Fish Oil Heart Health Benefits

What are the various fish oil heart health benefits? What is the link between fish oil and heart disease?

Fish oil is rich in the omega 3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA, which provide a whole host of different health benefits. Significantly, fish oil and these essential fatty acids benefit heart and cardiovascular health in many ways, too.

The many omega 3 heart health benefits exist on several levels. Broadly speaking, these fatty acids offer protective effects on overall cardiovascular health. Omega 3 fatty acids have been found in high concentrations in heart tissue, suggesting the importance and cardiovascular benefits of fish oil and omega 3's.

Omega 3 and fish oil heart benefits have also been revealed through epidemiological evidence, which suggest that diets with high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids are associated with markedly lower rates of cardiovascular disease. One study suggested they could lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 50%. Overall, omega 3's and fish oil help reduce heart disease mortality, too.

Fish oil and omega 3 fatty acids have also been used to treat certain cardiovascular ailments. Clinical studies have shown significant improvement in the condition of persons who were given these nutrients, as compared to those who were not, suggesting the usefulness of using omega 3 for heart disease.

Fish oil and omega 3 fatty acids promote the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system. What are some of the specific fish oil heart benefits in this regard? These include the ability to:

• Improve heart function
• Regulate heart rhythm / heart beat; prevent erratic heart rhythms
• Improve vascular function
• Improve blood vessel tone
• Help relax blood vessels
• Improve blood circulation and blood flow
• Improve lipid metabolism
  
  

In addition, fish oil heart benefits stem from the ability of omega 3 fatty acids to regulate, lower, protect against and prevent several conditions, ailments, and undesirable elements. This list of omega 3 heart health benefits include the ability to:

• Regulate and lower blood pressure
• Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol and triglyceride levels; some studies have shown that fish oil supplements can reduce triglyceride levels by 25% to 30%
• Raise levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, i.e. the "good" cholesterol
• Lower excessive levels of homocysteine
• Reduce inflammation, which is a known cause of heart disease as well as many other serious ailments, including cancer and heart attacks; inflammation damages arteries, too
• Help reduce angina or chest pain
• May help slow the progression of atherosclerosis - thickening or hardening of the arteries
• May offer protection against chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Help prevent cardiac arrhythmias and prevent fatal arrhythmias
• Help prevent blood clots by lowering the likelihood of blood being thick, sticky and clumpy
• Help clear arteries which may be clogged
• Protects against strokes
• Reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death - one study showed a lower risk of 45%
• Reduce risk of heart attack - studies suggest risk could be lowered by about 33%
• Lower risk of a second heart attack, for those who have already been hit by an attack
  
  

Further, fish oil heart health benefits come about due to the ability of the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA to improve overall cell health and function as well as to stimulate the body's immune system.

We are not yet even mentioning omega 3 fatty acids' positive effects on other aspects of health, such as joint health, brain health, and skin health. With such a large array of general and cardiovascular benefits of fish oil, you may want to consider using fish oil or omega 3 for heart disease prevention and healing. By doing so, you can not only harness the many fish oil heart benefits, but also enjoy the numerous other health-promoting effects of omega 3 fatty acids.