Omega 3 benefits

[jeffcampbell777]

After being diagnosed with the beginnings of heart disease I have been doing a lot of reading and it appears that Omega 3 may benefit my condition.  Does anyone know if this is true and if so can you get Omega 3 anyway other than eating fish?

[jrbon]

Yes Ed, thre are not serious studies on our food and our health
..
Just to say that  5 years ago my cardiologist said no egg yolk at all.

Now she say 2 per week are OK.

Jesus

[ed34]

Well, that's a whole new topic :)  I read some research done across over a thousand patients and the ones with more severe heart disease were eating more egg yolks than those who ate less of them. Again, I simply fail to to the logic behind the conclusion "eating more egg yolks promotes artery disease". I could just as easily conclude "eating more egg yolks stopped them dying from heart attack". Maybe eating more egg yolks has resulted in them staying alive longer with the disease and to jump to such conclusions is, well, just plain silly. Maybe the patients with more severe disease had many other factors at a higher level, such as stress. Egg yolks actually contain Choline, a mineral which stops fat sticking to arteries. They also contain complex vitamin B molecules, which most of us would have to take pills for. I have a couple of friends who are health fanatics, and they like to keep their muscles toned. They eat on average 6 eggs a day and they are extremely fit. I just wish research was done properly and covers all angles, all possibilities. Too many claims are made before the real facts are known, and I blame the media for half of this. I remember a couple of decades ago when there was a heatwave in the UK and France. People in France were dying of severe dehydration so the UK announced "drink lots of water, at least 2 litres a day". Everyone started to drink more and water consumption more than tripled. The government panicked and three days later the media said "drinking too much water is more dangerous than not drinking enough". I don't know about you but I can't drink too much water, I would feel nauseous, bloated and vomit. We have to be so careful what we believe these days and we still have no idea what food producers hide in their products. A famous chef in the UK is being Sued by an american company for exposing what he calls 'pink slime', the stuff left over from animals that are unfit for human consumption, given to animals as pet food. He discovered it was being put into meat in america, to increase the volume. Up to 15% could be used in meat products, approved by the FDA. Once aware, the factories making pink slime had to close, losing many jobs. Now Jamie Oliver is being sued for making his TRUE claims. So worrying about fresh free range chicken eggs is pointless if we have no idea what else is going on behind the scenes.

[jrbon]

I agree with what ed has said but be aware that if you have high cholesterol 2 egg yolks a day it is not advisable for you.

Jesus

[ed34]

Quite a complex topic this but at the same time an interesting one. Omega 3 isn't just one substance, Omega three are fatty acids just like Omega 6 fatty  acids found in oils and meat etc. Omega 3 are EPA, DHA, and ALA . Some experts have said that the balance between Omega 6 fatty acids and Omega 3 is key, but just as many say this is nonsense. Omega 3 do have benefits, mainly reducing inflammation in the body, such as in the arteries or joints. It can also reduce your clotting factor if taken in too high doses, causing excessive bleeding. Experts do agree on one thing, take omega 3 acids from foods rather than supplements. Without a doubt, having enough Omega 3 acids in your diet does improve health.
DHA and EPA fatty acids are obtained from oily fish. ALA is from walnuts, soybeans, flax, Olive oil etc. The only source I know of which can supply EPA/DHA rather than fish, is egg yolks. 2 a day is supposed to be adequate.