Omega-3 fatty acids: good news about good fats, the heart-healthy omega-3s found in salmon, walnuts and other tasty sources: they turn out to be good for your bones too

Better Nutrition, July, 2005

Finally, a good reason to eat fat: Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are, well, essential to your health. The best of these wholesome fats--and the ones most Americans get too few of in their diets--are known as omega-3s.

Long known for their heart-healthful properties, omega-3 fatty acids have now been found to make the body stronger in other ways. The first of two new studies showed that a higher intake of omega-3s appears to preserve bone mineral density (BMD).

People who consume more omega-3s have a higher BMD in their hips--regardless of their age, body type or lifestyle--researchers from the University of California, San Diego, reported in the April 2005 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. So increasing your intake of omega-3s may play a key role in preserving your bone density--and help you avoid fractures and breaks as you age.

In the second study, reported in the April 2005 issue of Chest, taking omega-3 supplements increased heart rate variability--the ability of the heart to beat faster or slower as necessary--in elderly patients. While omega-3s have previously been associated with preventing heart disease, this study clarified one way they work.

"If you don't have [adequate] heart rate variability, or if it decreases, you're at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease," says Fernando Holguin, MD, the study's lead researcher. "Increasing your heart rate variability preserves the fine-tuning of the heart."

In other words, omega-3s help your heart roll with the punches of life. The less variability your heart has, the less able it is to respond to changes that can lead to arrhythmia or heart failure.

And the best news about omega-3s? They're easy to add to your diet. Not only can they be found in fish, flax and soy oil supplements, but they come in a variety of tasty food sources. Just add walnuts, salmon and other fatty fish, dark leafy greens, soy and ground flaxseeds to your diet to increase your intake of these healthful fats.