Normal blood pressure is a key to heart health, and the fact that the American Heart Association recommends that everyone consume at least two fatty fish meals a week to maintain good cardiovascular health attests to the importance of omega-3s. Further, they recommend that people with heart disease or those who are at high risk of the same should consult with their doctor to determine an additional amount to be supplemented. Nonetheless, the scientific evidences examining the link between omega-3 fatty acids and blood pressure are far from agreement.
Plant Source Omega-3s
The majority of research investigating the link between omega-3s and reducing blood pressure used fish oil sources, which helps to explain why the American Heart Association advises two fish meals a week for heart health. However plant source omega-3s also have blood pressure lowering effects. The Penn State website reports on an October 2010 study that demonstrates omega-3s from walnut oil reduces blood pressure both when people are at rest and when under stress. Sheila West, the lead investigator, said the study is important because it's the first to link plant source omega-3 with blood pressure benefits under stress.
Omega-3 and Mixed Fatty Acid Diets
In a study published in the February 2006 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" researchers investigated whether a combination of omega-3s and monounsaturated fats worked better than a combination of omega-3s and saturated fatty acids in reducing blood pressure. The authors enrolled 162 healthy subjects and randomly assigned them to one of the two diets. The results showed the combination of omega-3s and monounsaturated fats worked better and reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, there was no blood pressure change at all in the omega-3 and saturated fatty acid group.
INTERMAP Study
The INTERMAP study, or International Study of Macro- and Micro-nutrients and Blood Pressure, was undertaken to investigate the correlation between indigenous dietary intake of various nutrients and worldwide patterns of blood pressure. Middle-aged men and women from the United States, Japan, China and the United Kingdom were enrolled. A total of 4,680 subjects were interviewed and examined. The study's authors reported that the amount of omega-3s derived from diet related inversely to blood pressure, including people with normal blood pressure. They concluded that omega-3 fatty acids from food may contribute to prevention and control of adverse blood pressure.
Doctors' Recommended Dosage
A group of physicians reporting in the August 2009 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology" examined the large controlled trials showing the benefits of supplemental and dietary omega-3s for reducing blood pressure and for preventing second heart attacks. After analyzing the data they recommended a dose of 500 mg per day of combined EPA and DHA for prevention of high blood pressure. For people with known heart disease, they recommended at least 800 to 1,000 mg per day. Fish oil can cause blood thinning, so see your doctor for proper advice.
References
- Penn State Live: Walnuts, Walnut Oil Improve Reaction to Stress
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Effects of Dietary Saturated, Monounsaturated, and Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Blood Pressure; Birthe Rasmussen et al.; February 2006
- "Hypertension"; Food Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake of Individuals and Their Blood Pressure; Hirotsugu Ueshima et al.; August 2007
- "Journal of the American College of Cardiology"; Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease; Carl Lavie et al., August 2009
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