Healthful oils derived from plants are processed by the human body in
exactly the same manner as when fish oils are eaten, according to a research
led by the University of Southampton's Faculty of Medicine.

Omega-3 fats are mainly present in fish oil and are vital for health and
development. Because of Omega-3 source limitation, Rothamsted Research
scientists developed a seed oil plant (Camelina sativa) using genetic
engineering to produce an enhanced vegetable oil with similar amount of
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as fish oil.

University of Southampton, in collaboration with Rothamsted Research, tested
if the GM camelina oil is as good as fish oil in providing fatty acids in
human diet. The findings, published in British Journal of Nutrition, show
that when young and middle aged men and women consumed the same amount of
EPA plus DHA in a single standard meal, either as fish oil or as the oil
from the GM camelina, there was no difference in the uptake of these fatty
acids from the meal or the body processing these fats.

[www.rothamsted.ac.uk]