Tucson Standard

The ongoing debate over the health benefits of fish oil has been marked by confusion, but new research may provide clarity. Floyd "Ski" Chilton, a precision nutrition researcher at the University of Arizona, suggests that ancestry and genetics could play significant roles in how individuals respond to omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil.

Chilton, who is also a professor of nutritional sciences and a member of the BIO5 Institute at the university, has received a $3.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore this hypothesis further. He will collaborate with colleagues from Georgetown University and MedStar Health Research Institute in Maryland on a clinical trial to investigate how genetic background influences the body's response to omega-3s.

"We're in the middle of a precision revolution," Chilton stated. "It largely started with cancer, moved to other fields of medicine, and now has found its way to nutrition."

The trial builds on data from the VITAL study, which examined whether daily supplements of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids could reduce cancer and cardiovascular disease risks. While initial results suggested no overall benefit from fish oil supplementation, Chilton noted significant benefits among African American participants.

Jason Umans, co-author of a reanalysis focusing on genetic ancestry's impact on omega-3 effectiveness, highlighted that African Americans experienced a 77% reduction in heart attacks when taking omega-3 supplements. "The original analysis identified the possibility of a selective benefit to African Americans," Umans said.

Using applied mathematics models and machine learning, researchers matched African American participants with non-Hispanic white participants across various variables to simulate clinical trial conditions. This analysis revealed an even greater benefit for African Americans—an 83% decrease in heart attacks.

"This new clinical study along with our work over the past 15 years strongly suggest that ancestral and associated genetic differences affect the levels and balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in the human body," Chilton explained. "Collectively, this work sets the stage for the new NIH-funded study."

The research team aims to uncover mechanisms linking genetic variation with omega-3 effects potentially benefiting other populations as well. "The research underscores the limitations of a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition," Chilton added.

The NIH grant supports this collaborative effort involving principal investigators Chilton; Cynthia Thomson from Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health; Susan Schembre at Georgetown; Jason Umans; Brian Hallmark from BIO5; Dawn Coletta from College of Medicine – Tucson; and Chiranjeev Dash at Georgetown.