Let’s make a twist on the Dutch proverb that says, “A land with lots of herring can get along with few doctors.” Why not, “A body with a bountiful supply of omega-3 fatty acids can get along with few doctors”? Although it is perhaps less poetic, it is nonetheless a truthful statement. Just ask the researchers focused on heart disease, cancer, diabetes, clinical nutrition, eye health, and dementia. They understand that a daily regimen rich in long-chain (highly unsaturated) omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaeonic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA) protects against a slew of life-threatening diseases. Optimal health means a diet high in these critical fats.
Optimal Health
Salmon is a superfood, a powerhouse of high-quality, incredibly delicious, flavorful protein that is packed with marine-derived omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs). It is also a valuable source of vitamin D, along with vitamins A, E, B6, and B12, and of niacin and riboflavin. Two to three servings a week of oil-rich fish such as salmon are recommended for an optimal diet. Many clinical trials have used doses of 1000 to 3000 mg of EPA and DHA per day with no adverse effects. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said it sees no risk from intakes up to 3000 mg of EPA and DHA per day, while the American Heart Association recommends doses up to 4000 mg per day under a physician’s supervision. Here is how to translate that to eating salmon: there are 2000 mg of omega-3s in a 31/2-oz [100-g] serving of king salmon; 1300 mg in the same-size portion of coho salmon; and 1200 mg in an equivalent amount of sockeye salmon. If eating an abundance of anchovies appeals, you will be happy to know that you are consuming 3300 mg of omega-3s in 31/2 oz [100 g] of these little fish.
Heart Health
Eating a diet rich in omega-3 fats helps lower blood triglycerides and cholesterol levels, contributing to heart health. Omega-3s also help maintain the flexibility of arteries and veins (because EFAs act as blood thinners), strengthen cardiac muscles, and aid in repairing damage to cardiovascular tissue. The benefits of reduced blood pressure, lowered cholesterol, and prevention of hardened artery walls mean significant protection from heart attack, stroke, arrhythmia, and hypertension.
Anti-Inflammatory
Researchers believe the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fats help reduce the symptoms of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus and prolong the life of those who suffer from them. In addition, calcitonin, a protein hormone found in the thyroid-like glands of salmon, has been extracted and developed pharmaceutically for the treatment of osteoporosis, helping to improve bone density and strength.
Eye Health
Studies, especially the large and ongoing Nurses’ Health Study, have shown that people who eat a diet rich in marine-derived omega-3s have a significantly lower risk of macular degeneration, a chronic eye condition that leads to loss of vision. DHA is the dominant fatty acid in our retinas, so boosting our diet with these good fats promotes eye health and is important to the synapses that connect brain cells and our eyes’ light receptors.
Brain Health
Our brains are fatty. Their tissues average 50 percent fatty acids by weight. Omega-3 fatty acids are critical to brain function and help regulate mood-related signals. Evidence suggests that eating salmon and other marine-derived omega-3 fatty foods several times a week may reduce the risk of depression, ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
A Natural Facelift
No need for snipping and tightening our skin. Eating a diet rich in omega-3s reportedly helps fight wrinkles, making the skin look and feel younger—the equivalent of a nutritional facelift!
Longevity
And finally, we can live more than two years longer with a diet rich in omega-3s! From the Harvard Gazette, an online publication of the Harvard School of Public Health, comes this statement:
Older adults who have high blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids—found almost exclusively in fatty seafood—may be able to lower their overall mortality risk by as much as 27 percent and their mortality risk from heart disease by about 35 percent, according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the University of Washington. Researchers found that older adults who had the highest blood levels of the fatty acids lived, on average, 2.2 years longer than those with lower levels.
“Although eating fish has long been considered part of a healthy diet, few studies have assessed blood omega-3 levels and total deaths in older adults,” said lead author Dariush Mozaffarian, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology at HSPH. “Our findings support the importance of adequate blood omega-3 levels for cardiovascular health, and suggest that later in life these benefits could actually extend the years of remaining life.”
