EFFECTS OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS SUPPLEMENTATION ON BODY COMPOSITION IN MALE HEAVY SMOKERS: A DOUBLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED, PLACEBO- CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

Background and Aim: Nicotine, a substance found in cigarettes, can suppress weight gain. Recently, it has been shown that nicotine increases fat metabolism independent of food intake, activity, or energy expenditure. Omega-3 fatty acids (ω3-FAs) are PPAR-α agonists, the main regulator of intra- and extracellular lipid metabolism. Also, ω3-FAs have intrinsic anabolic/anti-catabolic properties in skeletal muscle. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ω3-FAs supplementation on body composition in male heavy smokers.Methods: In this double-blind, randomized clinical trial, 54 heavy smoker males (smoke ≥ 20 cigarettes per day) were randomly selected to receive either 5 capsules of fish oil derived ω3-FAs supplements (n=27, each one-gram capsule containing 180mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 120mg of docosahexanoic acid) or a placebo (n=27) for 3 months. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), body fat mass, body fat percentage and skeletal muscle mass were assessed using a body composition analyzer (In Body 770, Korea) before and after the intervention.Results: The ω3-FAs and placebo capsules were well tolerated, and no adverse effects were reported throughout the study period. After the 3-month intervention and adjustment for confounders, there was no significant difference in Weight, BMI, body fat mass, body fat percentage and skeletal muscle mass in the ω3-FAs group compared to the placebo group (P > 0.05).Conclusion: The study demonstrated that high-dose ω3-FAs supplementation in male heavy smokers is safe. However, ω3-FAs supplementation failed to show a significant effect on their body composition.

Keywords:

Omega-3 fatty acids , Body composition , Nicotine , Cigarette smoking