Omega-3 and Triglycerides: Could It Really Be That Simple?
We are wise to be wary of oversimplification. There is nothing
that can cure everything. For example, if everyone on the face
of the planet stopped smoking it would not wipe out the
existence of lung disease. But I wonder how much lung disease
would be wiped out if nobody smoked. My unscientific answer to
that query is, "a whole heck of a lot." Lung disease (as well as
many other chronic conditions) would see a dramatic decline if
smoking ceased. Yet in spite of all the warnings and scientific
evidence people continue to smoke.
But I am not on the anti-smoking bandwagon...today. Today's
focus is on triglycerides. Triglycerides have become
increasingly important in heart health matters. Many studies
have suggested that elevated triglyceride levels not only
indicate problems but are themselves the cause of some of these
problems.
Triglycerides essentially have two sources in our bodies. First
off our bodies produce them. They are necessary for life and are
the most common type of fat in our energy storage system. The
second source of triglycerides is the diet. We consume them in
the foods we eat and our bodies convert some foods into
triglycerides.
In some cases we might experience elevated triglycerides because
of aging or certain medical conditions or even the medications
we take to treat these medical conditions. But none of these
reasons is the primary cause for the general increase in
triglycerides. That credit goes to diet. But that is too simple
and perhaps too painful. The fact is we eat too much for the
amount of exercise we get and we eat the wrong types of foods.
So what are we to do? The simple (though not easy) answer is
watch your diet and get some exercise. Of course while you are
at it you could stop smoking. This very simple answer is a very
good one. Diet is the main contributor to elevated
triglycerides.
The particulars of diet I can save for another place and time.
But there is one aspect of diet that we need to discuss now.
That has to do with omega-3. Omega-3 is a scientific notation
for an essential fatty acid that has been shown to provide
significant health benefits in many areas. One of these areas
concerns elevated triglycerides. In case you are unaware of it
this is no secret. Sorry. I love to be the first to reveal a new
discovery. But this is old news. In fact a statement made in a
2002 American Heart Association Circulation entitled, "Fish
Consumption, Fish Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Cardiovascular
Disease," put it this way, "The hypotriglyceridemic effects of
omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils are well established." That
is a fancy way of saying that omega-3 from fish oils lowers
triglycerides and there is abundant scientific evidence to prove
it.
So if this is not news why bring it up now? Two reasons come to
mind. The first is that a well established fact in the research
community isn't the same as a well established fact where you
and I live. Many controlled studies may have proven that omega-3
significantly lowers triglycerides but that doesn't mean it is
common knowledge on the street. The other reason is one we all
know too well. Just because we know we should do something is
not the same as doing it. I may have high triglycerides. I may
also know that this condition poses a significant health risk. I
may further know that changing my diet and taking fish oil
supplements can greatly reduce this health risk. None of this
implies that I will actually take action.
The old adage, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make
him drink," seems to always hold true. But I can give the horse
a little salt to increase his thirst. Here is a little salt. In
one randomized trial two groups of patients with elevated
triglycerides were compared. One group received simvastatin plus
4 grams of Omacor containing 90% omega-3 fatty acids. The second
group also received the same amount of simvastatin plus a
placebo. The first group (the one ingesting the fish oils)
showed a 20 to 30% greater reduction in serum triglycerides than
the second group. They also experienced a 30 to 40% greater
reduction of VLDL cholesterol. VLDL can be converted in the body
to LDL cholesterol. That is the bad stuff. To further support
these findings a review of human studies concluded that four
grams per day of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) reduced serum
triglyceride levels by 25-30%. If this is not enough
encouragement consider this. The American Heart Association
resisted recommending fish oil supplements for some time though
it encouraged eating fish. That has all changed. The AHA now
recommends fish oil supplements for people with documented
coronary heart disease or those with high triglycerides.
Omega-3 has many sources but can be divided into two categories.
The first is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which is derived from
vegetative sources such as flax seed oil, soybean oil, and
canola oil to mention a very few. The second category is
represented by eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA). Both of these are found predominantly in cold water
fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel and tuna. Though
all omega-3 fatty acids appear to lower triglycerides the cold
water fish varieties have been shown to provide a much stronger
effect. That is why fish oil supplements are much more common
than alpha-linolenic acid supplements. Many quality supplements,
however, provide a combination of the two types.
The nice thing about omega-3 regardless of the source is that it
is naturally in our foods. We simply need to eat the right types
of food. There seems to be an epidemic in our culture. That
epidemic is the attitude among many that says, "I will wait
until something is broken and then I will fix it with a pill."
In other words, we live carelessly until we have a health
problem. Then we run to the doctor and ask for a prescription.
Not only is this expensive it seems a little backwards to me. I
would rather consume the types of foods that I should and
prevent a few trips to the doctor.
So what is the recommendation? Eat well. For proper triglyceride
levels include ample servings of cold water fish like salmon. If
your triglycerides are already high consult with your doctor
about supplementing your diet with fish oils from a trusted
source. The American Heart Association recommends two to four
grams per day of DHA plus EPA for people with high
triglycerides.
One more thing. We are all aware that some fish contain poisons
such as mercury. Therefore it is important to purchase fish oil
supplements from a trusted source. Quality supplements are free
from these contaminants. They may cost a little more in the
short run but they are worth it.
For more information on triglycerides and omega-3 please use the
links below.
Omega-3
and Triglycerides
Tri
glycerides