One gram of fish oil a day keeps coronary heart disease away

[Guest guest]

The Omega-3 Index: a new risk factor for death from coronary heart

disease?

WS, Von Schacky C.

Lipid and Diabetes Research Center, Mid America Heart Institute of

Saint Luke's Hospital, University of Missouri-KC School of Medicine,

Kansas City, MO 64111, USA. vharris@...

BACKGROUND: Low intakes or blood levels of eicosapentaenoic and

docosahexaenoic acids (EPA + DHA) are independently associated with

increased risk of death from coronary heart disease (CHD). In

randomized secondary prevention trials, fish or fish oil have been

demonstrated to reduce total and CHD mortality at intakes of about 1

g/day. Red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid (FA) composition reflects

long-term intake of EPA + DHA. We propose that the RBC EPA + DHA

(hereafter called the Omega-3 Index) be considered a new risk factor

for death from CHD. METHODS: We conducted clinical and laboratory

experiments to generate data necessary for the validation of the

Omega-3 Index as a CHD risk predictor. The relationship between this

putative marker and risk for CHD death, especially sudden cardiac

death (SCD), was then evaluated in several published primary and

secondary prevention studies. RESULTS: The Omega-3 Index was inversely

associated with risk for CHD mortality. An Omega-3 Index of > or = 8%

was associated with the greatest cardioprotection, whereas an index of

< or = 4% was associated with the least. CONCLUSION: The Omega-3 Index

may represent a novel, physiologically relevant, easily modified,

independent, and graded risk factor for death from CHD that could have

significant clinical utility.

PMID: 15208005

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

Since both fish and fish oil contain all the various types of fat

that occur in the fish from which they come, and since some of these

fat types are those we would prefer to avoid, does anyone know if

there are sources of the specific fats which we know are of great

benefit without the ones we do not want?

For example ........... 100 grams of raw atlantic herring contains

between one-half a gram and one gram of each of all three ........

DHA, EPA and myristic. It also contains between one and 1.5 grams of

palmitic, and varying amounts of many others also.

Are there sources for just the EPA+DHA?

Evidently the fish or oil, including the myristic, confers a net

benefit. Might the benefit be greater without the myristic and

palmitic? The other fats, even if not actively harmful, do provide

extra calories, the value of which is certainly questionable.

Of course, on the other side of the issue, one wonders whether the

rest of the fish contains beneficial ingredients we do not know

about.

Rodney.

>

> The Omega-3 Index: a new risk factor for death from coronary heart

> disease?

>

> WS, Von Schacky C.

>

> Lipid and Diabetes Research Center, Mid America Heart Institute of

> Saint Luke's Hospital, University of Missouri-KC School of Medicine,

> Kansas City, MO 64111, USA. vharris@...

>

> BACKGROUND: Low intakes or blood levels of eicosapentaenoic and

> docosahexaenoic acids (EPA + DHA) are independently associated with

> increased risk of death from coronary heart disease (CHD). In

> randomized secondary prevention trials, fish or fish oil have been

> demonstrated to reduce total and CHD mortality at intakes of about 1

> g/day. Red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid (FA) composition reflects

> long-term intake of EPA + DHA. We propose that the RBC EPA + DHA

> (hereafter called the Omega-3 Index) be considered a new risk factor

> for death from CHD. METHODS: We conducted clinical and laboratory

> experiments to generate data necessary for the validation of the

> Omega-3 Index as a CHD risk predictor. The relationship between this

> putative marker and risk for CHD death, especially sudden cardiac

> death (SCD), was then evaluated in several published primary and

> secondary prevention studies. RESULTS: The Omega-3 Index was

inversely

> associated with risk for CHD mortality. An Omega-3 Index of > or =

8%

> was associated with the greatest cardioprotection, whereas an index

of

> < or = 4% was associated with the least. CONCLUSION: The Omega-3

Index

> may represent a novel, physiologically relevant, easily modified,

> independent, and graded risk factor for death from CHD that could

have

> significant clinical utility.

>

>

> PMID: 15208005

>

[Guest guest]

Unless it is clarified within the study (which I

havent seen yet).. the problem with these

recommendations is they dont clarify whether it is one

gram of fish oil or 1 gram of EPA and DHA combines.

Some products, are 90% EPA/DHA so one gram will give

you ~900 mgs. Other products (actually most of them)

are around 18%-30% EPA/DHA.

So, if its EPA/DHA they are talking about, you would

need 3-5grams to equal the amount in 1 gram of other

products.

Did anyone see the details of this one yet?

Thanks

Jeff

[Guest guest]

Dear Rodney and Group:

While it is indeed possible that many cold water fish oils contain

certain beneficial substances in addition to the touted Omega group, it

is also possible that some unusable fat may be ingested with these

supplements as well as the incident calories.

Has anyone looked into some of the benefits of plant oils (safflower,

flaxseed, and the like), as either a partial alternative to fish oils,

or as an alternative nutrient souce? Might it be prudent to diversify

between animal and vegetable oils in order to reduce the risk of 1)

ingesting too much unusable fat and other ocean contaminants, and 2)

being certain that we have " full spectrum " nutritional coverage from

both source types?

I pose this more as a question than as a proposition, and I am certainly

interested in any protocols which any members of the group have either

heard about or beta-tested which use plant as well as fish oils.

Thank you.

Faithfully,

--- In , " Rodney " <perspect1111@...>

wrote:

>

> Hi folks:

>

> Since both fish and fish oil contain all the various types of fat

> that occur in the fish from which they come, and since some of these

> fat types are those we would prefer to avoid, does anyone know if

> there are sources of the specific fats which we know are of great

> benefit without the ones we do not want?

>

> For example ........... 100 grams of raw atlantic herring contains

> between one-half a gram and one gram of each of all three ........

> DHA, EPA and myristic. It also contains between one and 1.5 grams of

> palmitic, and varying amounts of many others also.

>

> Are there sources for just the EPA+DHA?

>

> Evidently the fish or oil, including the myristic, confers a net

> benefit. Might the benefit be greater without the myristic and

> palmitic? The other fats, even if not actively harmful, do provide

> extra calories, the value of which is certainly questionable.

>

> Of course, on the other side of the issue, one wonders whether the

> rest of the fish contains beneficial ingredients we do not know

> about.

>

> Rodney.

>

>

> >

> >

>

> >

>