In early 2021, a French hospital will conduct a study on the preventive role of omega-3s against SARS-CoV-2. The goal? Provide evidence of the impact of these fatty acids on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This is the most serious form of the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Pierre Weill is an agricultural engineer by profession and founder of the Bleu-Blanc-Cœur association. Based in Combourtillé (Ille-et-Vilaine), this association encourages farmers who promote respect for the land and animals. As Ouest France explains in an article of October 14, 2020, Bleu-Blanc-Cœur collaborates with the Rennes University Hospital and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM).
The aim of this collaboration will be to prepare a study on the impact of omega-3s on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the most serious form illness generated by the coronavirus. For Pierre Weill, this idea is not new. According to him, the first scientific article evoking these fatty acids in enteral nutrition for patients with this type of syndrome dates back more than ten years. Some recent studies even recommend the use of fish oils for Covid-19 patients.
Remember that omega-3s are polyunsaturated fatty acids particularly present in oily fish and in certain plants such as flax, rapeseed or walnuts. However, it seems that we are not consuming enough of it. In 2017, a French researcher evoked a certain role in the junction between nerve cells in the brain. According to him, foods rich in omega-3 would allow the brain to function more fluidly and reduce aggressive outbursts.
The upcoming study from the Rennes University Hospital will aim to assess the preventive role of omega-3s against SARS-CoV-2. For the moment, the clinical trial protocol is being approved by the health authorities before a launch in early 2021. According to Ronan Thibault, gastroenterologist responsible for the nutrition unit, omega-3s have various benefits in artificial nutrition . For example, it can lead to a decrease in mortality, a reduction in the length of hospital stay and a reduction in the duration of ventilation for patients.
The study will therefore aim to verify whether or not omega-3s can prevent the inflammatory response in the most fragile Covid-19 patients. This study is unique because such research has never been done before.
