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  • Original Article
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Herring (Clupea harengus) supplemented diet influences risk factors for CVD in overweight subjects

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 61, pages 1106–1113 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To assess the effect of a 4-week herring diet compared to a reference diet on biomarkers for cardiovascular disease in obese subjects.

Design:

Randomized crossover trial.

Setting:

Department of Internal Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital.

Subjects:

Fifteen healthy obese men and women (age 24–70 years) included, 13 completed.

Intervention:

Subjects were randomly assigned to four weeks of herring diet (150 g baked herring fillets/day 5, days/week) or reference diet (pork and chicken fillets) and switched diets after 2 weeks washout. P-total cholesterol, p-TAG, p-HDL, p-HDL2, p-HDL3, p-LDL, p-apolipoprotein A, p-apolipoprotein B, p-Lipoprotein (a), p-fibrinogen, p-C- reactive protein and p-antioxidative capacity were analysed at 0,2,4,6,8 and 10 weeks.

Results:

P-HDL was significantly higher after the herring diet period compared to after the reference diet period; 1.22 vs 1.13 mmol/l (P=0.036). There was a small, but not statistically significant, decrease in TAG but no effect on other biomarkers. TEAC and FRAP, but not ORAC-values, indicated that plasma antioxidants may have been reduced. CRP tended to be lower after the herring diet compared to after the reference diet.

Conclusions:

Consumption of oven-baked herring (150g/day, 5 days/week) for 4 weeks, compared to consumption of pork and chicken fillets, significantly increased p-HDL. Patients with insulin resistance and obesity, who commonly have low HDL, may therefore benefit from addition of herring to the diet.

Sponsorship:

Region Västra Götaland, National board of fisheries (Dr 223-2451-01), Sweden (EU structural funds), The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS) (Grant No 2001-1246).

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Acknowledgements

The herring fillets were supported by Paul Mattsson AB, Ellös, Sweden. Thanks to Annette Almgren for help with both the food preparation and blood sampling and to Nils-Gunnar Carlsson for the methods for fatty acid analysis. Special thanks to Angela Silveira at Karolinska Hospital (Stockholm), who made it possible for us to analyze fibrinogen in the plasma samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Food Science, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden

    H Lindqvist, I Undeland, T Rådendal & A S Sandberg

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden

    A M Langkilde

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  1. H Lindqvist
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Correspondence to H Lindqvist.

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Contributors and Guarantors: H Lindqvist, AS Sandberg, AM Langkilde and I Undeland.

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Lindqvist, H., Langkilde, A., Undeland, I. et al. Herring (Clupea harengus) supplemented diet influences risk factors for CVD in overweight subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr 61, 1106–1113 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602630

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602630

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