Seal Oil and Heart Health

Omega-3 has been extensively studied when it comes to its effect on heart health. Seal oil is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, and in many ways may be preferential to fish oil. The Omega-3 in seal oil can divided into DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), and DPA (docosahexaenoic acid). Atlantic harp seal oil contains high amounts of each of these omega-3s.

So how is the omega-3 found in seal oil beneficial for our hearts?

According to the Mayo Clinic, Omega-3 fatty acids may benefit heart health by:

• Decreasing triglycerides
• Lowering blood pressure slightly
• Reducing blood clotting
• Decreasing your risk of strokes and heart failure risk
• Reducing irregular heartbeats

Additionally, according to an article on Medline Plus (https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000767.htm), omega-3s “slow the buildup of plaque in your arteries.”

People are familiar with the benefits of omega-3, but is there anything that makes seal oil unique?

DPA: A secret ingredient.

But what makes seal oil better than fish oil? One key ingredient in seal oil which may really make it a superior version of omega-3 supplement is DPA. DPA can be found in some types of fish oil, but very few. In fact, most sources will say that DPA in supplements is quite rare. In this video, Jim Stoppani, Ph.D. talks about how rare it is to find DPA in a fish oil supplement. Now, in the video he goes on to promote a particular supplement himself, but you can view the first part to get a good idea. Having said that, DPA IS in fact found in seal oil.

On the healthline website where they discuss omega-3 supplements, there is an interesting part which says:

Mammalian omega-3 oil is made from seal blubber and is in the form of natural triglycerides.

In addition to EPA and DHA, it also contains relatively high amounts of docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), an omega-3 fatty acid with several potential health benefits. Mammalian omega-3 oil is also exceptionally low in omega-6 (18Trusted Source).

It is interesting to note that the article does not talk about any other sources of DPA besides mammalian sources.

So what is so good about DPA when it comes to heart health?

According to an article by Alex Byelashov, Ph.D. on https://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/heart-health/dpa-rise, a Harvard study which involved more than 30,000 patients showed higher plasma concentrations of DPA were associated with lower risk of heart attack.

Reducing Blocked Arteries.

A case-control study on peripheral arterial disease found that plasma levels of DPA related inversely to blocked arteries (Leng).

Wound-healing

According to Simon C. Dyall, “there is evidence that n-3 DPA possesses 10-fold greater endothelial cell migration ability than EPA, which is important in wound-healing processes.” (Found on National Institutes of Health website: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4404917/)

Please check out some of the other articles I have published on this site. As always, I am not a medical doctor, so please consult your medical professional before taking any supplements or pursuing any particular health regimen.

References:

Leng GC, Horrobin DF, Fowkes FG, Smith FB, Lowe GD, Donnan PT, Ells K. Plasma essential fatty acids, cigarette smoking, and dietary antioxidants in peripheral arterial disease. A population-based case-control study. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1994;14:471–8. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.ATV.14.3.471.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4404917/

https://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/heart-health/dpa-rise

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000767.htm