Fish oils route to good health claim doctors – Fishupdate.com

Fish oils route to good health claim doctors Published:  05 August, 2009

A GROUP of American doctors have found “compelling evidence” that eating fish – and especially oily fish – does reduce deaths from heart attacks.

They are now recommending that everyone should increase their Omega-3 intake whether through fish or fish oils

Dr Carl Lavie, from the Ochsner Medical Centre in New Orleans, who led the review said: “This isn’t just hype – we now have tremendous and compelling evidence from very large studies, some dating back 20 and 30 years, that demonstrate the protective benefits of omega-3 fish oil in multiple aspects of preventive cardiology.

“The strongest evidence of a cardioprotective effect of omega 3s appears in patients with established cardiovascular disease and following a heart attack – with up to a 30 per cent reduction in cardiovascular-related death.” Most fish contains some Omega-3, but the highest concentration is found in oily varieties like salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines.

The New Orleans studies have found that the fatty acids can cut the chance the chance of patients with heart problems dying by up to 30 per cent. Scientists believe that the acids work from inside the membranes of cells and may help to improve the heart’s electrical activity and blood pressure.

It has also been claimed in other studies that fish can protect against certain types of cancer and blindness and can help people with mental health problems. In America a huge new long term study involving over 20,000 people has been launched into the health benefits of fish oils.