Take Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids for the Health of Your Heart

Much of the misunderstanding surrounding polyunsaturated fatty
acids may perhaps be ascribed to the general horror evoked in
our society by the very words "fat" and "fatty". And it's quite
true that saturated fats and so-called "trans-fats" need to be
kept to a minimum within a healthy diet. Essential fatty acids,
however, are a different matter.

The word "essential", in this context, means simply that they
can be manufactured by the body in only very small quantities,
if at all, and a supply must consequently be obtained through
the diet. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are also essential,
however, in the broader sense that they are a vital part of a
properly balanced diet, and play a crucial role in the health
and appearance of the whole human organism.

The most important of these essential fatty acids are linoleic
acid (omega 6) and alpha-linolenic acid, one of the omega 3
essential fatty acids. Both groups are vital for human health,
and the body requires a properly balanced intake of the two. But
it's probably fair to say that it's the benefits of omega 3
essential fatty acids which are currently attracting the most
attention, perhaps because the typical Western diet commonly
contains far more omega 6 than omega 3, an imbalance which may
have potentially serious health consequences.

The benefits of omega 3 essential fatty acids may include
relief for sufferers from numerous conditions, including
diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, schizophrenia, bipolar illness
and more general depression. But by far the greatest attention
has been paid to omega 3's role as a powerful protector against
heart attack, cardiovascular disease and stroke, still amongst
the biggest premature killers in the Western world.

Particular attention has been paid to the cardio-protective
effects of the omega 3 essential fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic
acid and docosahexaenoic acid, better known as EPA and DHA
respectively. Both EPA and DHA have been shown in a number of
studies to reduce levels of blood triglycerides, microscopic
particles of fat strongly associated with an increased risk of
cardiovascular disease and heart attack. The consumption of oily
fish, by far the richest source of EPA and DHA, is therefore now
recommended both by nutritionists and orthodox medicine,
including the American Heart Association.

In fact regular (ie at least twice weekly 100 g servings)
consumption of oily fish and sea food, with correspondingly
increased intake of omega 3 essential fatty acids, has been
shown in a number of studies to reduce mortality in sufferers
from coronary heart disease by as much as one-third.

And large scale studies following thousands of subjects for a
decade and more have reported reductions of up to 40-50% in the
incidence of coronary heart disease in subjects consuming the
highest amounts of omega 3 essential fatty acids; the best
protective effect being found in those who did not already
consume significant amounts of oily fish and seafood.

There's also good evidence from studies following tens of
thousands of subjects for ten or more years that the risk of
sudden death by heart attack, through failure of the heart
muscle or arrhythmia, may be reduced by anything up to 50%
simply by the weekly consumption of oily fish, a finding
supported by evidence that higher blood levels of EPA and DHA
also appeared to reduce this risk.

The US Food and Nutrition Board has recommended that infants
under 1 year should obtain 0.5 g daily of alpha-linolenic acid,
rising gradually to 1.6 g for adult men and 1.1 g for women. The
European Commission, by contrast, recommends for adults 2 g per
day of omega 3 essential fatty acids, which should include 0.2 g
of EPA/DHA.

But since oily fish, such as herring, mackerel, salmon and
sardines, tends to form rather a small element of the Western
diet, typical daily intakes of EPA and DHA may be as low as 0.04
g. For most individuals, to obtain the benefits of omega 3
essential fatty acids from diet alone would therefore require a
very radical change of diet, and supplementation is probably the
more attractive option.

Fortunately, odorless and tasteless fish oil supplements are
now readily available, and it is also possible to obtain eggs
enriched with omega 3 essential fatty acids. It should be noted,
however, that polyunsaturated fatty acids may be more prone to
oxidative free radical damage than saturated fats, potentially
eliminating much of their effectiveness. When supplementing with
omega 3 essential fatty acids, it is therefore sensible also to
increase intake of vitamin E, the most important fat-soluble
anti-oxidant, a move which will also provide numerous cardiac
health benefits in its own right.

About The Author: Steve Smith is a journalist and freelance
copywriter with a particualr interest in wellness and nutrition.
http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com

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