The relationship between fat and heart disease is a complex one. The saturated fats from red meat increase your total and LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, but polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats may lower LDL, says the American Heart Association, or AHA. Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, a specific type of polyunsaturated fat that is particularly heart-healthy. MayoClinic.com identifies fish as one of the top five best foods for cholesterol management.
Source
Your heart, brain and other vital organs rely on omega-3 fatty acids to stay healthy and work effectively. Since your body can't manufacture omega-3 fatty acids, you need to choose foods that are rich in this nutrient. Fish oil contains the omega-3 fatty acids known as docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA. Fatty cold-water fish such as salmon, halibut, albacore tuna, mackerel, lake trout, sardines and herring are particularly high in omega-3 fatty acids. You can obtain omega-3 fatty acids from eating fish or by taking fish oil capsules.
Benefits
MayoClinic.com reviewed a number of scientific studies and summarized the benefits of DHA and EPA from fish or fish oil supplements. These omega-3 fatty acids lower the amount of triglycerides, a type of fat produced in your body that increases your LDL cholesterol level. Since DHA and EPA slow down the rate at which LDL cholesterol accumulates on the arteries serving your heart, these nutrients help prevent early onset of coronary heart disease, or CHD. Fish oil also helps prevent blood clots in your arteries and lowers your blood pressure slightly. If you already have CHD, fish oil reduces your chance of dying from heart attack, stroke or irregular heartbeats.
Recommendations
The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fatty fish every week to keep your blood cholesterol readings in the heart-healthy range. A serving of fish is about 3/4 cup of flaked fish or 3.5 oz. of cooked fish. It's best to increase your omega-3 fatty acid intake through dietary sources if possible, the AHA says, but you can also buy fish oil capsules rich in this nutrient. If you already have coronary heart disease, or if your blood triglyceride level is high, your physician may recommend fish oil capsules to boost your intake of DHA and EPA.
Warnings
If your omega-3 fatty acid intake is too high, you may bleed excessively, notes the AHA. Don't take more than 3 g a day of omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil capsules unless your physician specifically advises you to do so. Pregnant women and children should avoid fish that have the greatest risk of mercury contamination, such as king mackerel, shark, swordfish or tilefish. Those individuals can eat up to 12 oz a week of fish lower in mercury, such as salmon, canned light tuna, pollock or catfish. Before eating fish that you've caught in local waterways or the ocean, check with your public health agency to see if there is a warning about mercury contamination.
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