ω‐3‐Fettsäuren: Prävention degenerativer Erkrankungen

It is well established, that nutrition plays a basic role in the prevention of typically chronic western diseases like cancer and atherosclerosis. So, the tendency of the nutrition science is to optimize nutrition. A modern concept of this idea is the design of functional foods. Widely used ingredients of functional foods are ω‐3 fatty acids, in particular the long chain fatty acids eicosapentaenic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Dietary ω‐3 fatty acids have effects on various physiological processes such as the fluidity of cell membranes, modulation of ion channels and the immune system. These effects are the basis of dietary supplementation with ω‐3 fatty acids in several diseases, like atherosclerosis. The usual German consumption habits lead to a deficiency of about 1 g EPA and DHA. Micro‐encapsulated oils with a high content of ω‐3 fatty acids added to functional foods could optimize the supply.