Heart Health and Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Think of the Eskimos and those living around the Mediterranean Sea. Both groups eat high levels of oils and yet suffer far less from heart disease and all of it's complications.

It's a bit of a paradox when you compare them to Americans who also eat a lot of fat and end up with clogged arteries, imbalanced lipoproteins, triglyceride problems and high blood pressure and cholesterol.

What's the difference? The difference is in the kind of fats each group eats.

Americans get far too much bad fat in their diets. These include saturated fats, trans-fats, hydrogenated fats and processed oils. This stuff, though tasty, will kill you. Not tomorrow, but certainly soon enough and it won't be a pleasant experience. Ever see someone have a heart attack or stroke?

Eskimos and people on a "Mediterranean" Diet eat nutritional fats and oils. These oils are rich in omega 3 fatty acids that are actually used by the body for very specific, healthy reasons.

Here are just some of the heart healthy benefits researchers attribute to omega 3 oils.

Fish oil omega 3s help prevent plaque build up and clots in the arteries, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. And though they are not a "blood thinner" like aspirin and other medications, they have a very positive effect on the viscosity of the blood.

Omega 3 oils will help lower and maintain healthy blood pressure levels, which plays a very important role in cardiovascular health. What's interesting is that one of the 8 omega 3 oils, ETA, actually improves the elasticity of our arterial walls, reducing the effects of atherosclerosis.

Eating fish regularly or supplementing with fish oil omega 3s will do wonders for your cholesterol. Not only will they lower dangerous cholesterol levels, but omega 3s have been shown to balance your HDL and LDL.

In other words, they will lower your LDLs to a safe level while raising your HDL to a healthy level. And, if this isn't enough, omega 3 oils will greatly reduce triglyceride levels too. What more could you ask for your heart?

OK! Maybe it's too hard for you to change your diet to be more like a Mediterranean diet or you just can't bring yourself to eat fish. That's fine, we all get to make our own choices.

But, if your goal is to live a long healthy life free of the limits associated with heart disease, then do the next best thing and supplement your diet with omega 3 fatty acids.

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About the author

Over the past 18 years, Michael Byrd has helped thousands of people to look younger, feel better and have more energy - naturally. He's put together more information on omega3fattyacids and the benefits of omega 3s at http://www.squidoo.com/omega3fattyacids

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