Natural fish oil can soon replace genetically modified plants
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Scientists subjected to genetic changes a red-haired - herbaceous plant from the cabbage family. Specialists managed to make it so that the plant has the ability to produce fatty acids, which are found in fish oil and are very useful for the entire human body.
Liver cod, salmon, mackerel contain a large number of omega-3 fatty acids. For humans, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) have the greatest benefit, which helps to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, and also improve eyesight, memory, attention.
Both acids are present in human milk, and the human body can produce a small amount of EPA from alpha-linolenic acid, which is found in nuts and vegetable oil. Fish is the main source that can enrich the human body with essential fatty acids, but the fish organism is not capable of producing such acids. In its habitual habitat, large fish are enriched by them after eating smaller fish that feed on algae. And fish, grown under artificial conditions, receives useful acid compounds with a special food. That is why the fish, dissolved in such conditions, can not provide uninterrupted supply of fat for the production of many biologically active additives (BAD).
Therefore, experts from Great Britain, led by Jonathan Napier, decided to correct this with the help of genetic engineering. As a basis, they adopted seven genes, through which fatty acids are produced. These genes introduced into the plant Camelina sativa, which contains a large amount of ALA. The seeds of this plant, after a special treatment, were converted to an oil containing about 12% of EPA and 14% of DHA (a similar amount of acid is observed in fish oil). Specialists expect to introduce oil on the market for ten years already. The resulting plant oil, enriched with fatty acids, will eventually supplement a number of food additives. Currently, for the production of fatty acids, capsules containing fish oil are used. Scientists do not intend to completely replace natural fish oil, but according to experts, even 10% of the substitute can significantly reduce the stress caused by a shortage of fish. The World Health Organization recommends daily intake of up to 1000 mg of fatty acids. Currently, the pharmaceutical market with the help of capsules with fish oil can provide only half of the world population.
The fact that fish oil is useful, scientists have proven for a long time and all the time new positive qualities of acids are being established for the human body. For example, it has been proven that fish oil helps to burn calories effectively, because fatty acids promote an accelerated metabolism process, and also hinders the development of diseases associated with obesity. Adopting fish oil during pregnancy helps to properly develop the vision and brain of the embryo, and also increases the coordination of the baby's future.
Contraindications to the use of fish oil are an overabundance of calcium and vitamin D in the body, an active form of tuberculosis, a hypersensitivity to the drug, kidney failure, thyroid disease, urolithic and cholelithiasis.
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