Arteriosclerotic Vascular Disease Omega-3 And Your Heart Health.
Introduction
Did you know that the number one killer in Western countries is heart disease? Even with the improved treatment for heart disease, close to 500,000 people living in the United States will die each year from this condition. But the good news is that over 50,000 lives (30%) could be saved every year if people increased their intake of Omega-3 and decreased their intake of Omega-6.
The main cause of heart attacks is a build up of fat along the walls of the arteries. The arteries become blocked when this fat hardens leading to a loss of oxygen to the heart and subsequently a heart attack. This condition is called arteriosclerotic vascular disease.
Omega-6 The Cause
About 150 years ago, the diet of the American people and other Western industrialized countries started to change. When before we ate a diet of natural foods rich in fruits, vegetables, poultry and fish, we now eat one that is mainly processed foods. (Processed foods are foods that have been altered from their natural state.) Some examples of processed foods are breads, crackers, lunch meat, snacks and cookies.
When this shift in our diet habits started occurring, we reduced our intake of Omega-3 and increased our intake of Omega-6. Now both of these are classified as Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) because the body cannot produce these fatty acids and must be obtained from our diet.
So what could be wrong with too much Omega-6? Lets take a closer look at what Omega-6 provides the body. Omega-6 provides an inflammation hormone vital for the immune system to fight off bacteria and disease. In order to keep this inflammation in check Omega-3 counters this with anti-inflammation hormones. The normal ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 should be about one to one.
But with increased consumption of processed foods, our ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 has jumped to where we have 20 times more Omega-6 than Omega-3.
With this large amount of Omega-6 it causes increased amount of inflammation in the body. This inflammation is the main cause of atherosclerotic plaques inside the arteries leading to the heart. When these plaques start to build up, your chances of a heart attack increase.
Another effect large amounts of Omega-6 have on your body is that the hormone in Omega-6, Arachidonic acid (AA), causes the blood to clot. If this clotting is severe enough, blood flow could be stopped.
Increase Omega-3, Decrease Omega-6
To help decrease your risk of arteriosclerotic vascular disease, increase your consumption of Omega-3 and decrease your consumption of processed foods.
This means to increase your consumption of cold-water fish such as tuna, trout, cod, salmon, halibut and sardines. To ensure you are getting the right amount of Omega-3, you may want to consider a fish oil supplement.
To decrease your amount of Omega-6, start changing your diet from processed foods to more natural foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, soy products, fish and poultry.
Arteriosclerotic Vascular Disease.