Omega-3 rich diets improve insulin sensitivity… another research-based confirmation that Omega-3 plays a key role in maintaining a healthy heart.

Insulin sensitivity is one of the measurements used to determine the risk of heart disease. The higher the insulin sensitivity, the lower the risk of heart disease. The more Omega-3 in our diet, the higher the insulin sensitivity.

Researchers with the Kronos Longevity Research Institute in Phoenix, Arizona have been looking at diets high in Omega-3. They have found that consuming more Omega-3s improves insulin sensitivity.

Dr. S. Mitchell Harman, MD, PhD, is the Director and President at Kronos.

“We concluded that a diet high in omega-3 increases insulin sensitivity and reduces inflammatory markers. As we age, hormone secretion and cell responsiveness decrease, possibly due to loss of cell membrane fluidity or alteration of the membrane. Animal studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids may help hormone signals get into cells whose cell membrane has been stiffened by age.”

Source: Kronos Longevity Research Institute

Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to lower rates of heart disease in Japan… the more Omega-3 consumed, the lower the levels of heart disease.

The research has been published up in the Journal of American Cardiology. It shows that Japanese men have significantly healthier hearts, and they’re consuming twice as much Omega-3 as American men.

Leading the research team, Akira Sekikawa, from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

“Our study suggests that very high levels of omega-3 fatty acids have strong properties that may help prevent the buildup of cholesterol in the arteries.”

“Increasing fish intake to two times a week for healthy people is currently recommended in the U.S. Our study shows much higher intake of fish observed in the Japanese may have strong anti-atherogenic effect.”

The significance of this research: tangible evidence that Omega-3 fatty acids can help lower cholesterol. Other benefits, along with lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, include improving heart rhythms, reducing the hardening of the arteries and lowering the risk of a second heart attack.

Dr. Sekikawa notes that while increasing the amount of fish we eat is fine, we need to keep an eye on the purity of the fish, making sure we aren’t consuming fish tainted with high mercury levels.

“The Japanese eat a very high level of fish compared to other developed countries. While we don’t recommend Americans change their diets to eat fish at these quantities because of concerns about mercury levels in some fish, increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids in the US could have a very substantial impact on heart disease.”

Source: University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
Journal of American Cardiology

The research was presented at the 16th International Symposium on Drugs Affecting Lipid Metabolism in New York in October, 2007.

Adding an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement to the statin prescription cut the triglyceride levels.

HDL cholesterol levels went down also, and the LDL cholesterol levels did not go up.

“We often see clinical situations with our patients where they are being treated with a statin but continue to have elevations in triglyceride levels,” says research team leader Dr Harold Bays with the Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center.

How much of an impact does the Omega-3 supplements have? In some cases, 29%.

“What is most applicable to physicians is that there was an approximate 30% reduction in triglyceride levels among those treated with the omega-3 fatty acids,” says Dr. Bays. “When we look at the LDL-cholesterol levels, there was no significant difference in the change in LDL cholesterol in this trial.”

“There was a small median increase, which wasn’t significant. The reason this is important is because we can now say that many patients who have persistent elevations in their triglyceride levels, even after they’ve been on stable statin therapy, can benefit from dietary supplementation. Adding the omega-3 fatty acid can lower triglycerides and lower non-HDL cholesterol, all without adversely affecting LDL levels.”