If you are someone who has heart problems and are looking for a healthy heart patient diet plan, you really should consider including fish oil. Fish oil is a rich source of the essential fatty acids classified as the omega-3 fatty acids. Increasing numbers of research studies have found fish oil has a broad range of health benefits. One of the most studied of these benefits is fish oil’s positive effects on the cardiovascular system, helping reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
Found naturally in fatty, cold-water fish, the omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to slow cellular aging, reduce the risk for some cancers, keep skin smooth and soft and prevent depression, all of these along with the heart benefits! To obtain the greatest benefits, eat several servings of cold water fish like wild salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring. Other fish contain omega-3s but not in the concentration that these fatty, cold water fish do. Pass on the Atlantic salmon, a farm raised fish that may contain antibiotics, hormones and pollutants. Tuna is a good source of omega-3s, but there is a concern with mercury contamination, so limit your tuna consumption to just several times per month.
A multitude of studies have shown that fish oil works in many ways to protect the heart, lowering the risk for heart attack and cardiovascular disease. People who eat a lot of fish are found to have a greater than 60 percent reduced risk for heart attacks. Native Alaskans have a traditional diet high in fats but a low incidence of heart disease, primarily due to the abundant omega-3s in their diet. Whether you eat a diet rich in fish or take supplements, you’ll reap the benefits of these essential fatty acids.
The omega-3s found in fish oil supplements act as anti-inflammatory agents reducing the inflammation that is implicated in cardiovascular problems along with many other chronic diseases. The high rates of inflammation seen in people with chronic diseases may partially be caused by an abundance of omega-6 fatty acids in the modern diet, no longer balanced by the same proportion of omega-3s. Omega-3s also reduce the triglyceride levels in the blood and help reduce high blood pressure.
Oil from fish acts to thin the blood, preventing blood platelet aggregation that can lead to clots. Blood clots are the cause of both heart attacks and strokes and other dangerous circulatory problems. Fish oil is known to stabilize the plaque that forms in arteries and causes atherosclerosis, a fatty buildup in the arteries. Arteriosclerosis has a similar effect, constricting the arteries, but the plaque is primarily a calcium buildup. Both problems narrow the arteries including the coronary arteries. When coronary arteries are blocked, the oxygen supply to the heart is cut off, resulting in a heart attack. Stabilizing the plaque is beneficial because unstable plaque deposits can break off forming clots that cause heart attacks and stroke.
Fish oil also has heart protective action by regulating the electrical currents that control the rhythm of the heart beat. Arrhythmia and tachycardia, the presence of irregularities in the heart beat and a too fast heart beat, can both cause heart attacks. Fish oil also slows the heart rate, making each beat more efficient.
These are just some of the many health benefits that fish oil with omega-3 fatty acids has. Studies continue discovering more advantages to adding fish to the diet. Although some people worry about heavy metal and other contamination of fish and their oil, a recent study done on over 50 brands of fish oil found virtually no contaminants in any of the oil. If you worry about pollutants, you may want to buy salmon oil made from wild caught Alaskan salmon, even though there appears to be no problem with other fish oils. Better yet, try krill oil, made from tiny sea crustaceans and free of contaminants. Eating fresh fish and taking a daily fish oil supplement will help protect your entire cardiovascular system!
To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885 anytime
Skype: Monique371
