The lack of positive results in this trial could be because it was performed on a very well-nourished study population, in which 11% of the placebo group were taking omega-3 LCPUFAs outside the study regimen, or that a higher supplemental dose or higher composition of DHA plus EPA was needed for efficacy.
Moreover, in a previous study, well-nourished female athletes with CF and normal pulmonary function tests reached the LT at a level of exercise intensity equivalent to that of healthy subjects, suggesting similar muscle conditioning [ 38].
Fertility was also found to be lower among malnourished mothers compared to nourished ones in a similar study done for Sidamas in Southern Ethiopia [ 22].
The subjects in the present study were normally nourished and did not report any acute weight change during the last six months, and the women were non-pregnant and non-lactating.
Second, although nutritional status was not examined in detail, it is likely that most patients in the study were well-nourished and thus the findings are most applicable to other well-nourished populations.
Lastly, although nutritional status was not examined in detail, it is likely that most patients in the study were well-nourished and thus the findings are most applicable to other well-nourished populations.
It is likely that wood smoke could affect body proportions, as has been reported for cigarette smoking (Lindley et al. 2000), but these effects have largely been studied in better nourished populations.
The discrepancy in plasma IL-6 changes during HD may in part be explained by differences in patient characteristics as patients included in our study were well-nourished and showed no sign of infection or inflammation.
None of the pregnant women enrolled in that study were under-nourished, and further work would be required to determine whether the same reduction in bacterial diversity occurs during pregnancy when adequate nutrition is not available.
Interestingly, a study in a well-nourished population of Japanese children showed mean serum vitamin A concentration significantly lower in those asthmatic than in non-asthmatic control subjects [18].
