The Cardiovascular Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Dr. Joseph C. Maroon, M.D., F.A.C.S., world-renowned neurosurgeon, author and triathlete
In the early 1930s, scientists became intrigued with the results of a study of rats on a restricted-fat diet. They found that the exclusion of fat from the rats’ diet led to growth retardation, reproductive disturbances, scaly skin, kidney lesions and excessive water consumption. Once fats were reintroduced to the rats’ diet, these conditions resolved.
These studies led to the discovery of essential fatty acids (EFAs), certain omega-3 and -6 fatty acids that the body requires but cannot produce on its own – and are therefore “essential” for us to consume in our diets.
North Americans have a high omega-6 intake but, unfortunately, have among the lowest dietary intakes of omega-3 fatty acids in the world. In fact, it is estimated that 83 percent of Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. At the same time, we now know there is an inverse relationship between the intake of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly the long chain omega-3 fatty acids, and death due to coronary heart disease.
In countries with high fish consumption, such as Japan, there is a significantly lower occurrence of heart disease-related deaths when compared to Americans, who consume far fewer fish. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease by lowering blood pressure, reducing platelet adherence to the lining of blood vessels and enhancing blood vessel vasodilatation, among other mechanisms. They also protect against and reduce the incidence of coronary events in people with underlying heart disease. A major benefit of consuming omega-3 fatty acids is the prevention of death from ventricular arrhythmias, which cause some 300,000 deaths annually in the United States.
Fatty acids are necessary for the proper development of all cells, including those involved in brain and nervous system functions. Fatty acids participate in the production of complex chemical messengers called eicosanoids, which regulate numerous body functions, including: blood pressure, blood viscosity, vasoconstriction, immune response and the inflammatory response. Fatty acids also are critical for the division and maintenance of all cells and the formation of healthy cell membranes. During cell division, the cell membrane must expand so that the new cell can be completely divided from the original. Fatty acids are responsible for the fluidity in the cell membrane that makes this expansion and the sealing off of the new and original cells possible.
Fish oil, containing omega-3 fatty acids, is one of the best natural products available. Omega-3 fatty acids are comprised of two main biologically active products: EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
For more than 30 years, EPA and DHA have been the subject of more than 7,000 scientific reports, including thousands of human clinical trials investigating cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, hyperlipidemia, Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, rheumatoid arthritis and many others. Fish oil’s action has been found, among many other effects, to alter the body’s level of inflammatory factors and thereby balance the inflammatory response.
It is very important to look closely at the labels on fish oil containers to determine the amounts of EPA and DHA in each capsule, since consuming the right amount of each is necessary to achieve health benefits.
Originally, the benefits of fish oil were discovered in native peoples, such as the Inuit Eskimos in the early 1970s, whose diet consisted of mostly fish. This population was found to have a very low level of heart disease, which led to the first areas of clinical research on omega-3 fatty acids. Studies now have confirmed that these fatty acids benefit the hearts of healthy people, those at high risk of vascular disease and those who already have vascular disease.
Consuming fish oil as a supplement or as a fish meal has been shown to:
- decrease the risk of arrhythmias
- decrease triglyceride levels
- slow the growth rate of fatty plaque in the arteries
- slightly lower blood pressure
- improve arthritic pain, mood disorders, brain function, depression autoimmune disease and much more
Since 1996 and later reconfirmed in 2002, the American Heart Association (AHA) has recommended eating fish (especially fatty fish) at least two times a week. Examples of fatty fish include mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon. These fish are high in both EPA and DHA.
Some fish, however, can also be a source of environmental pollutants stored in the fishes’ organs. These pollutants can pose serious health consequences, particularly for women who are pregnant or nursing young children. The FDA and the EPA have issued an advisory on this matter, but the Institute of Medicine has reported that the benefits of eating fish generally outweigh potential risks. Furthermore, many fish oil supplements have been purified to remove these compounds, and supplements containing fish body oils have been harvested only from oils in the fishes’ bodies; not from the fishes’ organs, where such pollutants can be found.
The positive cardiac effects of omega-3 fatty acids are many, and there is also a huge amount of research showing positive effects on hypertension, breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and many conditions affecting brain function and development and skin and eye disorders. All of these effects are primarily related to the natural anti-inflammatory actions of EPA and DHA, which can balance the inflammatory molecules in the body.
When choosing a fish oil supplement, it is critical to find a high-quality product that has concentrated amounts of EPA and DHA, and has been purified to remove environmental toxins, particularly mercury. Many health practitioners recommend omega-3 fatty acids be consumed as a supplement with the general dose of one to two grams of EPA and DHA per day. The FDA, in its qualified health claim communications, suggests that the general population consume no more than three grams of EPA and DHA per day with up to two grams from supplements. Those persons on blood-thinning or other medications, or with allergies to fish, should not take fish oil supplements unless advised by their doctors.
In summary, there is now strong scientific evidence that natural supplements providing the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil can have substantial health benefits. As a healthcare practitioner, it is important to let the public know about the benefits of natural products that have stood up to rigorous clinical testing.
Bio:
Dr. Joseph C. Maroon is vice chairman and professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh and has become one of the nation’s leading advocates of fish oil and has lectured on the topic at major medical meetings nationally. He and his associate, Jeff Bost, PAC, have recently authored the book,
Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-inflammatory, published by Basic Health Publications, to spread the word about fish oil and its tremendous preventive and health-improving qualities.
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