Omega-11-rich fish oil may reduce cholesterol, says pre-clinical study
Five weeks of supplementation with CET03 Cetoleic acid omega-11 from Norwegian marine ingredients firm Grøntvedt Biotech also led to significant improvements in insulin sensitivity and glucose levels.
The Norway-based researchers published the findings of their rat study in the British Journal of Nutrition and noted that cholesterol, insulin sensitivity and glucose levels are measures where standard fish oil with EPA/DHA has shown little or no effects.
“The two marine oils, that is, herring oil (containing cetoleic acid) and anchovy oil (virtually devoid of cetoleic acid), had remarkably different effects on the cholesterol metabolism in diabetic rats,” they wrote. “We conclude that consumption of a diet containing herring oil leads to a lower cholesterol concentration in a relevant rat model for T2D in humans.”
CETO3
Introduced in 2023, CETO3 is sourced from North Atlantic pelagic fish (herring) and contains cetoleic acid, also known as omega-11.
CETO3 is produced by immediately processing fresh fish to oil in less than 30 minutes at the company’s plant in Uthaug, Norway. According to Grøntvedt, this gives the CETO3 Omega-11 & Omega-3 product a unique sensory quality which broadens the applications for usages from capsules to liquid formulations.
Earlier this year, Grøntvedt Biotech published its omega-3 index study on CETO3, which found that CETO3 omega-11 stimulated the body’s own production of EPA/DHA significantly compared to the fish oil group. Conducted by Mike Wakeman of the University of Sunderland, the research showed the CETO3 EPA/DHA Pro-rata efficiency is 68% better than the standard fish oil due to the bodies internal production of EPA/DHA, enhanced by omega-11.
Study details
The new study, led by Professor Oddrun Anita Gudbrandsen, examined the effect of consuming fish oil with or without cetoleic acid for five weeks on cholesterol levels. The researchers used male Zucker Diabetic Sprague Dawley rats and fed them diets containing herring oil (HERO) or anchovy oil (ANCO) or a control diet with soybean oil.
The results showed that serum total cholesterol levels were 14% lower in the HERO group after five weeks, compared to both the ANCO and control groups.
“This finding in a rat model with type 2 diabetes induced by a Western diet is of great interest, especially since diabetes increases the risk for developing CHD in humans,” Professor Gudbrandsen said.
Indeed, previous research suggests that a reduction in total cholesterol concentration of 3% may reduce the risk of CHD by 15%.
The study was run by University of Bergen, Norway and funded by Norwegian Seafood research fund.
Grøntvedt Biotech
CET03 is the first product launch by Grøntvedt Biotech, a Friend of the Sea-certified spin-off from Grøntvedt Group, which has worked with pelagic fish since 1830.
The company boasts a 30-minute process from fresh fish to oil and a production process that uses the whole fish to ensure for no waste and a low carbon footprint.
Additional claimed benefits of the oil include the lack of fishy smell or taste, or incidence of reflux.
Source: British Journal of Nutrition
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1017/S0007114524001454
“Intake of herring oil, but not of anchovy oil, resulted in a lower serum cholesterol concentration in male Zucker Diabetic Sprague Dawley rats"
Authors: E.V. Rimmen et al.
