Traditional Diets Prove Positive in Reducing Heart Disease Risk

By Shana Hopkins, MS, CN, WAC Nutritionist 

Omega-3 fats are beginning to be highly recognized in the scientific community as being the new panacea for all-around health. One of the most positive outcomes of consuming omega-3 fats is the benefit they provide to the cardiovascular system. These outcomes are easily seen in population groups that have long consumed omega-3 fats with their high fish intake. The Inuit of Nunavik, Canada, are one such population group that has been consuming high amounts of fish, like salmon, for decades. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2001;74:464-73) studied this group to see what effects consuming high amounts of fatty fish had on cardiovascular parameters.

This study found that the Inuit's blood plasma fat concentrations had higher HDL cholesterol concentrations (the good cholesterol) and lower triglyceride concentrations. Triglycerides are "free" fats in the bloodstream that, when high, are an independent risk factor for heart disease. The high omega-3 fat intake also gave this population group a better ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol.

Living in the bountiful Northwest gives us plenty of reason to eat fish. It is now recommended to eat fish high in omega-3 fats, including salmon, cod, herring and sardines, at least two times per week.

Have you had your fish today?