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Lower your risk of heart disease with omega-3 fatty acids.
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Omega-3 fatty acids are a kind of polyunsaturated fatty acid (a good fat). They do good things:
They lower triglycerides (a bad form of fat), prevent abnormal heart rhythms (which can be lethal), reduce arterial inflammation (a trigger for coronary artery disease), inhibit clot formation, and lower blood pressure, all of which, if untreated, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in some fish such as salmon and tuna. These should be consumed two or three times a week, although nursing or pregnant women should consult their physicians first about mercury levels in fish, and patients taking anticoagulants such as Coumadin (warfarin) need to consult first about their anticoagulation levels. Another omega-3 is found in walnuts, flaxseed, and soybeans as ALA (alpha-linolenic acid).
Capsules containing the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) are available over-the-counter, and in larger doses on prescription. Not everyone agrees, but consuming a food rather than a supplement has often panned out better (with some vitamins, for example). There may be other substances in the food which promote absorption or utilization, or are actually the active ingredient.
A large study in Japan of over 18,000 patients (The Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study: JELIS) had a 19% lower rate of coronary events in the EPA patients than in controls over a five year period.
The original observation of a possible benefit from consuming fish high in omega-3’s, by the way, came when it was observed that Eskimos in Greenland have a low rate of coronary disease despite an otherwise high fat diet.
For a good article on omega-3’s follow link to the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, April, 2009.
