Fishing for Omega-3s Health Article

Fish-oil breads and buttery spreads, flaxseed pastas, even omega-3 chocolate bars: food companies are tucking omega-3 fatty acids into countless products and watching their cash registers ring. More are sure to follow, since manufacturers can now claim that their omega-3-containing products may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Just what is it about omega-3s? The oils first grabbed the interest of scientists in the 1970s. Intrigued by low rates of heart disease among the Inuit of Greenland, investigators concluded that omega-3 fatty acids from their traditional fish-based diet were the key. Three decades and 4,000-plus studies later, the evidence is even stronger that this family of fatty acids protects the heart.

Regular fish consumption seems to help prevent the heart from going out of rhythm and makes the blood less likely to form clots. Clinical trials have shown that fish-oil supplements may help decrease the risk of a second heart attack, lower blood triglycerides and blood pressure, and help reduce inflammation that leads to heart disease. Beyond the heart, studies link omega-3s to promoting brain development in infants, improving cognitive function in the elderly, easing arthritis and asthma symptoms and even, possibly, relieving depression.

Fish-avoiders and vegetarians can rejoice that there are plant sources of omega-3s too. Flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil and purslane, a leafy plant, all contain alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), an omega-3 that has shown promise in shielding the heart. It’s not clear, though, if ALA has the same potency as the omega-3s found in fish, notes Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University.

ALA needs an extra conversion step to be processed, so more may be needed to get the same effects in the body. Kris-Etherton therefore welcomes the new, enhanced foods. "A lot of people don’t eat fish, so fortified foods can be a good choice."

Of course, you don’t need fortified chocolate bars to get your omega-3s. To keep your heart healthy, Anderson Morris, M.D., of HealthSouth Heart College in Birmingham, Alabama, concurs with the American Heart Association’s recommendation to eat two servings of fish weekly. For non-fish eaters, he suggests "a handful of walnuts twice a week."

On the Table

While a Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) has not been determined for omega-3s, the American Heart Association suggests aiming for 1,500 to 3,000 milligrams (mg) per day of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids and 500 to 1,800 mg from fish.

Milligrams

Soybeans (1 cup) 3,000

Walnuts (1 oz.) 2,570

Albacore tuna (5 oz.) 2,131

Atlantic salmon (5 oz.) 1,987

Canola oil (1 Tbsp.) 1,568

Ground flaxseed (1 Tbsp.) 1,300

White tuna, canned (3 oz.) 730

Purslane, raw (1 cup) 250

Omega-3-fortified egg (1 lg.) 100-350

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