Cleveland, OH— A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology shows that omega-7s, particularly palmitoleic acid, may be valuable for heart support.

The study, the first randomized controlled trial of purified palmitoleic acid supplementation in humans, took place at the Xyrion Medical Institute,in Ponce, Puerto Rico, headed by Michael F. Roizen, MD and Adam M. Bernstein, MD, from the Wellness Institute of the Cleveland Clinic. The 30-day parallel, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study used 60 healthy participants, supplemented with 220.5 mg of a branded purified omega-7 palmitoleic acid supplement daily over the study period. C-reactive protein(CRP), and serum lipid levels were taken at baseline and at the 30-day mark, with all participants asked to maintain their normal diets for the course of the study.

The study’s results were uniformly positive for the palmitoleic acid group, with 44%, 15%, and 8% reductions in CRP, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol respectively, along with a 5% increase in HDL cholesterol over the control group. Roizen and Bernstein noted in their conclusions that “these findings build on a growing body of in vitro, animal, and human studies, demonstrating the importance of palmitoleic acid to regulating metabolism. Thus, purified palmitoleic may be a therapeutic approach in helping maintain lipid levels within a healthy range as well as improving inflammatory markers in patients with mild dyslipidemia and inflammation.” It is believed that inflammation levels in the body, which CRP levels serve as a measurement for, are a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, suggesting that purified omega-7s may have more extensive heart health applications in the future.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, February 2015 (online 1/13/15)