Improving fertility of cows and sows with EPA and DHA – NBG Omega

Dear colleagues,

As we have seen in previous publications, the omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are known for their anti-inflammatory effect.

Their mechanism of action is due to the fact that they compete with omega-6 fatty acids for cyclooxygenase, an enzyme that if “fed” with EPA and DHA instead of omega-6 produces cytokines with less inflammatory capacity.

Thanks to this simple mechanism we can help to reduce the inflammatory or reactive status of the animal, being able to reduce especially in chicks, piglets, dogs or carnivorous fish intestinal inflammations due to diets very high in allergenic vegetable proteins such as soybean meal, in addition to this use Omega 3 also have been shown useful in helping to reduce inflammatory processes of the joints and reduce lameness in dogs or sows.

But another known use of EPA and DHA is the ability to help increase fertility in cows and sows.

One of the basic mechanisms of this action consists in reducing the production of the prostaglandin PG2-Alpha by uterine cyclooxygenases, thus increasing the life of the corpus luteum and therefore improving embryonic survival.

To conclude, we would just like to inform that the power of EPA and DHA can be easily lost if the product we use is not well stabilized, so at NBG we have developed NBG Omega, a powdered source of EPA and DHA that is very stable, easy to store and with a high resistance to temperature and oxidation:

Below is one of the first and best studies conducted on dairy cows demonstrating improved fertility in cows fed a diet rich in EPA and DHA.

Enjoy this article!