Omega 3 Healing

Acai seems to be the poster child for all sorts of health benefits, and it does indeed contain Omega-3 fatty acids.

Acai also contains Omega-6 and Omega-9. Each of these can lower the so-called bad cholesterol, or LDL, and each can maintain our HDL, or good cholesterol.

Fatty acai berries most often are harvested from Palm trees in Brazil. Clinical research which quantifies the Omega-3 benefits of the popular antioxidant berry.

Clinical trials have shown that acai is not helpful in treating cancers.

Wine lovers are well-versed in the nutritional benefits of a glass of good grape.

But now, the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids are entering into the picture.  New research published in the January, 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition draws on data from a study conducted at the Catholic University in Campobasso, Italy.

Key findings…

• A glass or two of wine each day can increase your Omega-3 fatty acids.

• Wine may impact the way the body metabolizes Omega-3s.  This may be a result of the ways the polyphenols in wine interact with Omega-3s.

• Drinking wine may boost the levels of HDL, the so-called “Good Cholesterol.”

• Beer drinkers also benefit from increased Omega-3s, but not to the extent wine drinkers do.

The researchers studied more than 1,600 participants in Great Britain, Belgium and Italy.  The “moderate” consumption of alcohol was defined as one drink a day for women and two drinks daily for men.

Black Walnuts typically don’t show up on the radar of people looking for strong sources of Omega-3.But if you’re looking for ways to include more natural Omega-3 in your diet, here are few reasons why Black Walnuts work well.

Along with Omega-3 fatty acids, the Black Walnut is rich in Manganese and Copper, each of which is effective in fighting free radicals.

Melatonin and other antioxidants are additional ingredients. It contains no cholesterol.

Black Walnuts are easily combined into all sorts of recipes, from home made ice cream to cookies and cakes.

To the best of our knowledge, no clinical trials have been conducted to determine the precise health benefits of Black Walnuts. All we know is that the ingredients add up to a desirable profile.

Omega-3 has the ability to:

1. Lower the heart’s liklihood of developing arrythmias
2. Lower blood triglyceride levels
3. Lower blood cholesterol levels
4. Cut the risk of blood clots
5. Help lower blood pressure
6. Slow the buildup of plaque in the arteries

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