Scottish Study: DHA-Enriched Bread Aids Blood Pressure, Cholesterol

DHA-enriched bread rolls effectively reduced blood pressure and lipid profiles in men with hypertension and high cholesterol, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Hypertension.

Fifty-six hypertensive and/or hypercholesterolemic men were randomly assigned to receive either 2 g/day of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3 fatty acid or 1 g/day of olive oil. The oils were incorporated in bread rolls, which the subjects ate on alternate days for five weeks.

After the study’s completion, researchers examined 38 of the subjects and found that men who ate the DHA-infused rolls showed significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as heart rate, when compared to baseline. The olive oil subject saw benefits also, but not ones that reached statistical significance.

Regarding cholesterol, the DHA group saw significant increases in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and significant decreases in ratios total cholesterol:HDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol:HDL cholesterol compared to baseline.

“In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, supplementation of DHA incorporated into bread rolls significantly reduced multiple independent risk factors for CHD in men with hypertension and/or hypercholesterolemia. Therefore, dietary supplementation of DHA in food is an effective method for reducing the risk of CHD in people who do not frequently eat fish,” the researchers stated.