Fish Oil and Omega 3 Health Benefits

Blood vessel inflammation (BVI), according to the latest research, is a key independent risk factor for heart disease. According to many scientists, it is just as important as either high cholesterol or high triglycerides.

So you better not have high levels of C-reactive protein or interleukin-6. They are widely used, but little known to the public, BVI markers. (Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Vol. 46: 120-24)

Scientists have believed for a long time that eating fish would help reduce blood vessel inflammation of the and, therefore, help prevent heart disease. But they had no clear, hard evidence to support the belief. That’s why a team of researchers from Harokopio University in Greece set out to resolve the relationship between fish consumption, blood vessel inflammation and cardiovascular disease.

After gathering data on 3,000 heart disease free men and women aged 18 to 89, the researchers discovered people who ate 10.5 ounces of fish a week compared to those who ate no fish had a 33% lower level of both C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. The fish eaters also had 21% and 28% lower levels of two other important BVI indicators. These four markers were also found to be significantly lower in people who ate between 5 and 10 ounces of fish a week.

The authors concluded that there is a clear and strong relationship between high dietary fish intake and low vascular inflammation. They believe this association is one of the major reasons why people who eat fish have much lower incidence of heart disease.

They recommend people eat more fatty fish with high levels of omega 3 fatty acids, such as salmon, sardines or herring. One or two servings a week may be enough to get the fish oil health benefits, but more would be better. The American Heart Association (AHA), the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention agree. They recommend that everyone eat fatty fish at least two times a week.

For those who don’t eat fish, the Greek scientists suggested 600 mgs/day of omega 3 fatty acid supplements would provide the same results. The AHA recommends that patients with existing heart disease get one gram a day of combined DHA and EPA fatty acids and people with high triglycerides get at least 2 grams a day.

The AHA points out omega 3 fish oil fatty acids not only decrease BVI. They also lower blood pressure triglycerides, improve arterial health, decrease growth of atherosclerotic plaque and blood clots (thrombosis) and decrease risk of arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death, the number one killer in the U.S.

Those are pretty good reasons to eat more fish and take fish oil supplements, wouldn’t you agree?

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Omega 3 foods should be a major part of everyone’s diet. Why?

The answer’s simple. Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), have been found to prevent or relieve heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, certain cancers, emphysema, asthma, ADHD, depression and a whole host of serious health problems. And it seems like every week new scientific evidence is announced confirming the health benefits of omega 3 foods.

There are three main omega 3 fatty acids ALA (alpha-lenolenic acid), DHA and EPA. However, most of the exciting breakthrough research has been done on the anti-inflammatory properties of DHA and EPA, which are found primarily in cold water fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, albacore tuna, anchovies, herring and mackerel.

ALA, on the other hand, is found primarily in plant foods, such as grains, seeds and nuts, particularly walnuts. Other good food sources of plant based ALA are soy beans, tofu and cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Flax and flaxseed oil, for example, are heavily promoted commercial sources of omega 3 ALA.

But even though ALA has benefits for good health, it’s nowhere near as an effective anti-inflammatory agent as fish and fish oil sourced DHA and EPA. The human body, however, can convert ALA into DHA and EPA.

But, according to the latest state-of-the-art science, this conversion is a very difficult, complex process and that, even under ideal digestive conditions, no more about 2% of ALA is ever converted to EPA and almost none to DHA.

In fact, in one recent U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) study, for example, only two-tenths of one percent (0.2%) of flaxseed ALA was converted into EPA and none (zero) was converted to DHA. The NIH research team concluded that flaxseed oil ALA should not be considered as a substitute for fish and fish oils in the diet. (Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 42: 1257-65)

If you want the maximum health benefits of omega 3 PUFAs, especially DHA and EPA, most nutritional experts agree the best food source is, without a doubt, cold water fatty fish or a high quality fish oil supplement.

That’s why the NIH, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association recommend that everyone eat at least two servings a week of fatty fish, and, preferably, as many as four or five. For those people who don’t or won’t eat fish, a daily fish oil supplement containing a combined 1,000 mg of DHA and EPA will provide the desired omega 3 health benefits.

So to look and feel your best, get started today eating more grains, seeds and nuts for ALA and lots of fatty fish for DHA and EPA.

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Two out of three diabetics also have hypertension or high blood pressure. Together, they’re a deadly combination, greatly increasing the risk of nerve disease, vision and kidney problems, heart disease and stroke.

In order to put less stress on the heart and not make it work too hard, diabetics are warned to keep their blood pressure below 130/80.

To prevent and control hypertension, it’s important that diabetics maintain a healthy weight. They need to eat a low calorie, low glycemic diet high in fruits and vegetables and moderate in total fat and low in saturated fat and cholesterol, as well as limit their intake of both salt and sugars. Moderate exercise is also highly recommended. And, of course, they need to quit smoking.

Eating fish a couple of times a week or taking fish oil supplements can also help lower blood pressure. But, since fish and fish oil were thought to aggravate problems with glucose tolerance, some nutritionists were uneasy about recommending fish to diabetics.

That’s no longer the case. A Norwegian research team has proven that fish and fish oil have no adverse effect on glucose tolerance. (Annals of Internal Medicine, Vol. 123, 911-18)

Studying a group of obese volunteers with hypertension, researchers from the University of Tromso in Norway demonstrated that fish oil significantly decreased blood pressure, plasma triglycerides and very low density lipoproteins, all of which increase risk of heart disease.

But the good news for diabetics who also have high blood pressure is the fact the study also showed fish oil had no harmful effect on glucose tolerance.

Dr. William Connor of the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon, in an accompanying editorial, suggested that all diabetics, even those with hypertension, eat salmon, sardines or other fatty fish at least two or three times a week.

Dr. Connor also recommended, as either an alternative or for extra added insurance, all diabetics take daily fish oil supplements containing one gram of combined omega 3 DHA and EPA fatty acids.

The American Heart Association agrees. They recommend that everyone, including diabetics, eat fatty fish on a regular basis to help prevent heart disease and stroke. The American Diabetes Association also makes the same recommendation.

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