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Fats for Your Heart Originally published in Natural Living Magazine While serving in the British army during a visit to the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII, Hugh Sinclair, one of the world’s greatest nutritional researchers, noticed there was a surprising absence of heart disease among the Inuit population. This was in spite of the fact that their diet was extremely high in fat. He concluded that the type of marine fat in their diet must be helping them stay healthy. Thirty years later, he set out to prove it. Using himself as a guinea pig, Sinclair ate only seal and fish for 100 days. Afterwards, he induced the longest bleeding times ever recorded in Western civilization, excluding hemophiliacs. Although not a wise experiment, it showed that consuming marine oils could dramatically change the properties of blood. “The Eskimo Diet Doctor” as he became known was not alone in his studies. In 1970, two Danish scientists, H.O. Bang and J. Dyerberg, were also astonished by the low occurrences of heart disease in the Inuit population in Greenland. Their studies showed that heart disease among native Greenlanders was consistently much lower than the average among the rest of the Danish population. From this, the researchers concluded that a diet rich in marine oils had a profound effect on people with high blood cholesterol and high blood triglyceride levels. Fish oils contain the Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids EPA and DHA. The human body cannot produce these Essential Fatty Acids, so they must be obtained through food and nutritional supplements. The recent trend towards a “fat-free” diet may actually be robbing the body of these “good fats.” Research has shown that fish oils have great potential in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, dyslipidemia, arrhythmia and high blood pressure. Recent evidence links fish and fish oils to the prevention of ventricular arrhythmias (life-threatening abnormal electrical conductivity in the heart) and sudden cardiac death. Fish oils are also thought to increase the elasticity of blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more readily. Studies suggest that fish oils can produce “thinner blood” allowing it to flow easily through blood vessels that may be partially clogged. This helps reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes from blood clotting. FISH OILS HAVE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Infant brain development can be aided; strong research has shown that DHA can help intellectual development and makes up 15-20 percent of the brain and 30-60 percent of the fat in the retina. Rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory disease, and immune system deficiencies can also be treated. Some promising research with fish oils is being done in the areas of kidney inflammation, lupus, asthma, multiple sclerosis, and cystic fibrosis. In most countries, the average person is deficient in Omega-3 essential fatty acids so it is important to supplement the diet with these good fats. To get a proper amount of the Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids found in fish, you should supplement your diet with two grams of fish oil daily in either capsule or liquid form. You can also add cooked fish to your meal plan two to three times per week. PLANT FATS FOR HEART HEALTH A unique discovery was made after a seven-country study into heart disease was conducted in 1960. What researchers found was that the death rate from coronary heart disease was two to three times lower on the Mediterranean Island of Crete than most of Europe and North America. What made this realization so surprising was that more than 35 percent of the calories in the daily Cretan diet came from fat. According to co-researcher Dr. Henry Blackburn of the University of Minnesota, the average Cretan diet contained more than a pound of fruits and vegetables a day, fresh leaves and salads, breads, fish, nuts, and olive oil but very little meat. This study was followed up in Lyons, France where researchers imitated the Cretan diet and gave it to recent heart attack victims. The victims’ mortality rate from a second heart attack fell by more than 70 percent compared to patients who were not on the diet. One reason for the Cretans’ lower death rate from heart disease could be traced back to their high intake of Essential Fatty Acids from the fresh leaves, vegetables, and fish in their diet. These plant fats are as beneficial to heart health as fish oils. Other Essential Fatty Acid oils with “heart healthy” benefits include Evening Primrose Oil and Flax Seed Oil. Evening Primrose oil contains Gamma Linolenic Acid or “GLA,” a good fat from the Omega-6 family. GLA has been shown to help correct blood cholesterol levels and may inhibit the growth of atherosclerotic plaque, one of the leading causes of heart disease. GLA also helps to lower blood pressure. Flax Seed oil contains another essential fat: Alpha Linolenic Acid, or “ALA.” A growing body of research clearly shows that ALA is a beneficial dietary supplement for people who want to reduce their risk of heart attack and atherosclerosis and maintain a healthy level of blood cholesterol. A complete supplementation program should contain a balanced mix. ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS The movement to eliminate fats from our diet may, in fact, be robbing our body of the fats that are essential for good health. It is important to reduce the amount of “bad fats” (saturated fat and trans-fatty acids) in the diet without depriving the body of “good fats” (Essential Fatty Acids). Daily supplementation, therefore, is often needed to ensure the body receives enough Essential Fatty Acids. A balanced mix of GLA, and the Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids ALA, EPA, and DHA is recommended. A combination of Fish oil, Borage oil and Flaxseed oil contains all necessary Essential Fatty Acids. Sangster’s offers a wide range of Essential Fatty Acid products such as the EFA 3-6-9, which contains a blend of Borage, Fish, and Flax oils. Sangster’s also offers individual fatty acids in such products as Evening Primrose and Flax Seed Oils. Sinclair’s keen observation of the Inuit population and his willingness to experiment on himself opened the world’s eyes to the benefits of fish oil. Thank goodness that today we do not have to go to the extremes that Sinclair did to receive the benefits. By Artur Klimaszewski MD   <back to Natural Living Magazine Online Archive Directory>

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