Potential Adverse Effects of Long-Term Consumption of (n-3) Fatty Acids
Compend Contin Educ Pract Vet 18[8]:879-895 Aug'96 Review Article 81 Refs
Jean A. Hall, DVM, PhD
College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
The potential therapeutic benefits of dietary supplementation with (n-3) fatty
acids (also called omega-3 fatty acids) have aroused great interest, especially
for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Many products containing these fatty
acids are marketed for administration to dogs or cats. These products seem to
be very safe as currently used; however, studies of the effects of their long-term
administration to dogs and cats are lacking. This article discusses the potential
adverse effects, extrapolated from studies in other animals and in humans. The
major safety issues of long-term dietary intake of (n-3) fatty acids include increased
tissue lipid peroxidation, a risk of bleeding, and immunoincompetence. Lipid peroxidation
appears to pose less of a problem if antioxidants are given simultaneously and
there is no evidence that the (n-3) fatty acids contribute to clinically significant
bleeding problems in dogs or cats. Clinical trials of the therapeutic benefits
of these fatty acids will doubtless yield more information on the safety of these
supplements. (Author Abstract)
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