The inflammation-fighting effects of omega-3 fatty acids

Dr. Barry Sears has been writing about this very topic for years.

Researchers found inflammation markers, such as C-reactive protein and others, were up to a third lower in people who ate at least 10 ounces of fish per week compared with those didn’t eat fish. The more fish the people ate, especially fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna, the lower their level of markers of inflammation in the bloodstream.Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of unsaturated fat that has been shown to reduce the rates of heart disease and death from heart disease. The mechanism behind this action is unknown but studies show that they reduce inflammation. Dr. Barry Sears has written much on this subject. You can find Dr. Barry Sears' Books in your bookstores, or in the libraries. Also check Amazon Dr. Barry Sears. Check out this webpage, Inflammation & Its Relationship to Chronic Disease by Dr Barry Sears, http://www.getwellnews.info

Inflammation within blood vessels plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis -- a risk for heart disease and stroke.

Therefore, researchers say the anti-inflammatory effects of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish found in this study may explain why fish is healthy for the heart.

Fish Fight Inflammation to Keep Heart Healthy

In the study, which appears in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers compared fish consumption and blood inflammation markers in a group of about 3,000 men and women in the Attica region of Greece.

None of the participants had a history of heart disease, and nine out of 10 said they ate fish at least once a month.

The results showed that compared with those who said they didn’t eat fish, those who ate at least 10.5 ounces of fish per week had 33 percent lower C-reactive protein and 33 percent lower tumor necrosis factor-alpha (another indicator of inflammation) levels as well as much lower levels of other signs of inflammation. People who ate about 5 to 10 ounces of fish per week also had lower levels of inflammation in the bloodstream.

"We revealed that not only the fish portion, but also the amount of omega-3 fatty acids seems to play a role in the reduction of inflammatory markers levels,” says researcher Antonis Zampelas, PhD, of Harokopio University in Athens, in the release.

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least twice a week. Fatty fish high in omega-3 fatty acids include mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon.

This article is not meant to treat or diagnose disease. Research from, The American College of Cardiology (ACC) provides these new reports of clinical studies published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology as a service to physicians, the media, the public, and other interested parties. However, statements or opinions expressed in these reports do not represent official policy of the ACC unless stated so. SOURCES: Zampelas, A. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, July 5, 2005; vol 46: pp 121-124. News release, American College of Cardiology. American Heart Association.