Omega-3 fats again vindicated in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and chronic illnesses

Tuesday, December 11, 2012 by: John Phillip
Tags: omega-3s, cardiovascular disease, chronic disease

(NaturalNews) Big Pharma interests have been working overtime to confuse millions of Americans that could benefit from consuming Omega-3 fats (DHA and EPA) from natural and supplemental sources. Reports have been circulated that are designed to debunk the thousands of scientific research studies that show how the long-chain fats dramatically lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and dying from a heart attack.

Monster drug giants benefit by pushing their ineffective prescription medications that at best, mask symptoms of disease and do little to treat those vascular conditions that respond positively to Omega-3 fat enriched foods and fish oil capsules. A study team from the prestigious Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University has published the result of their work in the Journal of Lipid Research that demonstrates the critical nature of Omega-3 fats to human health.

The scientists found that omega-3 fatty acids (which include EPA, DHA and ALA), both from fish and supplements, do indeed help prevent heart disease and other conditions, despite widely publicized results with conflicting results. Lead study author, Dr. Donald Jump commented "After decades of studying omega-3 fatty acids, it's clear that they have value in primary prevention of heart disease."

Omega-3 fats benefit heart health, lower cancer risk and improve cognitive function

The authors cited studies performed in the early 1970s on native Inuit's in Greenland who ate large amounts of fish and were found to have unusually low levels of cardiovascular disease. At the same time, deaths from heart disease and sudden cardiac mortality were peaking in many western cultures, where refined and processed convenience foods that were stripped of nutrients and fats in their natural form were replacing traditional home cooked meals.

The researchers determined that many studies in the past designed to determine how Omega-3 fats impact heart health have been performed using individuals with existing or advanced disease and taking one or more prescription medications that skew the effectiveness of the DHA and EPA components. By singling out studies on healthy individuals without heart ailments, the researchers were able to determine that Omega-3 fats accumulate preferentially in endothelial tissues to suppress inflammation and improve arterial elasticity, thus significantly lowering the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

In addition to their proven benefit in preventing vascular disorders, the researchers concluded that Omega-3 fatty acids "have been shown to improve visual acuity and cognitive function and reduce dementia; reduce inflammation and perhaps some types of cancer, such as colon cancer and reduce total mortality." They also found that plant-derived sources (such as walnuts, flax and chia seeds) have less benefit than those from cold-water fish, because of differences in how the human body processes these nutrients. Nutrition experts advise eating fatty fish two or three times a week or supplementing with a molecularly distilled fish oil to slash the risks associated with cardiovascular disease.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.jlr.org/content/53/12/2525.abstract
http://oregonstate.edu
http://www.lef.org
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/253372.php

About the author:
John Phillip is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise, Mind and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your weight loss goal. Visit My Optimal Health Resource to continue reading the latest health news updates, and to download your copy of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan'.