Heart Health and the Importance of Omega 3’s Health and the Importance of Omega 3’s 3 Heart...

Heart Health and the Importance of Omega 3’s

w w w . b e l m a r r a h e a l t h . c o m

SPECIAL REPORT

Heart health and the importance of Omega 3’s is published by Bel Marra Health, Harvard Square, One Mifflin Place, Suite 400, Cambridge, MA 02138; in Canada, P.O. Box 77001, RPO Martin Grove, Woodbridge, ON L4L 9S3. Contents Copyright 2014 by Bel Marra Health. No part of this report may be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any means or media without written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved. Heart health and the importance of Omega 3’s is presented for information purposes only, and should not be con-strued as medical advice or instruction. On any matter relating to your health or well-being, please check with an appropriate health professional. The opinions herein are exactly that, they are opinions of the author. 0614

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Do you know someone who appears to practically radiate good health? You know what I’m talking about— they look 10 years younger than they are, their skin glows, they have seemingly boundless energy, and they don’t have a medicine chest full of pharmaceutical drugs just to get them through each day. While it would be tempting to write this per-son off as lucky, or genetically-pre-disposed to robust health, the truth is, good health doesn’t happen by accident: there are secrets to being healthy. This report is going to fill you in on those secrets. These are the secrets that doctors themselves use to stay healthy. Feeling good means that you have to maintain all the systems in your body with the proper nutrients. Blood sugar has to be balanced, as does cholesterol, blood pressure and a whole host of other bodily processes. It’s a game of numbers, really. So here we go—six doctors’ inside secrets that could improve your health numbers and help you to feel great every day!

Heart Rescue and the healing powers of Omega-3sMostly heralded but sometimes

under scrutiny, omega-3s have been on the newsmaking forefront in the medical world for a while now. They have been purported to eradicate diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and depression that continue to threaten us, and which have thus far eluded cures. But where does the hype about omega-3s end and the truth start? In this report, we will shed light on what omega-3s can do, the best sources to get them from, and why they are indeed essential to our well-being.Good Things Come in Threes?We need omega-3 fatty acids. Our bodies cannot produce them, yet omega-3s are crucial to many of the body’s functions. Moreover, it’s been shown that groups whose diets are high in omega-3 fatty acids

(such as the Inuit and Japanese cultures) have a lower incidence of heart disease and nervous system disorders.

It has also been shown that North Americans get less than half the recommended amount of omega-3s in their diet.

Omega-3s are comprised of three fatty acids: a-linolenic acid, (ALA); eicosapentaenoic acid, (EPA); and docosahexaenoic acid, (DHA). The most important of the omega-3 fatty acids is DHA. Breast milk is high in DHA and children who have been breastfed tend to have higher IQs and do better in school than do those children Heart Health and the Importance of Omega-3 who were fed formula. Doctors recommend getting at least 200 mg of DHA per day. Flaxseed, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, soy, and canola oil are all excellent sources of DHA, but when most people think of

omega-3s, they think about oily, cold-water fish. But given the pol-luted waters that these fish swim in, is fish still a wise choice?

Should you take cod liver oil or fish oil supplements?Now that you know fish oil is good for you, you’ll face a dilemma the next time you go to the drugstore. You know to check to see if the fish oil is pharmaceutical grade, dis-tilled, and mercury-free. But sup-pose you see a bottle of cod liver oil and a bottle of fish oil, side by side, both boasting about their omega-3 content. How do you decide which to purchase?

Both are excellent sources for omega-3s; however, the preferred source is fish oil rather than cod liver oil. The liver is a filter, so tak-ing anything that is derived from it is bound to be full of toxins.

Moreover cod liver oil can

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Mackerel ................. 2.6Lake trout ................ 2.0Herring .................... 1.7Bluefin tuna ............ 1.6Salmon .................... 1.5Canned sardines ..... 1.5Atlantic sturgeon .... 1.5Albacore tuna ......... 1.5Lake whitefish ........ 1.5

Anchovies ............... 1.4Bluefish ................... 1.2Striped bass ............. 0.8Brook trout.............. 0.6Rainbow trout ......... 0.6Pacific halibut ......... 0.5Pollock .................... 0.5Shark ....................... 0.5Sturgeon .................. 0.4

Fresh water bass ..... 0.3Catfish ..................... 0.3Ocean perch ............ 0.3Flounder .................. 0.2Haddock .................. 0.2Red snapper ............ 0.2Swordfish ................ 0.2Sole ......................... 0.1

TYPES OF FISHTotal omega-3 content per 3.5 ounces (grams)

contain high levels of vitamin A. Vitamin A is harder to process than other vitamins and it tends to stay in the body for a long time. This can cause vitamin A toxicity.1 Those suffering from it are vulner-able to joint pain, vision problems, weakness, and exhaustion. We can also get vitamin A from the sun and in small doses it can be great, but in large amounts it poisons the body. That is why it is especially important that those who live in sunny climates need to be sure that they do not ingest cod liver oil.

Cancer prevention and Omega-3s:The verdict?Advocates of omega-3s proclaim that these essential fatty acids can wipe out cancer, reduce heart disease, stop Alzheimer’s and put an end to arthritis suffering to name a few. However, omega-3s’ miraculous healing powers have had to do some backpedaling when it comes to its effectiveness as a cancer-fighter. The jury is still out on whether or not omega-3s can prevent cancer, but more and more evidence discrediting its cancer-fighting abilities is mounting.

In 2005, Researchers from the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center reviewed a large body of anecdotal research that had been conducted on a wide

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range of participants from differ-ent countries. They concluded that there was not enough evidence to suggest a significant association between omega-3 fatty acids and cancer incidence. They also that noted dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids is unlikely to prevent cancer.2

Corroborating these findings, a report published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) stated that consuming omega-3 fatty will not reduce the risk of cancer. The results for the study were based on a systematic review supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the National Institutes

of Health’s (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS).

However, there have been many suggestive (though not definitive) cases that seem to support the fact that omega-3s can, indeed, fight cancer. For example many believe that it is the omega-3s found in soy that are responsible for the lower rates of breast cancer in Asian women. Some North American women have taken this fact and run with it, supplementing their diets with soy, in order to stave off this disease.

While not asserting its cancer-preventing properties, articles in well-established medical journals such as the Journal of Nutrition support the notion that omega-3 fatty acids offer an effective, non-toxic complement to such debili-tating treatments as radiation and chemotherapy.

Not enough testing has been done on humans to really deter-mine the effectiveness of omega-3s on preventing cancer. More tests have been done on animals; however, in those tests it has been shown that omega-3s can discour-age certain cancers from starting: especially leukemia and cancers of the breast, prostate, and uterine endometrial tissue.

The lesson to take away is this:

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Ingredients1 pound salmon fillet cut into 4 pieces1 small bunch of chives, chopped1 tablespoon soy sauce1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar1 tablespoon minced ginger1 tablespoon minced garlicA few drops of sesame oil1/2 cup water1/2 cup sake

Directions1. Take a large rectangular piece of tinfoil and place the salmon fillets in the center. Mix the soy sauce, chives, ginger, garlic, vinegar, and sesame oil together. Pour the mixture on top of the fillets.2. Fold the tinfoil, so that the fish is encased in a tightly sealed packet.3. Bring a water and sake to a boil in a shallow pan. Place the sealed packet in the water. Reduce heat and cover tightly. Let the fish steam for about 10 minutes.4. Open the packet, make sure the fish is cooked and carefully remove it. Serve with steamed vegetables.

Asian Inspired Steamed Fish

Omega-3s may not directly attack cancer cells, but it is very clear that omega-3s are energy and immune system boosters. And, a fortified immune system can help the body steer clear of cancer.

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Statins versus Omega-3sThere is no doubt about it, when it comes to lowering your cholesterol, which in turn lowers your chance of getting a heart attack, statins do indeed work. In fact, they have the reputation of being incredibly ef-fective. But, statins are still phar-maceuticals. And pharmaceuticals are indeed a double-edged sword. While able to relieve symptoms, these man-made, synthetic anti-dotes usually come with a surplus of dreaded side effects. And so does it come as any surprise that prolonged use of statins such as “Zocor,” “Provacol,” and “Lipitor” have been reported to cause a host of side effects including irritabil-ity, insomnia, erectile dysfunc-tion, nerve damage, loss of mental clarity, weakness, tingling in the extremities, as well as difficulty walking.

Researchers who studied 500,000 Danish people found that those sub-jects who took statins were more likely to develop side effects that led to nerve damage.

They concluded that the longer subjects were on the drug, the more they increased their risk. Specifi-cally, those who had been taking statins for one year raised the risk of nerve damage by about 15 per-cent, while those who took statins

for two or more years, the addition-al risk rose to 26%.3

Dr. Beatrice Golomb, a cardio-vascular epidemiologist at the Uni-versity of California at San Diego made another discovery that backs up this claim about nerve problems arising from from statin use. In a study, she concluded that patients who use statins for two or more years are at a four- to 14-fold in-creased risk of developing muscular weakness and numbness compared to controls. She reports that in many cases, patients told her they had complained to their doctors about neurological problems, only to be assured that their symptoms could not be related to cholesterol-lowering medications.4

In yet another study, this time investigating statins, omega-3s, and other cholesterol lowering supple-ments, researchers from the Basel Institute for Clinical Epidemiol-ogy and University Hospital in Basel, Switzerland reviewed over 10,000 clinical trials published between 1965 and 2003 and chose 97 for statistical evaluation. These 97 trials were chosen because of their randomized, controlled, and scientifically valid data. They included 275,000 subjects. The current analysis compared drugs categorized as statins, fibrates and resins, and the nutritional supple-


ments omega-3 fatty acids. Fibrate drugs failed to influence overall heart-related mortality risks. While diet and resins appeared to provide insignificant benefits, it was the statins and omega-3 fatty acids that significantly lowered both overall and coronary heart disease mortal-ity risk during the trial periods. The risk of overall mortality was reduced by 13% by statins. How-ever, the great news was that the mortality risk was reduced 23% by omega-3 fatty acid supplements. Omega-3 fatty acids provided almost double the benefit of statins with none of the side effects!

When the risk of mortality from heart disease alone was analyzed, the use of statin drugs and omega-3 fatty acids were found to lower the risk by 22 and 32%, respectively. This is incred-ible news. Wouldn’t you rather lower your cholesterol naturally than with harsh phar-maceuticals, which have actu-ally been proven to be less effective than statins? Statins are not only costly, but they are pills that you also have to take for prolonged periods

of time—and the longer you take pharmaceutical drugs, the greater your chances of succumbing to one of their many side effects. If you are reluctant to give up your statins, or wish to taper off usage, you could try supplementing with omega-3s, as omega-3s have been reported to remove the side ef-fects of statins. Always remember to consult with a physician before undertaking any new therapies.

Are all eggs created equal?For those people looking to get their omega-3s from sources other than fish, omega-3 enhanced eggs seem to be an attractive choice. Sure, they are more expensive than your garden-variety egg, but are they worth it - or

is it just a clever marketing ploy? According to a Journal of Nutri-

tion, Health and Aging study published in July 2005,

the hype sur-rounding these powerhouse eggs is to be believed. Ac-knowledging

that most North Americans are

omega-3 deprived, they asserted that

eating omega-3 eggs could help them get their recommended level of omega-3s.

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Also, it is important to note that there is nothing “Frankenstein-like” about these eggs: There is no laboratory modification that takes place after the egg has been laid.

Hens are fed a diet that is rich in flaxseed and other foods high in omega-3s, so what they produce is therefore also high in these nutrients.

In addition to providing 350 mg of omega-3s per egg, most omega-3 eggs are also fortified with vitamin E. It’s important to boost antioxidants such as vitamin E when increasing your intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Omega-3s are crucial to heart healthWith heart disease killing an esti-mated 2,600 Americans per day, maintaining a healthy heart should be on everybody’s mind. Heart health is a rather general term that encompasses a lot of different fac-tors such as blood pressure, circula-tion, low cholesterol, and healthy arteries. And when you think of these elements, it’s hard not to think of omega-3s. Let’s look at the role your arteries play in your heart’s health.

Highways are sometimes referred to as arteries and for good reason: They have a lot in common. For

the carbased commuter, few things are as attractive as smooth roads, wide-open lanes with cars zoom-ing along, and no sign of traffic or accidents. Conversely for one of these commuters, few things are as unattractive as old, bumpy roads in need of repair, narrow lanes, traffic, and accident pileups. These will only slow the commuter down.

Just replace the roads with your arteries and you can see that the latter description can lead to disaster. Luckily, omega-3s with their anti-inflammatory and blood thinning properties can really help and even prevent this heart catastrophe from happening.

Once omega-3s are released into the bloodstream, they can immediately get to work reducing inflammation and breaking down cholesterol deposits. Getting back to our highway comparison, once more, think of omega-3s as high-way patrol removing barricades from the highways and freeing up space.

Over the past decade, several major studies (including the U.S. Physicians Health Study and the Nurses Health Study) have shown that consumption of omega-3s significantly improves heart health and reduces the risk of heart com-plications. In the Physicians Study,

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men with the lowest levels of ome-ga-3 in the blood were 81% more likely to suffer death from sudden heart failure, than those with the highest levels in their blood. There are several reasons for why this is the case.

Omega-3s are also beneficial for another important component of your heart’s health: blood pressure. One trial found that DHA could significantly lower blood pressure and improve quality of life, and re-duce mortality rates. At the end of the three-month study, the patients taking the soy had experienced significant improvements in their symptoms, in comparison to those taking the placebo. The range mo-tion of the joint, quality of life, and pain levels improved noticeably in the soy protein group. Interestingly, the patients experiencing the most beneficial effects from the soy were men. It’s not entirely certain why the soy supplement worked better in men than it did in women. Still, the fact that such exciting effects were seen in the male group sug-gests that soy may be useful in treating osteoarthritis.5

Omega-3s and the brainMany of us grew up in households where we were told, “Eat your fish, it’s brain food.” Though it may have seemed like a rather weak

bribe to get you to finish the food on your plate, actually there’s a great deal of truth to it. The brain is over 60% fat and, more than any other part of the body, it needs fat to function properly. Not just any kind of fat will do; however, it needs fat from essential fatty acids. If it does not get EFAs, it will use bad fats or “replacement fats” to carry out im-portant functions. This is extremely unhealthy for the body.

Is it any wonder then, that people suffering from brain disorders rang-ing from depression to attention deficit disorder have high levels of these replacement fats in their brain?

Omega-3s can not only provide the brain with the essential tissue building fats that it needs, but it can also reverse the damaging effects of the bad fats.

Reduce the risk of alzheimer’s by consuming more Omega-3 fatsThere are estimated to be nearly 4.5 million people living with Alzheimer’s in the U.S. and the number is increasing. We already know that omega-3s are neces-sary for normal brain health, but is there a link between omega-3s and Alzheimer’s?

The exact causes of Alzheimer’s are not yet known; however, one of the key factors seems to be a result

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of decreased blood flow to the brain. Impeded blood flow means that the brain cells are unable to receive nutrients to keep it vital and healthy. Omega-3s are genius at reducing inflammation and helping to increase blood flow, so it seems that they could certainly help fend off Alzheimer’s.

A new study funded by the Cana-dian Institutes for Health Research suggests the same.6 The research, which was done on mice, provides the strongest evidence so far that a deficiency in a specific dietary component can have a direct impact on the risk of developing the devas-tating disease. The researchers bred mice to develop an Alzheimer-like disease. They then divided the mice into two groups and fed one group of mice a diet rich in soy and fish diet and a second group a diet that was devoid of any omega-3s. After five months, they dissected the rodents’ brains.

According to Sally Frautschy, Associate Professor of Neurolgy at UCLA, high amounts of synaptic damage were found in the mice that were fed a diet lacking in omega-3s. The mice fed a diet poor in omega-3s also did poorly in memory tests, further evidence of brain damage. Also, these mice performed poorly in simple memory tests.

While the research does not

provide the final answer, the re-searchers believe that increasing the intake of omega-3s, and DHA in particular, likely offers some protection against Alzheimer’s.

How Much is Too Much?With so many immune-boosting benefits, it’s only natural to want to give your body plenty of omega-3s.

Because omega-3s are known primarily for their blood-thinning and anti-inflammatory properties, if one goes too far and “overdoses” that person is at a risk for internal-ized bleeding and hemorrhaging. Most doctors just recommend one gram of fish oil per day. Intake of 3 grams per day or greater of omega-3 fatty acids may increase the risk of bleeding.

Experts consider four grams a day or more of fish oil to be a high dose and warn that this amount should only be taken under a doctor’s supervision.

Also, if you are a diabetic, you should make sure you check with your doctor, before beginning any kind of therapy with omega-3s as there is some dispute, about choles-terol and triglyceride levels worsen-ing in diabetics who take fish oil supplements. However, we advise anyone beginning a new treatment to consulting with a health care professional.7

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Sources:1. Cannell, John J., et al. “Cod liver oil, vitamin A toxicity, frequent respiratory infections, and the vitamin D deficiency epidemic.” The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology 117.11 (2008): 864.

2. MacLean CH, Newberry SJ, Mojica, WA, Issa A, Khanna P, Lim YW, Morton SC, Suttorp M, Tu W, Hilton LG, Garland RH, Traina SB, Shekelle PG. Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Cancer. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 113.

3. Gaist D, Jeppesen U, Andersen M, García Rodríguez LA, Hallas J, Sindrup SH (2002). “Statins and risk of polyneuropathy—a case-control study”. Neurology 58 (9): 1333–1337. doi:10.1212/WNL.58.9.1333. PMID 12011277. Lay summary – USA Today (2002-08-20).

4. Golomb, Beatrice A., and Marcella A. Evans. “Statin adverse effects.” American journal of cardiovascular drugs 8.6 (2008): 373-418.

5. Arjmandi, B. H., et al. “Soy protein may alleviate osteoarthritis symptoms.” Phytomedicine 11.7 (2004): 567-575.

6. Lim, Giselle P., et al. “A diet enriched with the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid reduces amyloid burden in an aged Alzheimer mouse model.” The Journal of neuroscience 25.12 (2005): 3032-3040.

7. GLAUBER, HARRY, et al. “Adverse metabolic effect of omega-3 fatty acids in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.” Annals of internal medicine 108.5 (1988): 663-668.

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