Fish Oil & Your Heart

In light of American Heart Month, the cardiovascular benefits that fish oil brings to the table are well worth a closer look. Fish oil contains two important essential fatty acids–commonly referred to as EPA and DHA–which our bodies can’t sufficiently produce, they must be supplied by diet and/or fish oil capsules.

If you eat at least 3.5 ounces of prime, low-mercury sources like wild salmon, sardines, or mackerel daily–enough to net you about 1 gram of these essential fatty acids–that’s a great start. The problem is, few Americans do so. Fortunately, fish oil capsules providing optimal levels of EPA and DHA offer a simple, effective solution.

Here are four important ways fish oil can boost heart health:

Preventing heart attacks
Studies evaluating the effects of fish oil on fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) have determined–with strong evidence–that fish oil substantially cuts the risk of both up to 36%.1 Other research was even more impressive, revealing that as little as 200 mg. of DHA per day was shown to reduce sudden death from heart attack by as much as 50%.2

Reducing triglycerides
High levels of blood fats called triglycerides are linked to heart disease and diabetes. However, fish oil can reduce problem levels by up to 50%.3 In fact, fish oil may be so effective it should be regarded as pharmacologic therapy, especially in combating severely high triglycerides.4 Fish oil also decreases thrombosis–blood clots in the veins–and helps prevent cardiac arrhythmias.2

Lowering High blood pressure
The best fish oil helps to reduce blood pressure by expanding blood vessels.5 In fact, fish oil can be so effective in bringing blood pressure down that people on blood pressure medications should be monitored as they might need to scale back–or even discontinue–these drugs.

Minimizing disease promoting, chronic inflammation
Chronic inflammation is a key player for cardiovascular disease–especially in promoting atherosclerosis.6 However, fish oil has repeatedly been shown to benefit cardiovascular health and reduce risk of atherosclerosis by minimizing potentially dangerous inflammation.7,8

Select your fish oil carefully. The best options are pharmaceutical grade, molecularly distilled to remove residual heavy metals, and carefully refined to screen out all impurities, dangerous PCBs and bad fatty acids.

Though many factors play in to improving cardiovascular health, supplementing fish oil is certainly one of the easiest–with impressive benefits. Here’s to your heart!

References:
1 Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jun;87(6):1991S-6S
2 Pharmacol Res. 1999 Sep;40(3):211-25.
3 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/993.html
4 Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1993 Jun 14;683:16-34
5 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/993.html.
6 Nippon Rinsho. 2011 Jan;69(1):79-84
7,Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2004 Nov;6(6):461-7
8 Mini Rev Med Chem. 2004 Aug;4(6):659-68