Omega-3 is a type of essential fatty acid required by your body; however, your body cannot produce it. Omega-3 must be ingested in the foods you eat or taken as a supplement. Many health care professional suggest taking omega-3 to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, aid in rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and many mental disorders. The most common use for omega-3 is for heart health.
Omega-3
There are two types of omega-3 which have the most effect on cardiovascular health; eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, DHA. These two omega-3 have shown to decrease cholesterol, blood pressure and sudden cardiac death. The most effective omega-3 supplements contain high amounts of EPA and DHA. University of Maryland Medical Center suggests a supplement with a minimum of 120 mg of DHA and 180 mg of EPA. They also report it can take between two and three weeks to see decreases in cholesterol and blood pressure.
Heart Health
There are many ways to determine if you have a healthy heart. One way is by your heart rate; a measure of how many times your heart beats in 1 minute. The lower your heart rate, the more blood is pumped out to your body with every beat. This shows your heart has strength. If your heart rate is too fast, it means your heart is working hard to pump blood your body. Your heart rate can be checked by feeling your pulse at many different locations in the body including your wrist, neck, temple, groin or back of your knees.
Omega 3 and Heart Rate
Physicians have recently suggested omega-3 supplements to reduce heart rates. A recent study by from Ohio State University, showed continuous intake of omega-3 decreased resting heart rates. Affirming this conclusion, the Mid American Heart Institute performed a study showing an average heart rate decrease of five beats per minute at rest after taking omega-3 supplements for four months. His study also concluded omega-3 also improved the rate of heart-rate recovery post exercise. Always consult your physician before starting an omega-3 supplement.
Sources of Omega 3
Since omega-3 cannot be produced by your body, it must be taken in by the foods you eat. Fish, plant and nut oils are the primary sources. Fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, anchovies, sardines, bluefish and trout are very high in omega-3. They contain about 1 g of omega-3 in 3.5 g of fish. If you do not like fish, flaxseed oil, pumpkin seed oil, walnuts, walnut oil, soybeans and perilla seed oil are all high in omega-3. Most health food stores will also sell omega-3 supplements in pill forms.
References
- Medline Plus; Pulse
- "American Journal of Physiology"; Effect of Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids on the Heart Rate and the Heart Rate Variability Response to Myocardial Ischemia or Submaximal Exercise; Billman and Harris; March 2011
- "American Journal of Cardiology"; Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Resting Heart Rate, Heart Rate Recovery After Exercise, and Heart Rate Variability in Men With Healed Myocardial Infarctions and Depressed Ejection Fractions; O'Keefe et al.; September 2007
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Medline Plus; Fish Oil
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