Fish Oil Can Backfire Without This Enzyme

…and other items from this week’s health news:

All about ALOX15

Many people take omega-3 fish oil supplements in part for the support of cellular processes against such things as aging and cancer (which are closely related things, in any case).

Researchers (Dr. Yoshiyuki Kiyasu et al.) found that omega-3 fish oil supplements may help protect against colorectal cancer only when the enzyme ALOX15 is active, and without it they can sometimes increase tumor growth.

This study was done specifically for colorectal cancer, but it’s likely the results carry to other types; that just hasn’t been tested yet and scientists writing papers will (if they are any good, anyway) speak only for what they know.

Notably, this means genetics may determine who benefits from omega-3 supplements, and people with colon polyps or cancer could respond very differently in contrast to those without.

Of the different kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, where ALOX15 was present, diets rich in EPA reduced tumor number and size more consistently than DHA. The study didn’t look at ALA as it was about fish oils specifically, ALA is more prevalent in plant-based omega-3 sources.

For any unfamiliar with those 3-letter initialisms, they are:

• Alpha-linoleic acid (ALA)
• Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
• Docosahexanoic acid (DHA)

ALA is most readily found in certain seeds and nuts (chia seeds and walnuts are top contenders), while EPA and DHA are most readily found in certain fish (hence “cod liver oil” being a commonly available supplement, though actually cod aren’t even the best source—salmon and mackerel are better; cod is just cheaper to overfish, making it the cheaper supplement to manufacture).

Read in full: Omega-3 fish oil supplements could backfire without this key enzyme

Related: Omega-3s: Different Sources, Different Benefits?

Let it loose

Counterintuitively, researchers (Dr. Irene Di Giulio et al.) found that sensors placed on looser clothing measure human movement more accurately than sensors attached to tight suits, straps, or directly to the skin. Putting it in numbers, loose fabric improved accuracy by 40% while requiring 80% less data.

How does it do that, you wonder?

❝Sometimes, a patient’s movements are too small for a tight wristband to catch and therefore we can’t always get the most accurate data on how conditions like Parkinson’s are affecting people’s everyday lives.❞

~ Dr. Di Giulio

In other words, loose fabric acts as a mechanical amplifier because it folds, billows, and shifts in response to movement, making subtle motions easier for sensors to detect than rigid or skin-tight placements.

Read in full: Tracking devices on looser clothing show greater accuracy in measuring human movement

Related: What Your Fitness Tracker Is Best & Worst At

Let’s finish on a sour note

But, of the best kind! It’s about the taste. However…

Sourness isn’t a single taste, but rather a combined experience of taste, puckering, and salivation/drying, which varies widely not just from food to food, but also from person to person.

❝Equal amounts of different acids do not create equal sourness or mouthfeel. People vary widely in both how much sourness they like and how strongly they perceive it.❞

~ Dr. Helene Hopfer

Also notably, unlike spicy or bitter taste preferences, a liking for sour foods wasn’t linked to personality traits and instead appears related primarily to dietary exposure. In the study, participants clustered into three groups:

1. those who quickly disliked increasing sourness
2. those who disliked it gradually, and
3. those who liked the experience more as sourness increased!

Which would you fall into?

Read in full: Sour grapes? Experience of sour food depends on individual consumer

Related: Sharp Tastes, Sharp Brain?

Enjoy!