Fish Oil and Heart Health Proven
The American Heart Association’s 2005 Scientific Sessions are finally making their way into mainstream medical journals. The topic: JELIS, or “Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study.” That’s a fancy way of asking, “Would 1800 mg of EPA per day reduce fatal coronary events?”
The answer was yes: by almost 20%. The overview of the study can be found in the March 31 Issue of The Lancet.
If you want to decrease this even further, I suggest the combination of modest lifestyle changes, nutrition strategies and mindset shifts I cover in my book Fit Over 40. Pick it up if you haven’t already. The JELIS Study demonstrated that combining a modest amount of EPA (eicosapentaenoic aid, found in fish oil) with low-dose statin therapy dramatically affected the mortality rate from fatal coronary events as compared with statin therapy alone.
Perhaps the most telling aspect of this study was the fact that these results were realized without lowering cholesterol levels. Our conservative medical community seems to turn a blind eye to the fact that cholesterol and heart disease are not as connected as they wish to believe.
Both the statin-only group and the statin/EPA group reduced their LDL cholesterol levels by 26%. Fish oil did not affect this variable — yet it reduced fatal coronary events. This should tell us something.
“The beneficial effects of EPA could have stemmed from many biological effects that lead to the attenuation of thrombosis, inflammation, and arrhythmia, in addition to a reduction of triglycerides,” write the authors.
Inflammation is finally being linked to heart disease, and studies like this one leave little to the imagination as to why. There is no doubt that fish oil decreases inflammation. And, there’s no doubt that decreasing inflammatory markers reduces heart attack and stroke risk.
Here’s where the study falls short of the mark: fish oil alone was not tested as a variable. While other studies have compared fish oil and found it superior to statins, this one did not bother to isolate EPA and compare the results evenly. It appears that statins are a presumptive step in preventing heart disease. In order to find out if this is true or not, authors of these types of studies should include a true test group.
Then again, funding for studies like the one I’m proposing is hard to come by. Most studies are backed by pharmaceutical companies, either directly or indirectly. Obviously they do not want a natural substance upstaging their drugs.
I am not saying that statins have no place in medicine, although there are physicians who make a living claiming this is the case. They may be correct. The bottom line is we’ll never know without more precise and thorough testing variables.
In the meantime, the is a fantastic take-away from this study if you are currently on statin drugs: take fish oil. You can also eat fish three times a week or so, but I personally find fish oil (actually I prefer krill oil for numerous reasons) easier to consume on a daily basis.
If you are not on statins, it should be obvious that the benefits of fish oil need not be realized only in conjunction with taking drugs. Fish oil is one of the most beneficial substances known to mankind.
My personal recommendation is 1,000 mg krill oil plus 1,000-2,000 mg of EPA/DHA as found in fish oil per day for greater heart health, as well as better overall health and energy.
[jB]
Archived in Fit Over 40.
This entry is tagged: fish oil, Fit Over 40, heart disease, statins
Comments (3)
Leigh said:
Hi………but what if you’re a vegan? What about the questionable spiritual level of people who really don’t need to eat flesh foods for survival?
Also, there is so much news about the dangers of eating fish (high mercury and other toxin levels) as well as the fact that many, many fish are now on the endangered species list. How do you reconcile these issues with that of human health?
thanks,
Leigh
Posted on Apr 12, 2007 04:40 PM
Jon Benson said:
Leigh;
This is not a spiritual issue for me. It’s a logical one. The societies with the longest life-span and greatest health all consume fish. The research is ‘so’ thorough that it cannot be ignored.
I respect anyone’s spiritual beliefs, but at the same time those beliefs should be measured to some degree against science. Otherwise we’d still be claiming a flat earth and a geocentric universe. ; )
There is not a valid substitute for EPA/DHA. Perhaps one day there will be something for vegans in this area.
RE: mercury and toxins. Fish oil supplements (of high quality) filter out man-made toxins. Bear in mind that fish are ‘not’ toxic. Mercury and other toxins are the result of our carelessness with the environment…nothing more.
As an avid scuba diver, I can tell you without reservation that, while there are some species of fish on the endangered list, tuna and salmon are going to be around for longer than we are.
Thanks for the intriguing post!
Posted on Apr 12, 2007 05:47 PM
pat said:
Jon,
I have this to be true. I recently had a yearly phyusical that was dramatically different than the year before cholesterol, triglycerides wise. I had begun exercising regularly & taking Nordic Naturals Pro EFA a formula of omega 3 fish oild & borage oil. Coupled with watching what I eat the change has been quite impressive.
Posted on Apr 13, 2007 08:22 PM