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Fish Oil and Heart Disease
Research on heart disease and fish oil suggests that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil reduce the risk of heart attack. Other benefits include lowering blood pressure and improving the health of arteries. These findings indicate that 1 gram of fish oil a day can help people at high risk for heart disease or those who already have it.
Fish oil is found naturally in the tissues of oily fish, such as:
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Lake trout
- Herring
- Sardines
- Mackerel.
It is also available as a supplement. Fish oil contains two omega-3 fatty acids -- eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It is believed that because of these two omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil decreases the chances for a heart attack, along with the overall chance of death from heart disease.
Fish oil has been shown to have several health benefits, including:
- Decreasing the risk of arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms), which can lead to sudden death
- Decreasing triglyceride levels by 20 to 40 percent
- Decreasing blood clots
- Lowering blood pressure
- Improving the health of arteries.
Because of these benefits, foods with omega-3 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acid supplements, such as fish oil supplements, can bear labels that state their ability to reduce heart disease and the risk of sudden death.
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD