.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Editor's note: Omega 3 fatty acids or fatty fish certainly benefit cardiavascular health. Read more articles on omega 3 fatty acids or fish oil.

They contribute to better regulation of electrical activity

By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- For older adults, fish oils help the heart by regulating its electrical activity, a new study indicates.

And just a couple of meals a week of the right kind of fish -- rich in omega-3 fatty acids, baked or boiled, but not fried -- will do the job, according to the report in the Aug. 1 Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The finding "supports studies suggesting that fish intake reduces the risk of sudden death," said study lead author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and instructor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston.

It has long been known that eating fish such as tuna, mackerel, lake trout and salmon, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, is good for the heart. Mozaffarian and his colleagues set out to discover why.

They analyzed data from more than 5,000 men and women aged 65 and older in the federally funded Cardiovascular Heart Study. The participants were asked whether they ate fish, what kind, and how often. The researchers compared the answers to those dietary questions with electrocardiogram tests of the study participants.

What they found was that eating fish was associated with a lower heart rate, a slower interval between when the heart received a signal to pump blood and when blood was pumped, and a lower likelihood that the heart would take a long time to reset its electrical system after a beat.

That last effect is important, Mozaffarian said. "The heart resets its electrical activity after every beat," he said. "When there is heart disease, the resetting can be delayed. That is dangerous."

Animal studies have indicated why the omega-3 fatty oils confer their beneficial effect, Mozaffarian said. "The fish oils get into the membrane of heart cells and affect the function of their protein channels," he said. "Potassium, sodium and calcium pass through those channels, controlling the whole electrical cycle."

While the new study found that the more fish consumed, the greater the benefits, most gains were achieved with just one or two meals of fish a week. That was especially true for the lower heart rate, Mozaffarian said.

But it had to be the right kind of fish, and prepared the right way. No effect on the heart's electrical activity was seen with fried fish, such as fish burgers or fish sticks. Those commercial products do not increase blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

And people who think they can take a shortcut by using fish-oil supplements are mistaken, said Alice H. Lichtenstein, professor of public health and family medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.

"Recent studies have cast doubt on the belief that fish-oil supplements are beneficial," Lichtenstein said.

More information

The latest recommendations on omega-3 fatty acids are available from the American Heart Association.

SOURCES: Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., cardiologist and instructor of medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston; Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., professor of public health and family medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston; Aug. 1, 2006, Journal of the American College of Cardiology

Last Updated: July 24, 2006

Copyright © 2006 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.


D.iet & H.ealth
:
G.eneral H.ealth


Fish oil, quitting smoking may protect eyesight

(foodconsumer.org) - Eating fish and quitting smoking may help reduce risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD),

Jul 11, 2006, 10:37



D.iet & H.ealth
:
H.eart & B.lood


Fish Consumption Linked to Heart Abnormality

(HealthDay News) -- Putting a confusing twist on the health value of fish oil, a new study suggests that eating lots of fish may actually boost the risk of atrial fibrillation, a potentially dangerous heart condition, in certain people.

May 18, 2006, 09:02



D.iet & H.ealth
:
G.eneral H.ealth


Polyunsaturated fat, vitamin E lower motor neurone disease risk

Using a diet with high polyunsaturated fat or vitamin E may reduce the risk of developing motor neuron disease by 60 percent,

Apr 27, 2006, 23:05


F.ood & H.ealth

:
T.echnologies


Cloned pigs produce heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids

US scientists have genetically engineered pigs in a way that they increase production of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids in their bodies.

Mar 27, 2006, 10:26


F.ood & H.ealth
:
F.ood C.hemicals



Omega-3 fatty acids, oily fish fight prostate cancer

Eating oily fish or taking omega-3 fatty acids supplements may help prevent the spread of aggressive prostate cancer to other parts of the body while high intake of omega-6 fatty acids may do the opposite.

Mar 24, 2006, 23:22


F.ood & H.ealth
:
F.ood C.hemicals



Oily fish, omega-3 fatty acids offer no clear benefits?

A study published online by the BMJ today doesn't find evidence of a clear benefit of omega 3 fats on health.

Mar 24, 2006, 13:50


D.iet & H.ealth
:
C.ancer


Oily fish, Omega-3 fatty acids fight prostate cancer


Eating oily fish or taking omega-3 fatty acids supplements may help prevent the spread of aggressive prostate cancer to other parts of the body while high intake of omega-6 fatty acids, may do the opposite,

Mar 21, 2006, 21:43


F.ood & H.ealth
:
F.ood C.hemicals


Omega 3 fatty acids influence mood, impulsivity and personality

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may influence mood, personality and behavior, according to results of a study presented today by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers at the 64th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Denver.


Mar 3, 2006, 22:25


D.iet & H.ealth
:
H.eart & B.lood


Fish oil lowers heart disease risk linked to air pollution

Two grams of fish oil supplement (i.e. salmon oil) per day can help reduce heart disease risk associated with diseased heart rate variability (HRV), which can be caused by tiny, dangerous airborne pollutant particles.


Dec 22, 2005, 14:05


D.iet & H.ealth
:
G.eneral H.ealth


Dietary fat intake linked to dry eye syndrome in women

Your eyes are what you eat, too - consuming foods rich in omega-3, such as tuna, may reduce risk by 68 percent

Oct 19, 2005, 19:39

© 2004-2005 by foodconsumer.org unless otherwise specified

Top of Page