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Fish Oil & Heart Health
. . . fish oils outperform statins and reduce the risk of a first-time heart attack by 35%
The connection between fish oil and heart health has been studied for the past 40 years, and its many benefits for the cardiovascular system are well-documented. Our bodies need a whole host of nutrients every day to maintain health. If even one of these is absent or deficient long-term, disease is inevitable. For reasons discussed at length in The Roadmap to Choosing Supplements, both a very good diet AND high-quality supplements are necessary today to get all the nutrients we need. The reason fish oil has helped to correct heart disease is because it contains omega 3 fatty acids, and about 90% of our population is deficient in these essential fatty acids.
The omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil protect our hearts in many different ways. First they are anti-arrhythmic. That means they counteract and prevent cardiac arrhythmias. Next they are antithrombotic, which means they “thin the blood” and keep it from clotting too readily. They are also anti-sclerotic, which means they protect the inner lining of arteries and prevent atherosclerosis. They are anti-inflammatory. Studies have shown that they reduce blood pressure, greatly reduce triglycerides, and often reduce LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) while raising HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol).
In a 2005 review of 97 clinical trials published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, fish oil significantly outperformed statin drugs in reducing both cardiac mortality and all-cause mortality, and in a more recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, it was determined that those taking 250 mg or more a day of omega 3 fatty acids reduced their risk of a first time heart attack by 35%.
The two most important fats provided by fish oil are EPA and DHA. Eating fish 2.5-3 times a week would provide a combined intake of approximately 500 mg EPA and DHA a day. Although four times more than the average American consumes, this is still less than the 900-1,000 mg a day, or more, of total omega 3s many experts consider to be optimal. Eating a lot of fish also has a downside: our waterways have become highly polluted with mercury and other toxins, and so have our fish. Taking high-quality fish oil supplements, such as our Fish Oil Formula which has been purified of contaminants in the correct way, is a viable alternative. In addition to eating fish about once a week, I take and recommend a tablespoon of Udo’s Choice (a source of plant-derived omega-3 fats and other important fatty acids) and 2 teaspoons of cod liver oil each day.