In recent studies performed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 900,000 people will die from several different types of heart disease this year. The main problem with this figure, apart from the fact that it, on average, accounts for around forty percent of all deaths, these diseases are mostly preventable. So many, if not most, of these people are dieing for nothing.
The easy way to prevent becoming a statistic like the other 899,999 people is to greatly raise your consumption of nutrients like Omega-3 and fatty acids.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention came to this conclusion, along with hundreds of other facilities, and now all scientists and health professionals are in agreement. Omega-3 and similar fatty acids can help prevent heart disease, and maybe even reverse the effects of an already present heart disease. It helps to combat the causes of high blood pressure and hypertension as well.
As we are now all aware, through advertisements in the newspaper and on the television, most of our Omega-3 comes from the fish we eat. Specifically round oily fish like Mackerel, Sardines and Salmon. Now, however, some of the larger food manufacturers are actually adding Omega-3 to their ready prepared foods. You can also purchase Omega-3 capsules, to be taken daily, from most pharmacies and health food stores.
Studies have been going on for a number of years. It has been revealed that men with a much higher than normal intake of Omega-3 and similar fatty acids are over 80% less likely to develop any kind of heart disease, if they have no family history of heart conditions. Even if they do have a history of cardiovascular diseases, the risks decrease greatly. A slightly different study was carried out on women. Around 85,000 women were tested, some eating fish between two and four times per week, and some rarely or never eating fish. Women with a lot of fish in their diet were revealed to have 30% less chance of developing any kind of heart disease.
A 1999 study called “Food intake patterns and 25 year mortality from coronary heart disease,” showed a very obvious fact. Studies were taken on people living in the U.S. and people living in other countries such as Japan. Not surprisingly, the residents of Japan, where seafood is almost a staple part of their diet, revealed a far lower heart attack or high blood pressure related fatality rate. Obviously this is due to the amount of Omega-3 that is present in the Asian diet. Over 85% of Americans do not take in enough Omega-3. The same was said about the Inuit race. These are people on a very high fat diet, although they have a much lower heart attack and high blood pressure fatality rate. This is again due to their almost exclusive seafood diet. This was discovered in 1970, yet the benefits of Omega-3 have only recently “come-out” into the press and into the world.
It is purely and simply, the chemical composition of the Omega-3 fatty acids that make them so good for you. On looking at Omega-3 strands under a powerful microscope, it is apparent that omega-3 fatty acids are long strands of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These polyunsaturates – Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – eventually help to fight and prevent any type of cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure related illness.
As well as being incredibly good for the heart and all of its potential diseases, Omega-3 is also very good at helping to reduce the levels of cholesterol in the arteries, and is even thought to help with or stave off some forms of cancer, particularly colon cancer.
Even though the American diet is at an Omega-3 deficit, there are recommended guidelines in place, as you can effectively over-dose on Omega-3. The recommended daily allowance for EPA and DHA is around 650mg per day. It is good for pregnant women and nursing mothers to consume up to 1000mg of EPA and DHA per day. You cannot safely eat enough fish and shellfish to reach the optimum recommended Omega-3 intake. This is because of very high levels of mercury contained within the flesh of most, if not all fish. Because of this fact, scientists invented fish oil supplements.
Carlson’s fish oils and cod liver oil supplements are thought to be the best on the market to date. This is all because of the amount of Omega-3 contained within them, the strict environmental and health regulations the manufacturer must keep to, and the addition of a small amount of Vitamin E.
Flaxseed oil has recently been hailed as one of the best sources of Omega-3. This is true; however it does contain rather high amounts of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA), which means your body must struggle to try to convert this acid into a healthier fatty acid. The fatty acids inside fish oils are far easier for your body to break down, so these are definitely the best for regular use.
These fish oil supplements are now seen as a “Godsend”, all because our diets are currently seen as very poor. We are all ultimately responsible for our own health, so eat right, exercise and add some fish oil capsules to try to prevent the risk of developing any kind of cardiovascular disease. After all, you cannot rely on a doctor if you have already had a heart attack or stroke, it is usually too late.
