New food supplement diminishes the risk of heart attack

First rolls, cheese, sausages and ham rich in dietary supplement called vitamin F concept have already appeared in the shops. They contain substances contributing to cardiovascular disease prevention. The food has been jointly created by the scientists from Cracow and Wrocław.

The research on the importance of polyunsaturated fatty acids for human health has been conducted for over thirty years. The results proved that consumption of such fats is necessary for good condition of cardiovascular and nervous system as well as diminishes vulnerability to some cancers, skin diseases and asthma.

Two of those fats - alpha-linolenic acid (group omega 3) and linolenic acid (group omega 6) need to be assimilated from food as human organism isn't capable of synthesizing them. Our menu not only needs to contain both of the acids in sufficient quantities but also in proportional relation. The proportion between omega 6 and omega 3 acids shouldn't exceed 4 to 1, while the best is 1 to 1. Our ancestors from Palaeolithic period consumed virtually this ideal amount but modern European eats up to 20-30 times more omega 6 than omega 3, thus blocking assimilating omega 3 acids.

Deficiency of omega 3 fatty acids is not a problem from Eskimo from Greenland and Okinawan Japanese. They eat lots of fat sea fish and are 10 times less endangered by the risk of cardiovascular diseases than the Europeans.

Apart from the fish, there are also other sources of omega 3 acids like linseed oil, walnuts or pumpkin seeds. Professor Tadeusz Zając from Agricultural University of Cracow focused on flax.

- Latin name of this plant is derived from Celtic word ‘very useful plant'. We want to bring it back to Poles - professor Zając explains.

The scientist bred the variety of flax which is particularly rich in oil. Unfortunately, applying linseed oil in medicine is not that easy.

Linseed oil contains fat in the form of triglycerides which oxidize very quickly, losing their beneficial properties for human. The same process occurs to free (non-esterified) polyunsaturated fatty acids isolated from that oil. Moreover, toxic admixture of cyano saccharides give a bitter taste to the oil.

In contrast with indigestible triglycerides, ethyl esters are stabile and more adoptive for the people. Production technology of these substances has been elaborated by the chemists from University of Wrocław - professor Huber Kołodziej, engineer Stanisław Strzelecki and doctor Andrzej Vogt.

- Plant oils commonly serve to produce methyl esters. However, they are toxic and may be used in biofuels, for instance. Our technology of producing esters from linseed and rapeseed oil requires ethanol instead of methanol - professor Hubert Kołodziej clarifies. This is what professor Tadeusz Zając and LeenLife company needed. In 2006, the partnership signed licence contract with University of Wrocław.

Before introduction to the market, LeenLife's concentrate passed toxicological tests made according to OECD strict food directives. They didn't spot any toxic admixtures in the product nor its negative impact on human organism.

- There are no artificial supplements, it's like pouring the salad over with olive oil - explains Zbigniew Nowak, the owner of one of the companies whose products contain vitamin F concept.

As far as omega 3 acids are concerned, one sandwich boosted by new nutraceutic is equivalent to 600 g of shrimps. What is also important, taste remains the same.

Clinical tests are beginning soon and will decide if the substance developed by the chemists from Wrocław and Cracow may become a significant medicine.

- We can't say anything without clinical tests, but the volunteers gave promising response to the tests - says dr Małgorzata Mikulewicz from Voivodeship Specialist Hospital in Wrocław where the research is going to be conducted.

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