Thread: Fish oil

Eating Fish Lowers Risk Of Female Heart Disease

April 18, 2002


Greenland’s Eskimo women have been dining on a great deal more fish than their female counterparts around the world for generations.
Now, a new study looking at the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women, is lending support to the notion that these ladies of the Arctic may really be on to something.

The study, which focuses on the association between fish and omega-3 fatty acid consumption, and CHD, has been analysed by Dr Frank Hu of the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health in the United States.

He’s one of a team of doctors examining the results of the well-known Nurses’ Health Study that started back in 1976.

Previous studies have found that populations with a high intake of fish, such as Eskimos in Greenland, Alaskan Natives and Japanese people living in fishing villages, may be more protected against atherosclerosis, the cause of CHD. However, most of these findings have related to men and not women.

For the Nurses’ Health Study, Some 121,700 women, who were registered nurses aged 30-55 years and living in the USA, completed questionnaires about their lifestyle and medical history. Every two years, follow-up questionnaires were sent to update information and identify new major illnesses.

Follow-up surveys in 1984, 1986, 1990 and 1994 asked the women about the kind of sea food they ate – was it mackerel, salmon, sardines, a fillet of barbecued swordfish, a can of tuna, some shrimps, a lobster treat or scallops? From portion sizes, the researchers were able to work out the typical intake of the all important long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

During the 16 years of follow-up, there were 1513 incident cases of CHD (484 CHD deaths and 1029 nonfatal heart attacks). Compared with women who rarely ate fish, those with a higher intake had a lower risk of CHD.

Dr Hu and his team concluded that, “this prospective study provides strong evidence for an inverse association between fish and omega-3 fatty acid consumption and risk of CHD in women, particularly CHD death. These findings lend further support to current dietary guidelines recommending fish consumption twice weekly for the prevention of CHD.”

REFERENCES
Hu, F et al. Fish and omega-3 fatty acid intake and risk of coronary heart disease in women. JAMA 2002;287(14):1815-21

Fatty Acids for Health

April 11, 2001


The Nutritional Committee presented a summary of scientific findings on dietary fatty acids, at the annual American Heart Association (AHA) conference.
The conference was held to review the current perceptive of the effects of fatty acids on risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. The researchers highlighted the progress that has been made in understanding the biological effects of fatty acids and also spoke of the need to learn more about how different fatty acids affect the risk of chronic disease, within the framework of modifying the diet to further improve health.

Heart Benefits

Studies have shown that saturated fat intake is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease. Both omega-6 (gamma-linoleic acid, found in evening primrose oil) and omega-3 (alpha-linolic acid, found in fish oil) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are cardioprotective and lowers cholesterol.

The researchers discussed 2 studies, namely the Lyon Diet Heart Study and the Indian Heart Study. Both these clinical trials have shown that diet can prevent fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events in individuals with CVD. In both trials, saturated fats were replaced with monounsaturated fats and alpha-linolic acid, and an increase of vegetables and fruits were included in the diet.

The researchers went on to say that, �gfish and fish oil have been shown to reduce all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death in patients who had myocardial infarction�h.

Another important aspect of CVD is thrombosis. Platelet aggregation is found to be less in diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Blood pressure is also reduced by regular consumption of fish oil and weight loss can also be beneficial.

Fat and Cancer Risk

The researchers found no association between the fat content of diets and breast cancer. Where as, prostate cancer has been associated with a high intake of saturated fat. They believe this is due to the effect of saturated fat on circulating testosterone levels.

Colorectal cancer risk is also increased with a high intake of fats in the diet. Though, this may be due to the effect of red meats or carcinogens formed with high-temperature cooking of meats rather than the actual fat. Further long-term studies are required to examine the relationship of fatty acids and cancer.

A large body of evidence supports the reduction of saturated fatty acids in the diet to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

REFERENCES
Kris-Etherton,P. Summary of the Scientific Conference on Dietary Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Health : conference summary from the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association. Circulation 2001;103:1034-9

Fish Oil May Reduce CHD Risk

October 1, 2000


Taking fish oil capsules daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 27% by its effect on triglycerides in postmenopausal women. Women not taking hormone replacement therapy have a greater risk reduction than those on HRT according to a Canadian Study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

REFERENCES
Australian Doctor. Friday 18th August 2000. By Cathy Saunders.


Fish Boosts Brain Power

March 19, 2001


According to recent research pregnant and breastfeeding women can help their children develop better memory and learning abilities by eating fish.
Australians have one of the lowest intakes in the world of omega 3 fats such as DHA and EPA, which help brain function and fight heart disease.

DHA is found in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines. Infants can make only small amounts needing additional supplies from their mother or in their formula for optimal brain development. Low levels of central nervous system DHA lead to poorer performance in areas such as learning, task performance and memory. Other research shows that these fats can help prevent heart attack and stroke.

REFERENCES
Sunday Telegraph (Sydney) Sunday 25th February 2001- Katrina Creer

Fish Intake Lowers Stroke Risk

August 31, 2001


A team of doctors from Boston, MA, examined the relationship of fish and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and the risk of stroke in women.
The doctors were able to assess the diet, including fish and omega-3 intakes, and lifestyles of nearly 80,000 women aged between 30-55 years who participated in the Nurses�f Health Study. This study began in 1976 with 121,700 female registered nurses. The nurses completed detailed questionnaires about their diet, lifestyle and medical history including previous cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and high serum cholesterol levels. Every 2 years follow-up questionnaires have been sent to update information and identify new major illnesses.

The research revealed that the risk of thrombotic infarction (ie stroke) was significantly reduced by 48% among women who ate fish 2-4 times per week.

Regular consumption of fish and omega-3 fatty acids may be beneficial for the prevention of stroke in women.

REFERENCES
Hiroyasu, I et al. Intake of fish and omega-3 fatty acids and risk of stroke in women. JAMA 2001;285(3):304-12

Oils Offer Hope For Troubled Children

May 15, 2002


Dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) cause great distress to untold numbers of children – and their parents.
These stressful developmental conditions are far more common than you would expect, affecting – to some degree – an alarmingly high number of school-aged children (up to 20 per cent) and accounting for the majority of minors with special educational needs.

But now it’s been announced that deficiencies in a family of micronutrients, called essential fatty acids (found in fish oil and evening primrose oil) may cause dyslexia and ADHD. In clinical trials, ADHD children treated with fatty acids had a reduction in symptoms.

This greater understanding will help scientists tackle serious behavioural and learning difficulties associated with dyslexia and ADHD, which usually persist into adulthood, having sometimes grim consequences for the individuals affected, their families and for society overall.

Dr Alexandra Richardson, a senior research fellow in neurosciences at Imperial College School of Medicine, London, has spent the last 15 years researching common developmental conditions such as dyslexia and ADHD.

Dr Richardson says, “The first trial involving dyslexic children showed that supplementation with fish oil and evening primrose oil can reduce behavioural and learning problems in those with ADHD tendencies.

“Particular improvements were found in attention, concentration and working memory, but disruptive behaviour and hyperactivity in these children also responded to EFA (essential fatty acids) treatment and marked reductions were seen in anxiety and withdrawal.”

Studies investigating mood disorders have shown the importance of diet in brain function. One study found that the rate of depression varied depending on the level of seafood consumption. Those who ate more fish had lower levels of depression.

EFAs, such as those found in fish oil and evening primrose oil, are crucial for normal brain development and function. EFA deficiencies can be found in people with dyslexia and ADHD.

Each developmental condition has defining features:
Dyslexia – specific difficulties in learning to read and write.
ADHD – persistent and age-inappropriate difficulties with attention, hyperactivity-impulsivity or both.

It has been found that dyslexia and ADHD can occur together in 30-50 per cent of cases.

These conditions can occur as a result of genetic bias, environmental toxins and changes affecting nutrition and diet.

Increased rates of depression over the last century could possibly be attributed to the very low levels of omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish oil) in the diet. These changes in our diet are also thought to be causing the increased rate of behavioural and learning difficulties.

In the 1980s, scientists started to see a connection between the physical signs (eg excessive thirst, frequent urination, rough or dry skin and hair) of EFA deficiency and behavioural abnormalities.

Dr Richardson’s guidelines for identifying people most likely to benefit from fish oil and evening primrose oil supplements are those with:

Physical signs – excessive thirst, frequent urination, rough or dry skin and hair, dandruff and soft or brittle nails.

Atopic conditions – eczema.

Visual symptoms – poor night vision or sensitivity to bright light and visual problems when reading: for example letters or words move, swim or blur on a page.

Attention problems – distractibility, lack of concentration, memory problems like ‘brain fog’.Emotional sensitivity – high anxiety, mood swings, temper tantrums arising from a low frustration tolerance.

Sleep problems – especially those who have difficulty in both falling asleep and awaking in the morning.

Dr Richardson suggests supplements containing a high dose of fish oil, evening primrose oil, vitamin E and other antioxidant vitamins.

“Finally”, says Dr Richardson, “it is emphasised that factors other than EFA should always be considered in the nutritional management of behavioural and learning difficulties. An adequate supply of other essential micronutrients is crucial and many, such as zinc, are likely to have interactive effects on fatty acid metabolism.”

REFERENCES
Richardson, A. Fatty acids in dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and the autistic spectrum. The Nutrition Practitioner. 2001;3(3):18-24,66

So what's your point?

Originally posted by BUSTINOUT
So what's your point?

I forgot to mention it

My most important point is.................

If you take fish caps, don`t burp around me

Bump.

Dude... The shit tastes like crap.. I have a bottle , and I have been sandbaggin the same bottle for about 6 weeks now..


I only take it with a chaser.. strawberry jam does the trick for me, then I brush my teeth

There is one brand which has no smell......I`cve got some somewhere, will post the name when I find it

Please do! I've been taking about five caps a day. But Jeeze, the stuff is notorious for trying to escape! I can see why Mercola thinks F.O. is rancid.

We know fish is good for us. What does Mercola say the alternative is? or does he?

Don't the Chinese and Japanese use fish oil in some of their traditional recipes? Or am I thinking of fish stock?