Regular consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are once again associated with heart health and this time in lowering the risk of death from a heart attack, so says new research published in JAMA Internal Medicine. 

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential (meaning our bodies cannot make them) and important for certain bodily functions including blood clotting, lowering triglycerides, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke,  improving blood pressure and for an abnormal heart beat.  It has been advised for some time to adopt a diet providing good sources of omega-3s particularly for heart health.

This purpose of this study out of The Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine in California was to look at what kind of impact omega-3s from seafood and plant-based foods had on the risk of death from heart attack or myocardial infarction. 

The researchers analyzed the data of 19 studies from 16 countries involving nearly 46,000 people.  During the study, 7,973 participants had a first time heart attack with 2,781 dying from it. 

The study found participants with higher concentrations of omega-3s coming from seafood and plant-based food sources in their blood were about 10% less likely to die from a heart attack. The participants with lower omega-3s in their blood were more likely to die from heart attack. 

Interestingly, individuals in the study who had a non-fatal heart attack did not have a reduced risk even with having higher blood levels of seafood and plant-based omega-3s.  This points to the possibility of there being a specific mechanism in which omega-3 fatty acids lower heart attack death risk. This was after even after factoring in other conditions such as the participant’s age, sex, race/ethnicity, if they had diabetes or used aspirin or cholesterol-lowering drugs. 

Senior author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, Tufts University, Boston Massachusetts stated, “At this time when some but not other trials of fish oil supplementation have shown benefits, there is uncertainty about cardiovascular effects of omega-3s.  Our results lend support to the importance of fish and omega-3 consumption as part of a healthy diet.”

Best food sources of omega-3 fatty acids

There are three kinds of omega-3 fats:

·         ALA – alpha-linolenic acid

·         DHA – docosahexaenoic acid

·         EPA – eicosapentaenoic acid

ALA is an essential fat so the only way we get it is through our food sources.  DHA and EPA our body can make from ALA so it is important to include foods rich in DHA and EPA in your diet. 

The amount of ALA recommended daily depends on your age and gender:

·         Men 19 and older – need 1.6 grams of ALA each day

·         Women 19 and older- need 1.1 grams of ALA each day

Fruits and vegetables are not good sources of omega-3 fats but are good sources of other important nutrients for health. 

Some of best food sources of ALA to include in your diet are the following:

·         Edamame – ½ cup – 0.29-0.34 grams ALA

·         Omega-3 yogurt – ¾ cup – 0.46 grams ALA–(note – check the label to see if it is fortified with ALA)

·         Omega-3 soy beverage with flax and algal – 1 cup – 0.67 grams ALA

·         Omega-3 eggs fortified with DHA – 2 eggs – 0.50-0.54 grams ALA

·         Atlantic wild salmon – 2.5 ounces – 0.22-0.28 grams ALA

·         Canned sardines – 2.5 ounces – 0.17-0.37 grams ALA

·         Navy and pinto beans – ¾ cup – 0.17-0.24 grams ALA

·         Tofu – ¾ cup – 0.27-0.48 grams ALA

·         Ground flaxseed – 1 tablespoon – 2.46 grams ALA

·         Chia seeds – 1 tablespoon – 1.9 grams ALA

·         Black walnuts – ¼ cup – 0.64 grams ALA

·         English walnuts – ¼ cup – 2.30 grams ALA

·         Pecans – ¼ cup – 0.25-0.29 grams ALA

·         Canola oil – 1 teaspoon – 0.42 grams ALA

·         Flaxseed oil – 1 teaspoon – 2.58 grams ALA

·         Walnut oil – 0.48 grams ALA