ALA per serving; for chia seeds or cotton seeds, one gets 2338 mg of ALA per serving; and for walnuts, 2542 mg of ALA per serving. Consuming other foods that are high in EPA and DHA such as fatty fish, meat, eggs and dairy products from grass-fed or pasture-raised animals and other common plant foods high in the ALA such as soya beans, hemp seeds, walnuts, spinach and Brussels sprouts can be deleterious to health. However, excess omega-3 in the body

will be used as a source of energy like other fats. Assuming HIV-positive individuals have no opportunity of eating fatty fish or seafood, taking omega-3 supplement to improve both physical and mental health as well as reduce the risk of disease infections should be seriously considered [30–32].
