Supplementation with oxidised fish oil in pregnancy markedly increases neonatal mortality in male rat offspring

Introduction Omega-3 fish oils are the most popular health supplements, taken by 15-30% of people at all stages of life, including pregnancy. These oils may improve insulin sensitivity through the recently characterized GPR120 receptor, but are chemically unstable and easily degrade into potentially toxic lipid peroxides. The health effects of oxidised fish oil are mostly unknown. We have shown that 89% of fish oil products in NZ exceed recommended oxidation limits, 36% by more than two-fold. We hypothesised: 1. Fish oil supplementation during pregnancy of insulin-resistant mothers would prevent adverse metabolic programming of the offspring. 2. Oxidised fish oil would cause adverse metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes