Eating fish to lower risk of coronary artery disease
Eating fish may lower your risk of coronary artery disease.1 The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends that healthy adults eat two to three servings of fish per week. Oily fish, which contain omega-3 fatty acids, are best for your heart. These fish include tuna, salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, and sardines.2, 3
In people with heart problems, omega-3 fatty acids may help lower their risk of death. Omega-3 fatty acids can:4
- Lower levels of triglycerides (fats that may help clog arteries).
- Affect blood clotting.
- Lower blood pressure.
Omega-3 fatty acids also lower the risk of sudden cardiac death and abnormal heartbeats.
If you have high triglycerides, your doctor may recommend that you take a daily fish oil supplement with 2 to 4 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. Do not take more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids supplements without consulting your doctor, because high amounts can cause excessive bleeding in some people.5 Your doctor may prescribe a medicine that is a highly concentrated form of omega-3 fatty acids.
According to Health Canada, pregnant and nursing women should only eat 150 grams per month or less of fresh and frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, escolar, marlin, and orange roughy because these fish often have high mercury levels.6 But for middle-aged and older people, the protection fish offer the heart outweighs the risks of eating these fish. Eating a variety of fish may reduce the amount of mercury you eat.
| Author: | Douglas Dana Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: September 21, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD - Cardiology Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition | |
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