Omega-3s for Heart Health Affirmed

The heart health benefits of fish oil – and specifically, the omega-3 fatty acids it contains – have been documented since the early 1970s via epidemiological studies on Greenland Inuits, and subsequently by a number of clinical studies in which subjects have consumed omega-3s via both diet sources and dietary supplements. Donald Jump, from The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University (Oregon, USA), and colleagues completed a comprehensive review published studies to assess the role of omega-3s in managing risk factors linked to cardiovascular disease. Writing that: “The outcome of our analysis reveals that nonfish sources of [omega-3s] vary in their capacity to regulate blood levels of [polyunsaturated fatty acids] and [cardiovascular disease] risk factors,” the study authors submit that: “evidence is strong that [omega-3 levels ] in heart tissues and blood is important to health and to the prevention of cardiovascular disease.”