Health
Fabulous Fats for Heart Health
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Fabulous Fats for Heart Health
Usually, when you call something "fishy," you're suspicious of it. But if you're talking about cardiac health, "fishy" is a good thing.
Omega-3 fatty acids are substances found in cold-water fish such as salmon or tuna. In the 1970s, health researchers discovered that people with higher levels of omega-3 in their blood were less likely to die from sudden cardiac arrest. Since then scientists have found that diets that include cold-water fish or fish oil supplements can help reduce the risk of a fatal heart attack.
St. Luke's Mid America Heart Institute is home to two of the country's leading experts on omega-3, cardiologist James O'Keefe and researcher William Harris.
"Humans are designed to thrive on a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids," Harris says. "But most Americans eat far too little fish to reap any benefits from the omega-3 oils."
Omega-3 benefits the heart in two ways. First, it helps maintain the proper electrical balance in the heart's cells. This lowers the risk of an irregular heartbeat, a cause of fatal heart attacks. The fatty acids also help lower blood triglycerides and reduce the risk of inflammation and clotting.
Lowering blood triglycerides -- LDL, "bad" cholesterol -- is a critical factor in cardiac health, O'Keefe says. Last year, he and Harris co-authored a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in which they advocated that Americans and their doctors establish an LDL target level of 50-70 (mg/dl). This is a fairly dramatic recommendation, inasmuch as the average American currently has an LDL of about 135.
"21st-century Americans live a sedentary lifestyle," O'Keefe says. "Yet, genetically we are still citizens of the Paleolithic age. Our bodies need to eat the same way they did. Historically, they were hunter-gatherers. They were generally healthy and fit and largely free of the degenerative cardiovascular diseases common today."
To achieve a "Paleolithic"-style diet, one must first radically reduce intake of saturated and trans fats. These may be replaced with mono and polyunsaturated fats. One should also reduce, or avoid altogether, packaged and highly processed foods in favor of a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
"Then, you need to increase your consumption of omega-3 fats," O'Keefe says. "From either fish or plant sources, primarily nuts."
O'Keefe suggests that 21st-century Americans do their "hunting and gathering" at the grocery store.
"But you have to stay on the perimeter of the store," he says. "That's where the fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, meats, fish, dairy and whole-grain breads are. You need to limit the purchase and consumption of all those toxic, packaged foods in the middle of the store."
Of course, Paleolithic people got quite a bit of exercise while doing all that hunting and gathering -- a lot more than circling the perimeter of the neighborhood Price Chopper. O'Keefe says that a combination of aerobic and strength-building exercises is necessary to increase cardiovascular health and decrease LDL levels.
Check your omega-3 level
A new test that you can perform at home can determine your omega-3 blood levels.
The Omega-3 Index test, developed by William Harris, a researcher at St. Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, is a finger-prick kit. It sells for $95 and includes the cost of the collection, shipping and handling and test results.
"Adding more omega-3 fatty acids to your system is critical in reducing your risk for sudden cardiac death," Harris says. "Yet the only way to know if you've added enough omega-3s to give you adequate cardio protection is to know your Omega-3 Index."
For information on getting the test, go to www.omegametrix. com or call (866) 677-4900.