Zee Media Bureau
Washington: Researchers suggest that higher consumption of fish or fish oil helps reduce coronary artery calcification and thereby wards off heart diseases.
Fish oil or omega-3 fatty acids are a vital nutrient, important for our body. Intake of omega-3 fatty acids is essential as the human body cannot produce them naturally and one needs to get it from and external source in the food that we consume.
Marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, especially oily fish, as well as in squid and krill, may help to reduce inflammation and slow the formation of fatty plaques in arteries.
Researchers at University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, partnered with scientists in Japan, Hawaii and Philadelphia to follow nearly 300 men for five years, tracking multiple factors that affect cardiovascular health, including cigarette smoking, the level of cholesterol in the blood and alcohol consumption, as well as their rates of diabetes and high blood pressure.
After accounting for risk factors for heart disease, the US men had three times the incidence of coronary artery calcification as the Japanese men.
Meanwhile, the levels of marine-derived omega-3 fatty acid in the blood were more than 100 percent higher in the Japanese than in the Americans.
The study is published in the journal Heart.
Here are a few health benefits of consuming omega-3 fatty acids in your diet:
- Researchers suggest that high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids, derived from fish helps reduce the risk of developing Type-2 diabetes.
- According to a new study, fish oil can soothe and prevent neuropathic pain caused by injuries to the sensory system.
- Fish oil supports the functioning of white blood cells in the human body; thereby strengthening the immune system.
- Studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids are effective in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
- Regular consumption of fish oil aids in reducing inflammation in the blood and tissues.
(With Agency inputs)
