Scientists have long suspected that fish-rich diets are good for the heart, but the nature of the benefit has been murky. Last spring Harvard researchers found that men who eat a lot of fish suffer just as much heart disease as men who eat just a little. But the new study focused on a specific type of heart problem– sudden cardiac arrest -and it compared people eating moderate amounts of fish with those eating little or none. By interviewing the spouses of 827 Seattle-area residents, the UW team determined that fish avoiders were the most likely to suffer sudden heart attacks, even when other risk factors were taken into account. If in the course of a month a person ate 5.5 grams of fish oils known as omega-3 fatty acids–the amount contained in four 3-ounce servings of salmon–the person’s heart-attack risk was just half that of someone who stayed fish-free. When the researchers analyzed subjects’ blood samples, the same pattern held. People with the highest blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids had the lowest rates of heart attack.
No one knows just how fish oil protects the heart. Animal studies suggest it may help to prevent blood clots and forestall the irregular rhythms that trigger cardiac arrest. Future research will help answer such questions. Meanwhile, turn on the grill (not the skillet) and enjoy.
