Daily Science Journal (Aug. 13, 2007) — While a heart-healthy diet has become synonymous with plenty of fruits and vegetables and little fat and cholesterol, there’s more to the story. Omega-3 fatty acids should be part of a heart-healthy diet, too, according to the August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fat important to overall health. As it pertains to heart disease, their main benefit is their ability to reduce the risk of heart rhythm problems in certain groups of people, thus reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death. In addition, omega-3s may help reduce triglycerides, lower blood pressure slightly and reduce blood clotting.
The best source of omega-3s is fatty, cold water fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon and tuna. Plant oils, such as canola and flaxseed oils, also are sources of omega-3s.
For heart disease prevention, near-maximum benefit comes from eating two 3-ounce servings of cold water fish a week. More than that doesn’t appear to offer any additional preventive benefit.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fat important to overall health. As it pertains to heart disease, their main benefit is their ability to reduce the risk of heart rhythm problems in certain groups of people, thus reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death. In addition, omega-3s may help reduce triglycerides, lower blood pressure slightly and reduce blood clotting.
The best source of omega-3s is fatty, cold water fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon and tuna. Plant oils, such as canola and flaxseed oils, also are sources of omega-3s.
For heart disease prevention, near-maximum benefit comes from eating two 3-ounce servings of cold water fish a week. More than that doesn’t appear to offer any additional preventive benefit.
Higher amounts of two kinds of omega-3, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), may benefit some people with established heart disease or high triglyceride levels and can have an anti-inflammatory effect for people with rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, DHA is being studied to see if it can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
For those who don’t eat fish, a fish oil supplement or an algae supplement can provide omega-3 fatty acids. However, supplements aren’t cheap, and the amount of DHA and EPA in supplements varies widely. Except for people who have established heart disease, the evidence of heart disease prevention is stronger when one eats fish instead of taking supplements. Supplements can pose risks, too. Taking more than 3 grams of fish oil a day may increase the risk of bleeding, worsen heart rhythm problems in those who have arrhythmias or cause other side effects.
Adapted from materials provided by Mayo Clinic, via Newswise.
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For those who don’t eat fish, a fish oil supplement or an algae supplement can provide omega-3 fatty acids. However, supplements aren’t cheap, and the amount of DHA and EPA in supplements varies widely. Except for people who have established heart disease, the evidence of heart disease prevention is stronger when one eats fish instead of taking supplements. Supplements can pose risks, too. Taking more than 3 grams of fish oil a day may increase the risk of bleeding, worsen heart rhythm problems in those who have arrhythmias or cause other side effects.
Adapted from materials provided by Mayo Clinic, via Newswise.
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Eating Oily Fish May Reduce Inflammation
A new study explains how a diet high in oily fish like salmon and mackerel improves inflammatory conditions, particularly in combination with low doses of aspirin. In a study in the March 7 issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Arita and colleagues identify an anti-inflammatory lipid in humans that is derived from an essential fatty acid in fish oil.
A new study explains how a diet high in oily fish like salmon and mackerel improves inflammatory conditions, particularly in combination with low doses of aspirin. In a study in the March 7 issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Arita and colleagues identify an anti-inflammatory lipid in humans that is derived from an essential fatty acid in fish oil.
Sockey Salmon. (Photo courtesy of Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife)Fatty fish contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids--diet-derived essential fatty acids known to benefit patients with cardiovascular disease and arthritis. This research group recently identified a new class of aspirin-triggered bioactive lipids, called resolvins, the activity of which may in part explain the beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids. Resolvins are made from the omega-3 fatty acids by cellular enzymes and can reduce inflammation in mice. The main bioactive component of this class of lipids was identified in mice and named resolvin E1.
The researchers have now identified this lipid in plasma taken from volunteers given omega-3 fatty acids and aspirin. Human resolvin E1, the authors show, inhibits both the migration of inflammatory cells to sites of inflammation and the turning on of other inflammatory cells.
This study also reveals a potential pitfall of COX-2 inhibitors, drugs designed to block inflammation, which have been shown to have negative cardiovascular side effects. COX-2 is involved in making resolvin E1 and the authors suggest that inhibition of vascular COX-2 by these inhibitors might block the synthesis of resolvin E1, which would eliminate an important anti-inflammatory pathway. The experiment to prove this idea, however, has yet to be done.
Adapted from materials provided by Journal Of Experimental Medicine.
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