Fish Oil EPA saves lives
April
05,
2007
In a newly published study from Japan titled the Japan EPA Lipid Intervention
Study it was found that adding fish oils to statin drugs increases the level of
cardiovascular protection. 18,645 men and women with elevated cholesterol were
randomly given a statin drug or a statin drug plus EPA (1800mg) daily for five
years. In both groups the LDL-cholesterol had fallen 25% on average. There was a
major advantage with adding the fish oils. The number of major coronary events
(such as a heart attack, sudden cardiac death, a stroke, and unstable angina)
was 19% lower in the EPA-statin group than in the statin only group. The study
is published in the March 31st, 2007 issue of the British medical journal the
Lancet.
In an accompanying commentary, Dr. J Mozaffarian of Harvard writes ?Compared
with drugs, invasive procedures, and devices, modest dietary changes are low
risk, inexpensive, and widely available?.
Fish Oil Fatty Acids improve areas of the brain involved with emotional
control
Researchers have known for a long time that people who are low in omega-3 fatty
acids (EPA-DHA from fish oils) are more likely to have a negative outlook and
are more impulsive; even suffer with depression whereas those adequate in fish
oils are less likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression.
In a new study published online ahead of print in the journal Psychosomatic
Medicine, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh report that people with
high levels of the fish oil fats had a larger volume of grey matter in the areas
of their brain associated with emotional control and arousal.