Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are healthy fats that improve your arterial health. Yet the typical American diet contains too few omega-3 fatty acids and too many omega-6 fatty acids, the healthy fats found in vegetable oils. Eating unhealthy fats, such as saturated fat in meat and trans fats in processed foods, builds up the plaque in your arteries. Consult your doctor about how fish oil cleans your arteries.
Fish Oil
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids called eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. These polyunsaturated fats are found in high concentrations in fatty fish that include salmon, sardines, herring, tuna, halibut and mackerel. The American Heart Association recommends you eat at least two 3.5-oz. servings of fish per week to improve cardiovascular health and decrease the risk of abnormal heartbeats, lower blood pressure, decrease blood levels of fat and slow the growth of plaque in the arteries.
Plaque
Plaque is made of cholesterol, fat, calcium and other substances in your blood that adhere to the walls of your arteries and reduce blood flow. Over time, blood clots form around the plaque and block blood flow, increasing your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Increasing your intake of saturated fat and trans fats leads to plaque buildup, while eating healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, reduces the plaque buildup. Scientists at Chubu-Rosai Hospital in Nagoya, Japan, found decreased levels of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid are associated with increased plaque buildup and risk of coronary artery disease, according to research published in the June 2011 issue of "Atherosclerosis."
Inflammation
Inflammation of the endothelium is a characteristic of cardiovascular disease. Endothelial cells line the interior of your arteries. Eating saturated and trans fats induces inflammation of the endothelium that -- together with plaque -- exacerbates blockage of blood flow in your arteries, while eating polyunsaturated fat reduces inflammation of the endothelium, according to research by scientists at The Heart Research Institute in Sydney, Australia, and published in the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology" in August 2006. Plaque absorbs omega-3 fatty acids in blood, yet a higher eicosapentaenoic acid content in plaque reduces inflammation of the endothelium, according to research by scientists at the University of Southampton in England and published in "Atherosclerosis" in September 2010.
Fish Oil in the Diet
Increasing intake of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids reduces the death rate from heart disease. Scientists at the University of Grenoble in La Tronche, France, report intake of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, whether from foods or supplements, reduces inflammation, lowers blood levels of fat and decreases death from coronary artery disease, according to research published in the "Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology" in November 2009. Eating fish is more effective in increasing blood levels of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid than fish oil supplements even when omega-3 fatty acid content of supplements is higher than fish, according to research by scientists at the University of Tromso in Norway and published in the December 2006 issue of "Lipids."
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-3 Fatty Acids; June 25 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-6 Fatty Acids; 2010
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Lowering Your Cholesterol with TLC; 2005 (PDF)
- American Heart Association: Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids; 2010
- National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute: Coronary Artery Disease; May 2011
- Cleveland Clinic: Coronary Artery Disease Treament Guide; September 2009 (PDF)
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