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Omega-3 fatty acids can significantly reduce our risk of acute heart attacks
A heart attack is an acute and life-threatening event that nobody wants to experience voluntarily. For a long time doctors have been looking for ways and means to prevent heart attacks or at least reduce their likelihood. Researchers have now found that regular consumption of fish and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids reduces our risk of this deadly heart disease.
Heart attacks are among the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Many of them could possibly be prevented by simply changing our eating habits. Scientists from Tufts University in Boston and the Stanford University School of Medicine have now discovered in one study that eating omega-3 fatty acids can protect us from heart attacks. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "JAMA Internal Medicine".
Fish is healthy and tastes excellent. Researchers now found out that fat fish can even protect us from heart attacks. The reason is omega-3 fatty acids. (Image: karepa / fotolia.com) Consumption of fish protects against heart attacks
The results of our study support the importance of fish to protect against heart attacks, the researchers say. Due to the high omega-3 content, we should consume more fish in order to eat healthier and protect against heart disease, explains author Dr. med. Dariush Mozaffarian from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston.
Which fish contain the most omega-3 fatty acids?
Although there have been a number of studies on fish oil recently, there are still uncertainties about the cardiovascular effects of omega-3 fatty acids. Mozaffarian continues. Fish are among the most important food sources for omega-3 fatty acids. Fat fish like salmon, trout, anchovies, sardines and herring contain most of these nutrients.
Study analyzes the data of nearly 46,000 subjects
Walnuts, linseed oil, rapeseed oil and some other seeds and nuts also contain plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, known as alpha-linolenic acid, the researchers explain. For their current study, the researchers analyzed data from 19 studies from 16 countries. Almost 46,000 people were involved in these. Of the subjects, nearly 8,000 suffered a first heart attack. In the course of time, 2,781 participants died as a result of their heart problems, say the doctors.
Plant-based omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of fatal heart attacks
Plant-based and seafood-based omega-3 fatty acids have not been associated with a reduced risk of non-fatal heart attacks. However, there was a ten percent reduced risk of fatal heart attacks. The study found no direct cause-and-effect relationship for this.
Other positive effects of omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids have quite different beneficial effects on human health. Older studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids are good for rheumatoid patients. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids seem to be suitable for Alzheimer's prevention because they can improve the performance of our memory.
The results provide a comprehensive picture of the effects of omega-3 fatty acids
The new analysis provides the most comprehensive picture yet of how omega-3 fatty acids can affect our heart disease, says study leader Liana Del Gobbo of the Stanford University School of Medicine. The results of the diverse studies have also been consistent with age, sex, race, diabetes, the use of aspirin or cholesterol-lowering drugs, adds Gobbo. (As)