Heart Health and Cold Water Fish Connection

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Cultures thatthrive on a diet of cold water fish tend to have a better health profile thancultures that don't. When researchers began to study this interestingphenomenon, they discovered some remarkable nutrients in fatty fish. Nutrientsthat may help people all over the world support heart health, either byincreasing their intake of fresh fatty fish or taking fish oil supplements.   Greenland Eskimos. This group ofpeople first came under research in the 1970s when two Danish scientists beganto study the dietary patterns of Eskimos living in Greenland .Up until this time, scientists believed that all fat was bad. The typical Eskimodiet consisted of mainly fats from fish, whales and seals. Researchers noticedthese Eskimos maintained a healthy heart profile and the incidence ofheart-related ailments was much less when compared to other cultures thatsubsisted on high-fat diets. After closer study, scientists were able toconclude that not all fat was bad. In fact, the "fat" in fatty fish, namely, eicosapentaenoicacid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), may actually impart health benefitsand could be the reason for the higher heart health statistics prevalent inthis culture. The Greenland Inuit study encouraged scientists to study omega 3fatty acids in greater depth. It was at this time that fish oil supplements asdietary aids were considered a viable option for those living in other parts ofthe world. The Mediterranean Diet.   TheMediterranean diet is wholesome and mainly consists of fish, vegetables, nuts,olive oil, whole grains and a moderate intake of red meat and red wine.   The peoples living in this region form someof the oldest civilizations in the world and are known to have the highestlongevity. Although this diet spans different countries, and differs fromculture to culture around the Mediterranean region, the essential componentsremain the same. In the 1970s, Dr.Ancel Keys, PhD of the University of Minnesota compareddiets of major societies to their nation-wide heart statistics. He recognized adirect relationship between a high-fat diet and prevailing heart-health relatedailments. The only exception to this was the country of Crete, a small islandoff the coast of Greece .Although the typical diet in Crete was high infats, the fat was the good kind derived from olive oil or fatty fish which arerich in omega 3 fatty acids. The Mediterraneandiet gained global recognition in the 1990s. Since then it has been considereda model diet for healthy living and is believed to form a natural defense tosupport heart health. Those who do not like fish, or find it hard to eat fishregularly, find a fish oilsupplement equally beneficial.   The Japanese Diet. Japanese men have similar health profileswhen compared to their American counterparts. In fact, Japanese men smoke morethan American men, but in spite of this, surveys indicate more men die ofheart-related ailments in the United States than they do in Japan .Researchers believe that this higher incidence of heart health may havesomething to do with their diets. Although Japanese diets are more "westernized" these days, Japanese men still continue to eat about 3 ounces offish a day. This is about 8 times higher than the average American, accordingto Dr. William Harris, researcher at the American Heart Association. Statistics showthat poor heart health is a major killer around the world. It accounts for 30percent of deaths globally. The good news is that there continues to be agrowing body of research that supports the health-promoting benefits of omega 3fatty acids. Fish oil supplements combined with a heart healthy diet andexercise regimen are known to have a positive impact on heart health, perhapseven lower the incidence of heart-related ailments by 50 percent according tosome studies. Because of theseculture studies, further research on omega 3 fatty acids confirms thebeneficial influence of omega 3 fatty acids on many other aspects of health.Fish oil is considered to be brain food and research shows it supports healthybrain functions, including cognitive abilities and mental well-being. DHA is requiredfor healthy development of the brain, eyes, and reproductive system. Omega 3fatty acids help promote joint health and respiratory health. Fish oil is knownto have anti-inflammatory properties and supports immune health. Since these nutrientsmust be obtained through diet alone, a regular intake of fatty fish or a dailydose of fish oil supplements is necessary. Those who do not get an adequateintake through diet alone are encouraged to take fish oil supplements.Pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplements like Triple Strength Omega 3 are ofthe highest purity, since they are free from contaminants. Such fish oils alsohave the highest potency of EPA and DHA.   Since fish oil supplements could help better your health in a number ofways increasing your intake of omega-3s through fish oilsupplement , or fresh fatty fish intake, could prove to be a major healthinvestment!!

Was this helpful? 0 0 Comments

You're reading Heart Health and Cold Water Fish Connection.