December 3, 2009
The health benefits to your heart from increasing your intake of omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish oil are well established and the American Heart Association now recommends a minimum intake of Omega3 fats for everyone for these reasons. These health benefits apply to such risks as cardiovascular disease, but today let’s examine whether there is a blood pressure fish oil link, or whether increasing your intake of omega 3 essential fatty acids can lower high blood pressure.
Hypertension is the technical name for high blood pressure. Hypertension affects many of us, particularly those who are overweight, and many people rely on anti-hypertensive drugs for many years. Therefore it is possible to reduce high blood pressure with fish oil this is good news.
Studies have shown a clear link between fish oil and lowering bloodpressure. One study, of 120 subjects, split the subjects into 5 groups and supplemented their diet with varying combinations of fish or fish oil supplements, or both, or a placebo, and concluded that supplementation with omega 3 lowers blood pressure.
There are 2 primary omega 3 fats and they are called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Another study examining the role of these 2 fats found that it was primarily the DHA that was responsible for the reduction in blood pressure.
Anyone who is overweight has a higher risk of coronary heart disease as well as high blood pressure and a 3rd study sought to study any link between lowering hypertension with omega 3 in overweight people. This study also found a link between a higher intake of Omega3 fats in reduced blood pressure, particularly amongst overweight people, and found that increasing intake of omega 3 fats found in fish oil, when combined with another weight-loss regime, could “substantially” reduce dependence on antihypertensive drugs for someone who is overweight and already relying on those drugs.
There is a wide range of health benefits from increasing your intake of omega 3 and these benefits now extend to lowering hyperension. However there are sufficient heart and health benefits from increasing your intake of omega 3 fatty acids that even those with no incidence of hypertension have a wide range of health benefits available to them from increasing fish oil intake. This includes reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as increasing mental acuity and memory and reducing the risk of a range of age related diseases, and more.
There is now clear scientific evidence about the heart benefits of Omega3 fats and the American Heart Association is taking this on board and recommends a minimum intake of these fats for everyone. And as over 90 percent of the US population are deficient in Omega3 intake we should take notice, particularly anyone with hypertension.
It is clear there is an omega 3 blood pressure link. Increasing your intake of essential fatty acids can help lower blood pressure and may also help reduce your reliance on antihypertensive drugs.
So how do you increase your intake of Omega3 fats? You could eat more fish but fish is expensive and contaminated with mercury and for this reason the FDA tells us not to eat too much fish.
The good news is that it is perfectly possible and cost effective to take daily fish oil supplements. The best fish oil supplements are contamination free, though it is important to note that there are wide variations in the quality of various fish oil supplements and you should choose carefully.
To find out which Omega 3 capsules I choose to take and to give to my family visit my website.
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