心血管
Cardiovascular Health
Heart disease and related complications are the UK’s biggest
killer. This may be attributable to a range of factors, although
the main contributors to poor heart health include smoking,
high cholesterol and high blood pressure, stress, obesity
and diabetes. The benefits of oily fish for cardiovascular
health were first revealed when scientists discovered that
the Inuit population of Greenland suffered far less from coronary
heart disease than their European counterparts despite their
high-fat, high-cholesterol diet. Realising that their diet
was high in polyunsaturated omega-3 fats, researchers looked
further to see if this relationship was mere coincidence,
and found that these omega-3s did indeed have a protective
effect on cardiovascular health.[i] Since then scientists
have further researched the role of omega-3 fatty acids in
cardiovascular health and consistently found that higher intake
of omega-3 fats protects against heart disease in the following
ways:
- Lowering blood triglycerides (fatty deposits in the blood)
making blood more fluid and less prone to clotting. The effects
of omega-3 on triglyceride levels are dose-respondent, with
effective results seen when doses range from 3-5 g daily.[ii]
In order to consume safely such high levels of omega-3 it
is necessary to supplement the diet with a purified fish oil
supplement.
- Lowering concentrations of LDL (low-density lipoprotein
or ‘bad’) cholesterol. [iii] When LDL cholesterol builds up
in the arteries it forms a stiff plaque, which can result
in clogging and in the long term, atherosclerosis. This then
raises the risk of clotting in the narrowed arteries, which
can instigate heart attacks. Conversely, high density lipoprotein
(HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol) is thought to lower the risk of
heart attack by removing LDL from the arteries and carrying
it to the liver where it is excreted from the body.
- Lowering blood pressure.
- Reducing atrial fibrillation. This condition affects the
rhythmic pumping of blood in the lower ventricles of the heart
so that the chambers ‘quiver’, reducing the effectiveness
of the functioning of the heart as a pump. Researchers at
Harvard have found that consumption of tuna and other baked
or broiled fish (providing long-chain omega-3 fatty acids)
was associated with lower incidence of atrial fibrillation.[iv]
- Reducing the risk of congestive heart failure. Published
in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, one
study found that long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intake reduced
the risk of congestive heart failure by up to 37%.[v] Fish
consumption had a similarly positive effect on the incidence
of heart failure – intake of 1 or 2 times per week resulted
in 20% lower risk compared to intake just once a month, and
up to 32% reduced risk when consumed 5 times per week.
For more serious conditions we recommend between four and
eight omega capsules daily, which provide 560 mg ultra-pure
EPA and 200 mg organic virgin evening primrose oil.
Please consult your doctor if you are taking any blood-thinning
medication. EPA is not compatible with medications such as
warfarin or heparin injections.
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