Dr. Rhonda: Get some DHA in phospholipid form

[chrissyr]

shoot, I just received my order of the Nordic Naturals phospholipid omega3's--- and then read the links on Neu5Gc. Took my first dose, but not sure I will continue. I do have Hashimoto's. Hard to get it right!!

[slacker]

shoot, I just received my order of the Nordic Naturals phospholipid omega3's--- and then read the links on Neu5Gc. Took my first dose, but not sure I will continue. I do have Hashimoto's. Hard to get it right!!

I may have read the prior entries too fast, but I thought the concern about Neu5Gc was associated with fish roe, not the Nordic Naturals phospholipid omega 3 supplement.

[chrissyr]

The first ingredient in them is herring roe extract... second is fish oil.

[slacker]

Bravo chrissyr! Thanks for your diligence in bring out this detail. I wonder if all fish roe is created equal with regards to Neu5Gc?

[Fiver]

Very helpful - thanks! My understanding - probably too simplified - was that triglycerides and phospholipids were usually broken down to free fatty acids to cross the gut lining, then sometimes reformed for packaging into chylomicrons for circulation on the other side. Could be wrong - who can keep up? - I will find some time to read more recent studies. My question would be: do the phospholipids (carrying DHA fatty acid chains) taken orally make it to the bloodstream as phospholipids or free DHA? If the recommendation is to get PLs right from fish, no DHA supplements, there must be a difference.

Actually, how do ya'll keep up with all this? I try to read a couple of new studies a day and I feel like I know next to nothing!

[SusanJ]

Actually, how do ya'll keep up with all this?

I doubt any of us really keep up. I rely on this site, my google and Science Daily alerts and the fact I get up earlier than my husband, so have time to read the more interesting stuff.

I also don't try to read and understand every related area. My interests are based on my particular challenges, so that's where I zero it.

Good luck and keep posting. I really appreciate your contributions!

[RJones]

Very helpful - thanks! My understanding - probably too simplified - was that triglycerides and phospholipids were usually broken down to free fatty acids to cross the gut lining, then sometimes reformed for packaging into chylomicrons for circulation on the other side. !

Link below provides a summary saying that the phospholipids are broken down into DHA-lysoPC rather than free DHA. APOE4 carriers can make use of the former but not the latter.

(I don't even know what DHA-lysoPC is, but I can quote bullet points, ha ha!)




--The form of DHA found in fish, fish roe, and krill oil is primarily in phospholipid form and this form is broken down to DHA-lysoPC

--The form of DHA found in DHA/fish oil supplements is not in phospholipid form and is primarily broken down to free DHA

--APOE4 carriers have impaired free DHA transport into the brain because of APOE4-mediated degradation of the blood brain barrier, but this degradation does not impair how DHA-lysoPC enters the brain

[Fiver]

Ah, that's it. genius! Here's an old paper. This seems to have been known for a while, surprisingly. In these mice LysoPC DHA fed the brain much better.

Am J Physiol. 1994 Nov;267(5 Pt 2):R1273-9.
Preferential incorporation of sn-2 lysoPC DHA over unesterified DHA in the young rat brain.
Thies F1, Pillon C, Moliere P, Lagarde M, Lecerf J.
Author information
Abstract

The uptake and metabolism of [3H]docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) esterified at the sn-2 position of lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC DHA) and in the unesterified form, both bound to albumin, was studied in 20-day-old rats. LysoPC DHA was preferentially recovered in the brain (4-5% of the injected radioactivity) over the unesterified form of DHA (0.3-0.4%). Conversely, the lysoPC form was taken up less than or at the same extent as the unesterified form by the liver, heart, and kidney. In the brain, DHA was mainly recovered in phosphatidylethanolamine whether the esterified or the unesterified form was used, although DHA from lysoPC was esterified at the same extent in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine after 2.5 min. The uptake of labeled palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and arachidonic acids, esterified or not in lysophosphatidylcholine, was also studied in brain, liver, heart, and kidney. Only the brain preferentially incorporated unsaturated (but not saturated) lysoPC, with the uptake increasing with the degree of unsaturation of the fatty acid moiety. These results strongly suggest that the young rat brain specifically utilizes albumin-lysoPC-containing polyunsaturated fatty acids.

[Rainbow]

Does the argument/concern around DHA generalize to EPA supplementation?

[chrissyr]

You are all WAY ahead of me, I hope I am growing my brain by reading things I don't understand! I figure little by little, bits of information will sink in