It seems that hardly a week goes by without new information being released regarding the positive health benefits of regularly consuming omega-3 essential fatty acids.
The first study we want to bring to your attention demonstrated that science behind the cardiovascular health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids supports recommended daily levels of 500 mg, according to a recent review. “Compelling evidence” from studies involving almost 40,000 participants supports daily EPA plus DHA intakes of at least 500 mg per day for healthy individuals, while people with known heart disease or heart failure should aim for up to 1,000 mg daily, according to a review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“This isn’t just hype; we now have tremendous and compelling evidence from very large studies, some dating back 20 and 30 years, that demonstrate the protective benefits of omega-3 fish oil in multiple aspects of preventive cardiology,” said Carl Lavie, lead author of the review and medical director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention at the Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans.
Dr Lavie and his co-workers noted that the most compelling evidence for the cardiovascular benefits of the fatty acids came from four randomised controlled trials with EPA and DHA, which involved around 40,000 participants. Following evaluation of evidence from retrospective epidemiologic studies and from large randomised controlled trials, the reviewers recommended that healthy individuals should consume 500 mg daily of omega-3 fish oil containing EPA and DHA, while people with known heart disease or heart failure aim for between 800 and 1,000 mg per day.
“Further studies are needed to determine optimal dosing and the relative ratio of DHA and EPA omega-3 PUFA that provides maximal cardioprotection in those at risk of CV disease as well in the treatment of atherosclerotic, arrhythmic, and primary myocardial disorders,” concluded the researchers.
The next study we’d like to refer you to concerns the role of omega-3’s in weight management.
In this current study, 124 adults were enrolled: 21 had a healthy weight, 40 were overweight, and 63 were obese. Blood samples were taken from all the participants after they had fasted for at least ten hours. The researchers noted a relationship between the levels of total omega-3 in the blood as well as blood levels of DHA and EPA with body mass index (BMI), waist size, and hip circumference.
Overall, the obese participants had omega-3 levels that were nearly 1 percent lower than those in the healthy-weight volunteers, 4.53 percent versus 5.25 percent. When the study participants were classified according to their omega-3 levels alone, the researchers noted that higher omega-3 levels were associated with a smaller waist, lower hip size, and a healthier BMI.
First Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Second Source: British Journal of Nutrition
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