omega 3 we need them to live longer

Dr Oz from the Oprah TV show tells us that salmon is rich in omega 3 fatty acids that can stabilize your heartbeat, lower blood pressure and help you to live longer well why not of course we all want to live longer because Im afraid in our Western diets we don't get enough omega 3 in our diets and our bodies can't make omega 3. Everyday we hear about heart disease, diabetes and cancer, we are killing ourselfs with our poor diets and not getting enough omega 3 now we can get that from flax seed or fish oil capsules or nuts and seeds or a lot of fish if you are lucky, But then you have watch out for the mercury in the deep sea fish.

Omega 3 is so important to us that doctors have a new test. It's a new measure of cardiovascular risk called the Omega 3 Index which has been developed by US and German researchers to identify those most likely to suffer a heart attack. Professor Bill Harris US developer of the new index, said testing for omega 3 levels in the blood is a more accurate way to detect the risk of fatal heart attacks than many traditional measures such as cholesterol levels and blood pressure."Research shows the lower your levels of omega-3 fatty acids are, the more likely you are to suffer from a heart attack later in life," Professor Harris said. "The Omega-3 Index test measures levels of the most important omega-3s for a healthy heart, called EPA and DHA, in the lining of the red blood cells. "The Omega-3 Index will help doctors identify their most at-risk patients, and enable them to reduce the risk by increasing their patient's intake of omega-3s to levels that have been scientifically shown to reduce death from heart attack," he said.Professor Harris is Director of the Nutrition and Metabolic Disease Research Center at the University of South Dakota, and co-author of the American Heart Association's official guidelines on ‘fish consumption, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids and heart disease'. The best part of this story is that if your Omega-3 Index score is too low, you can do something about it, unlike other risk facts such as age or genetics, Professor Harris said. "A major study in people who had had one non-fatal heart attack reported a 45% drop in sudden deaths from a second heart attack in those who subsequently boosted their omega-3 intake, compared with those who didn't change their diet at all after their first heart attack. "The National Heart Foundation lists cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for 36 per cent of all deaths. Heart disease kills one Australian every ten minutes - or 130 Australians every day. HHh Associate Professor David Colquhoun, cardiologist at Brisbane's Greenslopes Hospital and Professor of Medicine at the University of Queensland, has been developing the National Heart Foundation's position paper on omega-3s and cardiovascular disease, due for formal release next year. Speaking at The Omega-3 Centre's conference in Sydney , Professor Colquhoun said, after reviewing all the data, the evidence is compelling that an adequate intake of fish and/or fish supplements or foods enriched with the long-chain omega-3s (DHA and EPA) will improve cardiovascular outcomes. "In the future we may be measuring the Omega-3 Index like cholesterol and blood pressure to determine a person's risk of heart disease. Research so far suggests it is at least as important as traditional risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes," Professor Colquhoun said. The American Heart Foundation recommends that all patients with coronary heart disease should aim for 1,000mg of omega-3 EPA and DHA from fish sources. For the general population, 500mg per day is optimal for promoting cardiovascular health. Professor Colquhoun confirmed that the National Heart Foundation of Australia has assessed the evidence and will be making similar recommendations for Australian intakes.Professor Colquhoun said the Heart Foundation's review of the evidence for the heart health benefits of omega-3s is the most comprehensive conducted anywhere in the world. "The data is clear and unequivocal for the benefits of fish and fish oil, both for those who are currently healthy and for those at increased risk of cardiovascular disease," he said. The Omega-3 Index testThe Omega-3 Index is the percentage of EPA plus DHA in red blood cell membranes, relative to all other fatty acids present. An Omega-3 Index of 0-4 percent indicates high risk, and 4-8 percent intermediate risk. A score of greater than 8 percent is associated with a relative reduction in risk for death from coronary heart disease of about 40%, and for sudden cardiac death, about 90 per cent.When omega-3 DHA and EPA fatty acids are incorporated into cell membranes, they cause beneficial changes in the properties of the cells, including expanding blood vessels to improve blood flow, reducing inflammation, and reduced blood triglyceride levels.Research shows omega-3 levels are a good predictor of the risk of a heart attack even after factors such as age, race, diabetes, smoking and weight are taken into account. Available in Australia? Although it is a simple matter to collect a drop of blood in any doctor's surgery or mobile clinic, the analysis is complicated and needs to take place in a pathology lab. "Researchers are working on test kits right now in the US, so we hope it won't be too long before they're available here as one of the regular tests a doctor orders to determine risk of heart disease, " Professor Harris said. "When The Omega-3 Index becomes available, it will be recommended for all those with an increased risk of heart disease, and also for anyone who wants to check their heart health. In the meantime, my advice is to eat oily fish at least twice a week regardless so you can see how important we need omega 3 Good sources of omega 3 of omega-3 fatty acids include fish oil and certain plant/nut oils. Fish oil contains both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), while some nuts (e.g., English walnuts) and vegetable oils (e.g., canola, soybean, flaxseed/linseed, and olive oil)contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

In european countries it is protocol that if you have a heart attack then the Doctors prescribe fish oil to assist with recovery but here in Australia and America they don't hopefully in time they will.

* Might prevent certain types of cancer

* Improve your sleep

* Reduce inflammation

* Improve muscle recovery from trauma

* Help with arthritis.

* Provide lubrication to the skin, arteries, veins and intestinal tract.

* Help to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

* Help to improve concentration

* Benefit for diseases like: Alzheimer's, depression and many other cognitively impaired situations.

* Reduces high blood pressure and lowers cholesterol.

* Might improve the healing capability for various health problems.

* Can improve constipation.

* prevent diabetes

* prevent or reduce anxiety

* Help your energy levels

* Helps you lose weight

* Helps conditions such as ADHD, ADD, poor behaviour, poor concentration

and poor reading and spelling in young children.

* Helps you to live longer