According to an article published by the Mayo Clinic, eating fish that contains omega-3 fatty acids is very good for your heart. If you eat one to two servings of fish a week, you could be cutting your chances of having a fatal heart attack by at least one third. This isn't a new approach; the American Heart Association has recommended this for years. Although there are concerns about contaminants in fish, such as the level of Mercury content, at least two large, federally sponsored studies have concluded that the heart health benefits of eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids usually outweigh the risks associated with contaminants.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, established fish consumption could reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by one third, and the overall mortality was 17% less.
Another study released by the Institute of Medicine found that eating seafood also seems to support a healthy heart.
According to Donald Hensrud, M.D., chair of Mayo Clinic's Division of Preventive Medicine and associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition, "Fish contain unsaturated fatty acids, which, when substituted for saturated fatty acids such as is contained in meat, may lower serum cholesterol. But the main beneficial component appears to be omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish. Omega-3 fatty acids have many potential beneficial effects including improving cognitive function in developing children, decreasing triglycerides, lowering blood pressure, reducing blood clotting, enhancing immune function, and possibly others. However, the strongest benefit from omega-3 fatty acids is reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death, which appears to be due to decreasing the risk of abnormal heart rhythms."
Fatty fish that contain the most omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, herring, and tuna. In addition, many types of seafood contain small amounts. Two three-ounce servings per week of fatty fish are recommended. Due to their high susceptibility to toxins found in fish, Dr. Hensrud recommends that children, as well as women of childbearing age, should limit the amount of canned Tuna to 6 ounces per week and limit other fish eaten to a maximum of 12 ounces a week. In addition, they should avoid eating certain fish like shark and swordfish altogether.
Toxins in fish include mercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). How much toxin a fish has is dependent on the type of fish and where it was caught. Each state issues advisories concerning a safe amount of locally caught fish for consumption. Fish that have higher levels of mercury include shark, tilefish, swordfish, and king mackerel, as they are large fish that feed on smaller fish that, in turn, store methyl mercury in their own bodies from their own dietary consumption. Therefore, these fish have more concentrated mercury content.
Don't like Fish? Although supplements and non-fish foods have not been proven to have the same level of heart healthy benefits of eating fish, people with heart disease can take supplements of omega-3 fatty acids or eat non-fish foods that contain omega-3 fatty acid with some benefit. These include flaxseed, flaxseed oil, walnuts, canola oil, soybeans and soybean oil.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, established fish consumption could reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by one third, and the overall mortality was 17% less.
Another study released by the Institute of Medicine found that eating seafood also seems to support a healthy heart.
According to Donald Hensrud, M.D., chair of Mayo Clinic's Division of Preventive Medicine and associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition, "Fish contain unsaturated fatty acids, which, when substituted for saturated fatty acids such as is contained in meat, may lower serum cholesterol. But the main beneficial component appears to be omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish. Omega-3 fatty acids have many potential beneficial effects including improving cognitive function in developing children, decreasing triglycerides, lowering blood pressure, reducing blood clotting, enhancing immune function, and possibly others. However, the strongest benefit from omega-3 fatty acids is reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death, which appears to be due to decreasing the risk of abnormal heart rhythms."
Fatty fish that contain the most omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, herring, and tuna. In addition, many types of seafood contain small amounts. Two three-ounce servings per week of fatty fish are recommended. Due to their high susceptibility to toxins found in fish, Dr. Hensrud recommends that children, as well as women of childbearing age, should limit the amount of canned Tuna to 6 ounces per week and limit other fish eaten to a maximum of 12 ounces a week. In addition, they should avoid eating certain fish like shark and swordfish altogether.
Toxins in fish include mercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). How much toxin a fish has is dependent on the type of fish and where it was caught. Each state issues advisories concerning a safe amount of locally caught fish for consumption. Fish that have higher levels of mercury include shark, tilefish, swordfish, and king mackerel, as they are large fish that feed on smaller fish that, in turn, store methyl mercury in their own bodies from their own dietary consumption. Therefore, these fish have more concentrated mercury content.
Don't like Fish? Although supplements and non-fish foods have not been proven to have the same level of heart healthy benefits of eating fish, people with heart disease can take supplements of omega-3 fatty acids or eat non-fish foods that contain omega-3 fatty acid with some benefit. These include flaxseed, flaxseed oil, walnuts, canola oil, soybeans and soybean oil.
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