Omega 3 Healing

It’s no surprise that America’s leading preventable cause of death is smoking.

But the #6 preventable cause of death is a deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acids.

The Omega-3 information comes to light from a study conducted by researchers with The Harvard School of Public Health. They have found that more than 70,000 lives may be saved each year if people were getting more Omega-3 fatty acids in their diets.

“The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors” study has been published in the April 2009 issue of PLoS Medicine.

The Leading Preventable Causes of Death in the United States…

#1 Tobacco Smoking (436,000 to 500,000 attributed preventable deaths)
#2 High Blood Pressure (372,000 to 414,000)
#3 Obesity (188,000 to 237,000)
#4 Physical Inactivity (164,000 to 222,000)
#5 High Salt Intake (97,000-107,000).
#6 Omega-3 Deficiency (72,000-96,000)

Source: US Public Library of Science

Harvard School of Public Health

Omega-3 and Vitamin D are the focus of a new $20 million study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Leading the extensive project: Dr. JoAnn Manson and Dr. Julie Buring, with the Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

What’s different about this research?  Up until now, most studies looking at Omega-3 fish oil,
have involved people who fall into one of two categories, or even both.

• People with existing heart problems
• People who regularly eat lots of fish

“Vitamin D and omega-3s have powerful anti-inflammatory effects that may be key factors in preventing many diseases. They may also work through other pathways that influence cancer and cardiovascular risk,” says Dr. Manson.

A key focus of the study will try and learn how getting nutrients from a pill might differ from
getting nutrients from a suplpement.

The five year study gets started later this year and will follow 20,000 relatively people with no history of heart attacks, strokes or significant cancers.

People will take fish oil, placebos or Vitamin D.  The daily dose: a gram of Omega-3 fish oil and for Vitamin D 2,000 international units of D-3, also called cholecalciferol.

Sources:

National Cancer Institute
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Brigham and Women’s Hospital