A Flood of Health Functional Foods: What Is to Be Recommended?

Lee, Eun Sil

In particular, mortality rate caused by cardiovascular disease was reduced at a greater rate. 27 Moreover, the incidence of ischemic stroke was also decreased with increasing fish intake. 28 The effect of concurrent use of EPA with lipid-lowering agent has been also proved by the Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS). In the study, more than 18,000 Japanese patients with hypercholesterolaemia were recruited., The incidence rate of cardiovascular disease was reduced by 19% in the group consumed 1.8 g of EPA with statins daily for 5 years compared to that of the group with statins alone. 29 According to a recent meta-analysis of 20 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) performed on about 68,000 subjects, omega-3 supplements did not reduce overall mortality rate, and mortality rate caused by cardiovascular disease, and the risk of myocardial infarction or stroke. 30 However, several limitations have been pointed out in the results of those studies. 31 Therefore, consistent consumption of fatty fish is recommended to prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. Taking omega-3 supplement is expected to prevent cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women almost not eating oily fish and not taking statins. 32 The results from literature reviews provide that omega-3 intake, beside cardiovascular disease, has preventive effect on osteoporosis, cognitive dysfunction, cancer and inflammation. 33 Glucosamine Glucosamine is an endogenous aminomonosaccharide synthesized from glucose, and is a precursor for the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins.