Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids improve intestinal barrier integrity—albeit to a lesser degree than short-chain fatty acids: an exploratory analysis of the randomized controlled LIBRE trial
Abstract
Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with beneficial health effects, including gastrointestinal disorders. Preclinical studies suggest that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), found in Mediterranean foods like nuts and fish, improve intestinal barrier integrity. Here, we assessed possible effects of n-3 PUFAs on barrier integrity in a randomized controlled trial. We studied 68 women from the open-label LIBRE trial (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02087592) who followed either a Mediterranean diet (intervention group, IG) or a standard diet (control group, CG). Study visits comprised baseline, month 3, and month 12. Barrier integrity was assessed by plasma lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) and fecal zonulin; fatty acids by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. Median and interquartile ranges are shown. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet increased the proportion of the n-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (IG + 1.5% [0.9;2.5, p 0.050]). Plasma DHA and LBP (R2: 0.14–0.42; all p < 0.070), as well as plasma DHA and fecal zonulin (R2: 0.18–0.48; all p < 0.050) were found to be inversely associated in bi- and multivariate analyses. Further multivariate analyses showed that the effect of DHA on barrier integrity was less pronounced than the effect of fecal short-chain fatty acids on barrier integrity. Our data show that n-3 PUFAs can improve intestinal barrier integrity. Trial registration number: The trial was registered prospectively at ClinicalTrials.gov…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a secondary / pooled analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 68 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Promising Sources of Plant-Derived Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: A Narrative Review
- Effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake in patients with chronic kidney disease: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on cognition: an updated systematic review of randomized clinical trials
- The role of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus: A narrative review
- Paucity of evidence for a relationship between long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intake and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review
- Omega-3 fatty acid nanocarriers: Characterization and potential applications
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.