Fish can help ward off heart attacks, study

Jet, Dec 16, 2002

A recently released study suggests that healthy adults should eat a minimum of two servings of fish a week and heart patients should eat fish every day to lower the risk of a fatal heart attack.

According to the American Heart Association's (AHA) new guidelines published in the journal Circulation, omega-3 fatty acids, components found in fish oil, can save the lives of people with heart disease.

Penny Kris-Etherton of Pennsylvania State University and lead author of the AHA's statement says, "We have evidence that if heart patients consume about 1 gram a day, they have much better survival rates and fewer heart attacks." She adds, "Some people can't eat fish, won't eat fish or live in places where they can't get fish. Those people should consider a supplement in consultation with a physician."

The experts have also found that fatty fish such as sardines and tuna have protective effects on the cardiovascular system. Researchers have shown that these foods can lower the chances of developing blood clots, irregular heart rhythms and can reduce the levels of fat in the blood known as triglycerides, which are all heart disease risk factors.

The guideline says that people with elevated blood triglyceride levels may need 2 to 4 grams a day of omega-3 fatty acids in supplement capsules.

Those taking at least 3 grams daily should so only under a doctor's supervision because high intakes may cause excessive bleeding.

Even healthy individuals can benefit from a diet rich in fish like mackerel, salmon, Arctic char, bluefish and swordfish. The Physicians' Health Study suggests that a man's risk of dying from a heart attack can be reduced by 80% if he consumes fish. The Nurses Health Study found that a woman's risk of death by a heart attack can be cut by 33% if she eats a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Even with the benefits of fish the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still advises that some women take precautions. Pregnant women and nursing mothers who are at low risk of heart disease should avoid fish that may be contaminated with toxins such as mercury. These women and young children should eliminate shark, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and golden snapper from their diets.

For middle-aged men and older and women after menopause, the heart association says, "the benefits of eating fish far outweigh the risk."

The study also recommends eating omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources such as tofu and other forms of soybeans, flaxseed, walnuts and canola oil.