Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Fish Oil Liquid in Blueberry Muffins

Omega-3 fatty acids contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as alpha-linoleic acid and the nutrients EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid), which have been shown to have a positive influence on human health by contributing to a reduced risk of heart disease and being essential for normal growth and development in adults. The problem we are facing is that the nutrients in Omega-3 fatty acids are mainly found in fish which many Americans are not consuming enough of. By incorporating these nutrients into other food products we can increase the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet thereby increasing the health of Americans. By adding this to other products such as baked goods and dairy products we can give consumers the benefits of these nutrients without adding supplements to their diets. The methods used to test for this addition would not want to result in changing the flavor, texture or appearance of the food products. In this experiment 10 mL and 20 mL of the Omega-3 fish oil liquid was added to a recipe of blueberry muffins, where then objective and subjective tests were then applied. The main findings were that the more fish oil that was added the tougher the texture of the blueberry muffins became, the flavor was slightly less favored in the muffins with the fish oil added and that the subjective tests covering texture had inconsistent findings. What should be noted is that Omega-3’s are an important nutrient in our diet that shouldn’t be overlooked in nutrition and by adding a small amount to a baked good such as blueberry muffins hopefully this would not alter the taste, appearance and texture of those muffins. Introduction: A serious problem that we are facing today is that heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. This is due to many people not eating the right foods, exercising on a regular basis and not consuming the right nutrients to keep their hearts healthy. An Omega-3 fatty acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that contains α-linoleic acid and the nutrients EPA and DHA which also help contribute to a healthy heart. In an article written by Raper and Cronin (1992) they state that the consumption of EPA was lower in 1985 than it was in 1935-1939. This is because there has been a decline in the use and consumption of fatty fish. The consumption of DHA has increased due to the greater use of poultry in the American diet and the consumption of α-linoleic acid has also increased because of the increased uses of vegetable oils. This may not be interesting to those who do not know the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. According to the American Heart Association, when there were several epidemiological studies done they reported that men who at least some fish had a lower Coronary Heart Disease mortality rate then men who ate none. Fish consumption has also been shown to be related to a decrease in sudden cardiac death. Many studies like these had been looked at for men and repeatedly been found to have a positive correlation between increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and a decrease in risks for heart disease but not many studies had been done involving women and omega-3’s. A study done by Hu and others (2002), found that an increase in fish consumption in women also lead to a decrease in risks for Coronary Heart Disease, particularly deaths associated with this disease. According to Horrocks and Yeo (1999), there are also some important health benefits of DHA. It is required for the maintenance of normal brain function in adults. It helps improve our learning ability where they’ve found that a deficiency of DHA can be associated with deficits in learning. It also has positive effects on diseases such as hypertension, arthritis, atherosclerosis, depression, myocardial infractions and some cancers. This nutrient is mainly found in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. Currently the ideal intakes for these nutrients are unclear, according to the American Heart Disease, but they do know that an intake of 0.5 to 1.8 grams/day of EPA and DHA will help significantly decrease cardiac mortality and having around 1.5 to 3 grams/day of α-linoleic acid has also been proven beneficial. Currently the intake in the United States of omega-3 fatty acids is about 1.6 grams/day. Where about 1.4 grams/day of this is in α-linoleic acid and that only 0.1-0.2 grams/day is obtained from EPA and DHA. The problem is that Omega-3’s are mainly found in fish which as stated above many people are not consuming enough of. This could be a potential problem if someone does not like fish or is a vegetarian. In an article by Nettleton (1991), it listed some other sources for omega-3 fatty acids. As stated it is mainly found in fish but also can be found in some plants and some livestock, although fish oils are the only source for EPA and DHA. The source found in plants is α-linoleic acid. The American Heart Association website also lists some other food sources such as vegetable oils such as canola and soybean, flaxseed and English walnuts. The purpose of this experiment was to be able to incorporate this omega-3 fatty acid into other food products so it could potentially help reduce the problems of heart disease. For this experiment, different amounts of Omega-3 fish oil liquid was added to blueberry muffins to see if there would be a change in their appearance, taste and texture. This was done by having a control blueberry, a blueberry muffin with 10 mL of fish oil added and a blueberry muffin with 20 mL of fish oil added, then objective and subjective tests could be done to prove or disprove of this theory.