Fish intake and blood lipids in fish eating vs non-fish eating communities of coastal south India

The lower blood lipid levels and lower incidence of coronary heart disease in fish eating populations has been attributed to the unusual n-3 fatty acids present in their fish diet. In order to test this hypothesis, a cross-sectional study was proposed to evaluate the lipid profile in free-living men and women of fish eating and non-fish eating populations aged between 20 to 70 years in coastal villages of the district of Nellore, in south India. The mean concentrations of total serum cholesterol and triacylglycerols were found to be lower in fish eating than in non-fish eating populations. Significant differences were observed between populations for certain age groups. The serum phospholipid content was lower in fish-eating than non-fish eating populations and the difference was found to be significant only for women. The mean total cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels were found elevated consistently as the age advanced in both sexes and populations. There were significant differences for blood lipids between men and women in some age groups. The percentile cut-off values for cholesterol and triacylglycerol were lower in fish eating as compared to non-fish eating group. Prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia ( 200 mg/dl) was significantly lower in fish eating people indicating less proneness to cardiovascular risk. The data indicate that eating of fish may have a role in ameliorating the risk of coronary heart disease.