Omega-3 is a type of fatty acid that is essential for women’s health. Ms Joey Ho, Dietitian from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), shares its benefits. 

What is Omega-3?
Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential to human health for certain vital functions and benefits. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is essential for the eye, nerve and membrane development. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are important for the production of prostaglandins, a hormone-like substance, that usually help to regulate blood pressure, inflammation, neurological functions, hormones production etc. in human body.

"The human body itself cannot produce these essential fats such as ALA, EPA and DHA, hence will need to obtain these nutrients from diet. ALA it is typically found in plant-based oils (e.g. flaxseed, canola, soybean oils), nuts and flaxseeds. DHA and EPA are the long-chain fatty acids that can be synthesized from ALA in human body, however the conversion is slow and limited. Therefore, it is recommended to source EPA and DHA from seafood, mainly oily fish (e.g. salmon, tuna etc.) and shellfish (e.g. crab, oysters)," says Ms Joey Ho, Dietitian from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital (KKH), a member of the SingHealth group.

"For vegetarians and those who do not like to eat seafoods, they can obtain such valuable fatty acids from nuts and seeds, soy products and green leafy vegetables. Besides dietary options, omega-3 supplements can be easily found on the market with different concentrations of EPA and DHA," she adds.


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Some 10% of American adults regularly take an omega-3 supplement, despite uncertainty about whether these products truly live up to their health claims. But two new studies published in November 2018 shed some light on who might benefit from omega-3 supplements — and who probably won't.

VITAL
The first study was the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL), a large multiyear study with 25,871 healthy adults with no history of cardiovascular (heart or blood vessel–related) disease and at "usual risk" for it. The group was racially diverse and chosen to be representative of the general population, says the study's lead author Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, professor of medicine and the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women's Health at Harvard Medical School.

Researchers tested, among other things, whether a moderate dosage (1 gram a day) of an omega-3 supplement could help prevent major cardiovascular events, compared with a placebo. Cardiovascular events included not only heart attacks, but stroke, and angioplasty procedures to clear blocked arteries.

"The findings are somewhat complex and nuanced. It's not a simple yes, or no, or one-size-fits-all answer. Some groups tended to benefit, while other groups didn't," says Dr. Manson.

Although a daily 1-gram omega-3 supplement did not significantly reduce major cardiovascular events over all, there was a 28% reduction in heart attacks and promising signals for other heart-related endpoints, she says. While the supplement didn't seem to protect most healthy people against future heart problems, certain groups did appear to benefit, particularly people who ate less than 1.5 servings of fish a week or didn't eat fish at all. "For these people, there was a significant 19% reduction in the primary endpoint of major cardiovascular events, with a 40% reduction in heart attacks," says Dr. Manson.

The supplements also appeared to benefit African American participants, who saw a 77% reduction in heart attack for those receiving the omega-3 supplement, compared with those taking the placebo, says Dr. Manson. It's unclear why this group benefited more, and additional studies are needed to confirm the finding.

REDUCE-IT
The second study, called the Reduction of Cardiovascular Events with EPA–Intervention Trial (REDUCE-IT), included more than 8,000 middle-aged and older adults who had elevated triglyceride levels and who had already experienced a cardiovascular event or had other significant risk factors for one. It aimed to find out if a daily high-dose, 4-gram prescription omega-3 medication could protect participants against future cardiovascular events, compared with a placebo. This trial, led by Dr. Deepak Bhatt, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, found a substantial 25% reduction in the risk of dying from heart disease or suffering a cardiovascular event among people who took the medication, compared with those who had the placebo.

High doses of omega-3 supplements, like the high-dose omega-3 product used in this trial, aren't appropriate for everyone because they pose risks, such as bleeding or an increase in a type of abnormal heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation, says Dr. Manson. "However, while high doses are associated with some risk, overall benefits of the high-dose omega-3 product used in the trial appeared to outweigh the risks for people with high triglyceride levels and a history of, or at high risk of, cardiovascular disease," says Dr. Manson.


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PETALING JAYA: Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has accused the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government of incompetence, which he said was revealed by its widely speculated move for emergency powers to deal with the Covid-19 crisis.

Anwar said that while the rest of Asia is looking for ways to manage the pandemic and reopen their economies safely, Malaysia is heading in the opposite direction.

“A state of emergency is declared when there is a threat to our national security. But when the government is itself the source of that threat, then a state of emergency is nothing more than the descent into dictatorship and authoritarianism,” said Anwar.


Anwar said he strongly advised Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin “to consider the legacy of these actions he is taking out of self-interest and selfishness”.

Muhyiddin is currently at Istana Abdulaziz in Pahang for an audience with the King believed to be regarding the use of special emergency powers because of the recent surge in the number of Covid-19 cases to between 700 and 800 new cases daily for the past week.

The prime minister had chaired a special emergency meeting of the Cabinet earlier today before leaving for Kuantan.

A declaration of a state of emergency would allow Muhyiddin to avoid any no-confidence motion in the Dewan Rakyat. He would also be able to avoid tabling the 2021 Budget; if MPs vote against the Budget, the government would automatically fall.

Anwar accused the PN government, which he termed “illegitimate”, of knowing it would fail to demonstrate majority support in Parliament. He said PN is using the Covid-19 crisis as an excuse to justify its abuse of power.



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PETALING JAYA: The High Court has held that the granting of pardon to convicts in Malaysia is not the exclusive right of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong but an exercise of executive power by the monarch on advice.

Judge Akhtar Tahir said this principle was recognised in the Supreme Court case of Superintendent of Pudu Prison vs Sim Kie Chon (1986).
“However, in the same case, the ruling that the granting of pardon is a ‘royal prerogative of mercy’ is erroneous,” Akhtar said in a written judgment.

Last month, the judge refused an application by the government and Anwar Ibrahim to strike out a lawsuit filed against them by lawyer Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz over Anwar’s pardon in 2018.


In his 16-page judgment, Akhtar said the King’s exercise of discretion on the appointment of the prime minister might not be justiciable (challenged in the court).

“However, on matters of pardon, where the Yang di-Pertuan Agong acts on advice of the Pardons Board (and) the attorney-general (AG), this power is justiciable,” he said.

Akhtar said the granting of clemency in Malaysia could not be equated to that of England.

“The granting of pardon cannot be ruled as not justiciable just because it is exercised by the august and high office of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he said, adding it would be a dereliction of duty by the court under the Federal Constitution for refusing to hear the matter.


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RAWANG: The Selangor government prevented fresh water disruptions by taking prompt action against pollution in two cases affecting the river basins of Sungai Selangor and Sungai Langat yesterday.

State executive councillor Hee Loy Sian said these two cases could have halted the operations of water treatment plants if the Selangor Water Management Authority (LUAS) and other agencies had not acted quickly.

He said one of the incidents involved the detection of odour pollution in Sungai Kundang, with a reading of 10 threshold odour number (TON) at 10.45am yesterday.


LUAS officers went to the area and found biodiesel materials in the river, he said.

Further investigations by LUAS and Air Selangor identified a company, operating in the Kundang Jaya industrial area, as the possible source.
LUAS issued a warning letter under Section 121(1) of the LUAS Enactment 1999 to the company to immediately halt effluent discharge and carry out cleaning activities.

He said LUAS used 300kg of activated carbon to contain the odour pollution. Samples were also taken from three locations along the river and sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis and further action.

Hee said the other incident involved a diesel oil spill in Tasik Putrajaya at about 9.35am yesterday, after a skid tank pipe burst underneath the National Cancer Institute (NCI).


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KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 — PKR’s decision to respect Umno over its backing of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government has drawn the ire of its long-time ally DAP.

Malaysiakini reported its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng as saying that DAP has made it clear to PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that cooperating with Umno is out of the question.

“We have fought with Umno. During the Sabah elections, in Kota Kinabalu, I have already said we will not work with Umno under its leaders Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Najib Razak,” he was quoted as saying.

Lim added that it would make no sense to work with Umno, seeing as how DAP fought against them in the 2018 general election and in unity with its allies out of a desire to remove the then kleptocratic Barisan Nasional (BN) government.


Referring to PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s statement on Wednesday regarding PKR respecting Umno’s stance, the Bagan MP said it implied that PKR is willing to cooperate with Umno.

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PETALING JAYA: Several MPs from Umno are working with PPBM leaders on the possibility of holding a snap general election, according to people with knowledge of the talks.

They told FMT the election was among the moves being considered as the way forward after Umno’s declaration of a ceasefire in its quarrel with PPBM.

They said the two sides were looking at having the polls after significant drops in Covid-19 cases.

“The plan is to limit ceramahs and go big on television, radio and social media,” said one source. “The opposition will have a good reach in urban areas through social media but we will give them a fight in rural areas, where we connect better with voters.”


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