Eat Fat, Get Healthy!

By: Mike Ormsbee, PhD, CSCS, CISSN
Date Published: March 2011

You already know that artery-jamming trans fats are something to avoid and big steps have been taken in public view to make this fact obvious.  Probably the best example is from December 2006 when every restaurant in New York City was ordered by the Board of Health to eliminate all trans fats from food offerings by July 2008.  With trans fats literally being taken off the menu, our focus has shifted to fats that you should be consuming – namely, omega-3 fatty acids or fish oil.  Large strides have been made recently in the world of scientific research to expose exactly why fish oil can be . . . well, healthy.  Eating more fish will give you a running start for keeping 3 very important things in your life, (your heart, your body, and your mind), in good shape as you tackle what life brings you.

Good Fat 101

Enter omega-3 fatty acids.  Omega-3’s are considered one of the essential fatty acids (EFA) because our bodies do not make them, so they must be obtained from the food we eat (5).  Omega-3’s can be found in certain plant sources (alpha linolenic acid) and from fish and fish oils (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA)) (9).  Good sources of omega-3’s are found in walnuts, flax and canola oil, however, the best sources are found in cold water fish such as in salmon, mackerel, tuna, sea bass, herring and trout (4;10).

Even though omega-3’s are known to be helpful in many important bodily functions like helping you to burn fat, strengthen your immune function, and maintain cell membrane integrity (5;6), many adults have a “good” fat insufficiency (5; 6; 7).  If you are not getting the recommended amounts of fish oil in your diet, consider yourself warned!  Research from the University of Missouri has stated, “the ‘omega-3’s story may someday be viewed as one of the most important in the history of modern nutritional science” (13).  Below you’ll find three research-backed recommendations for why you should be consuming omega-3’s regularly.

Your Heart

When researchers discovered that Greenland Eskimos had a very high consumption of “good” omega-3’s and a reduced risk for heart disease, the light bulbs in many health-conscious minds immediately turned on (14).  It is generally accepted that consumption of fish oil, rich in omega-3, has a beneficial effect on heart disease and mortality.  This improvement in heart health is thought to be due to improved blood cholesterol and reduced risk for stroke of these Eskimos (15).  Researchers found that supplementing with 850 mg/day of omega-3 resulted in an improved blood lipid profile and a 45% reduced risk of sudden death, as well as a 30% lower cardiovascular mortality following just four months of treatment (16).

It seems that omega-3’s are beneficial for preventing and alleviating symptoms of cardiovascular disease.  Therefore, the American Heart Association recommends fatty fish at least twice a week for those without documented coronary heart disease, 1g/day of EPA and DHA (specific types of omega-3’s) for those with documented disease, and 2-4 g/day for patients with high (>200 mg/dL) triglyceride levels (4;17).

Your Body

If you know someone who suffers from an inflammatory disease (such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, psoriasis, and some might even say aging (5)), then you are well aware of the misery that these conditions can cause.  What’s more, our typical western diet can exacerbate the inflammatory problems! The good news is that a diet rich in omega-3’s may help to alleviate some inflammation and control complications associated with these diseases (26).  Research out of Australia has demonstrated that increasing omega-3 consumption in the diet can decrease inflammatory markers by 30% in just 4 weeks (18).

Your Mind

Ever find yourself looking around for your pen frantically, only to find it behind your ear? Well, it happens, but don’t be too worried.  Unfortunately, the simple process of aging is associated with cognitive impairment and this mental deterioration has been linked to various deficiencies of the diet (12;20).  The use of omega-3’s to improve cognitive ability and even to reverse symptoms relevant to dementia are currently being examined and results look promising (12;20).  Intake of omega-3’s, specifically fish oil consumption, may help you to retain your thought processing abilities (2;22).  In addition, while intake of saturated fat and cholesterol are linked to an increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, the intake of omega-3’s has been shown to be protective against these diseases (22).  Just this year, research is showing that a diet high in omega-3’s may help to minimize many of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease may (27).

Eat Fish

The health benefits of eating fish oil seem undeniable but, if eating fish is out of the question or getting in the goal of 1g of EPA and DHA per day is troublesome, then supplementation may be the only means to achieving adequate intake (13).  Whatever your case may be, the research indicates that omega-3’s may just be that magic food we’ve been searching for and maybe, just maybe, in the near future the Department of Health will mandate that foods must contain certain amounts of omega-3’s.

Notes

Common sources of omega-3 fatty acids (4;10)

Adequate Intake (AI) values for linolenic acid (ages 14 years and up) (8).

Mike Ormsbee Ph.D., CSCS, CISSN earned his doctorate from East Carolina University and is a certified sports nutritionist (CISSN) and strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS).  Dr. Ormsbee’s research and expertise has focused on training and eating to prevent obesity-related diseases, achieving optimal body composition and optimizing athletic performance. He currently teaches at Florida State University.

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