How would you like to reduce your chances of cardiovascular disease? What about reduce your chances of cardiac death… by 90%? Well, unless you’ve got a serious death wish then you’ve probably answered yes to the questions above, and I’m going to tell you how you can do just that. Omega-3 fatty acids, and it doesn’t even have to feel like a chore. Supplementing with fish oils has never been so easy and more importantly, so delicious.
It wasn’t very long ago that health professionals, dietitians and medical organizations would scoff at the idea of using nutritional fats to improve cardiovascular health, but scoff no more people; we’re starting to come around, and there is plenty of research to back it up.
Omega-3, Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s), DHA, EPA and fish oils; these are all words (or acronyms rather) that you’ve probably heard mentioned in health articles, on commercials or read about in some fitness magazine. They are beginning to be the buzz words of health and wellness across America and not only do these fatty acids talk the talk, but these nutritional supplements walk the walk as well. If you’ve taken fish oils before, then you know they aren’t always the ‘best’ tasting supplements… but what if I told you I found a product that defies everything you thought you knew about fish oils. What if I told you this product actually tasted good… not only good, but great! Well, look no further, Bjørn + Bach has created not only the best tasting fish oil on the market, but the most bio-available (meaning it is absorbed more readily into the body). Add to that list Organic and guaranteed free of mercury, lead and PCB’s… I mean, really folks; what more could you ask for?
I recently read an article in Whole Foods Magazine online about Omega-3 Fish Oils and their health benefits; it was part of a series on Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) and was written in interview form. The man they interviewed, Dr. Jorn Dyerberg, is a world-renowned professor and pioneer of the Omega-3 movement. It all started in 1970 when he, and a fellow physician, Dr. Olaf Bang traveled across Greenland to study the health of a small population of Inuit’s who consumed a diet rich in Omega-3’s; or rather a high fat diet ripe with fish, and developed little to no cardiovascular disease or death by cardiac arrest. No one expected the results that followed. After many months of blood tests, diet and lifestyle observation and tracking the overall health of the community; the two physicians walked away with a remarkable discovery… Eicosapentanoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexanoic Acid (DHA), two Omega-3 fatty acid chains that are very well known today. These Omega’s were found in rich supply in the bloodstreams of the healthy Inuit community. It was in 1971 that Olaf and Dyerberg published the first paper on the benefits of fatty acids (EPA and DHA) in the diet; and since then, the research has blossomed into thousands upon thousands of research studies and articles all pointing toward the same positive results. Omega-3 fatty acids, (including both EPA and DHA), which are found in rich supply in fish, have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular health, inflammatory conditions, Alzheimer’s and even the regulation of healthy blood sugars. Need I remind you of the statistics above… you can’t beat reducing your chances of sudden death by cardiac arrest by 90%!
With the vast number of research articles out there these days, how does one sift through them and get the right information? Well, by asking the right people (those who have spent years studying and researching), and this article did just that. Whole Foods Magazine writer, Richard A. Passwater sits down with Dyerberg to get all the juicy details on what we need to know, what the best research shows and how we can decrease our cardiovascular disease risk and effectively live a long and healthy life.
Did you know that some of us get close to zero of these beneficial fats in our diet?
Dyerberg: There are several conclusions, but to me the most obvious is that we are in a nutritional deficiency of long-chained omega-3 fatty acids. In the United States, the average daily intake of EPA plus DHA is 100–200 mg. In 20% of U.S. citizens, the intake is close to zero! The recommended intake is 400–600 mg/day, and in pregnancy and lactation, women should consume 300 mg of DHA/day.
Passwater: Wow! The intake of EPA and DHA is close to zero in 20% of U.S. citizens! Holy smoke! And, the U.S. Daily average is about 100–200 mg, instead of the recommended 400–600 mg! On average, U.S. citizens are getting only a third to a sixth of the recommended amounts, and I feel that the 600 mg recommendation should be higher. We seek optimal health, not average health. I personally lean more toward the 1,000-mg level for healthy persons and more for those with health problems. This is still far short of the 14,000 mg you found in the Eskimo diet (15) (Passover, 2010)
If that doesn’t get your attention, I don’t know what will. If anything, check out these graphs (taken from the article), they pretty much say it all.
Passwater uses the results of three different research studies looking at Omega-3 intake and cardiovascular risk, cardiac death and cardiac arrest. Each chart emphasizes the importance of adding these fats into your diet. So, I don’t know about you… but if it means feeling healthier, looking better and being able to do the things I want to do until a ripe old age, I’m going to enjoy my fats; Bjørn + Bach style.
To read the full article and get caught up on parts 1, 2, and 3 of the series, check out the article here, on Whole Foods Magazine online; Omega-3 Fish Oils: The Greatest Nutritional Discovery Since Vitamins, Part 4: The Major Studies.
For more information about Bjørn + Bach products and ordering information please visit the website here: Bjørn + Bach
Until next time ~ “Seek optimal health,” and add some Omega’s into your life; because according to Dyerberg and the other millions’ of researchers out there, your heart will surely thank you for it.
Sources:
Passover, R.A. (2010, September). Omega-3 fish oils: the greatest nutritional health discovery since vitamins, part 4: the major studies. Whole Foods Magazine: Vitamin Connection, Retrieved from http://www.wholefoodsmagazineonline.com/columns/vitamin-connection/omega-3-fish-oils-greatest-nutritional-health-discovery-vitamins-part-4
*All figures are taken directly from the article*
