Runner's Corner
Fish Oil: Benefits for Your Heart and Joints
February 2008 Runner’s Corner
By Kitty A. Consolo, Ph.D.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, some of you might be thinking about your heart. While this article doesn’t promise to help your heart emotionally, it will give you some valuable information on some possible physical benefits.
Running Lowers Risk Factors for Heart Disease
As a runner, there are many great benefits you are giving your heart. We now know there are several controllable risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, high triglyerides, high low density lipoproteins and low high density lipoproteins that all increase our risk of heart disease. Running can change all of these for the better—it can lower both resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, decrease the urge to smoke, lower body fat, lower triglycerides, lower low density lipoproteins (the bad fat that likes to stick on our arteries) and raise high density lipoproteins, the good kind of fat.
However, running alone does not always lower these risks in all people. I am one of those people in regard to high triglycerides which I have had since I was 20 even though I’ve run since 1975 and eat a diary-free, fast-food free diet. I’m fortunate to be low in all the other risk factors but have been looking for ways to lower my triglycerides without taking medication. What may help, is fish oil.
Fish Oil—What it is
Fish oil may be beneficial because it contains dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids. The two main ones are DHA docosahexaenoic acid and EPA eicosapentaenoic acid.
Fish Oil Benefits
1. Lowering Triglycerides: There is strong scientific evidence that consuming doses as low as 2 grams a day of omega-3 fatty acids can lower triglycerides. The American Heart Association reports that doses of 2-4 grams of EPA + DHA per day can lower triglycerides 20-40%. However, there are risks of bleeding at doses greater than 3 grams, so contact your doctor prior to starting on such large doses.
2. Secondary cardiovascular disease prevention
Several well controlled randomized studies report that in people with a history of heart attack, regular consumption of 200-400 grams of fish each week or 850-1800mg of daily omega-3 fatty fish oil supplements with EPA + DHA, reduces the risk of non-fatal heart attack, fatal heart attack, sudden death and all cause mortality. It should be pointed out however that many of the subjects were also using conventional heart medications suggesting the benefits of fish oils when added to the other therapies. Benefits were reported in as little as three months of adding the fish or oil.
3. Reduction in Blood Pressure
Many well-controlled studies report that intake of fish oil reduces resting blood pressure. Note that normal blood pressure must now be less than 120 for systolic blood pressure and less than 80 for diastolic blood pressure. Reductions were 2-5mmHg, modest amounts so those with very high blood pressures may need medication too.
4. Primary Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
Several large studies of populations report a significantly lower death rate from heart disease in men and women who regularly eat fish. The American Heart Association in 2003, recommended that all people eat fish 2-3 times a week, in particular, fatty fish such as sardines, salmon, mackerel and lake trout.
Other Fish oil Benefits
I have been eating salmon and taking fish oil for awhile now, and was surprised and pleased to notice that my joints felt much better and so I looked in fish oil and joint health. (I will be getting my triglycerides tested later to see if there way any benefit).
Rhematoid Arthritis and Fish Oil
Multiple randomized controlled studies report that those with rheumatoid arthritis, which is one of the worst types of arthritis to have because our body’s immune system is basically attacking our own joints, report improvements in morning stiffness and joint tenderness with regular intake of fish oil.
While I do not have rheumatoid arthritis, I do notice a big reduction of joint pain now that I have been taking the fish oil and am able to do longer runs pain free.
Mercury and fish
Both fish and fish oil supplements contain the omega-3 that give us the benefit mentioned above. However, there is concern regarding fish consumption due to their possible mercury content. Some researchers have recommended that one totally avoid albacore tuna and limit salmon to 12 ounces a week. If you want to stay totally mercury free, you may want to purchase fish oil capsules which have been titrated and tested for mercury as well as lead levels—they will say so on their package.
Dosing
If you decide to take any supplement, do consult your doctor. Dosing should be based on the amount of EPA and DHA (omega-3 fatty acids) not the total amount of fish oil. Studies that reported benefits reported recommend intakes of 2grams per day of the fish oil EPA and DHA however, 3 or more grams can cause bleeding due to thinning of the blood so consult your doctor before going higher.
If you decide to eat fish, 1.4 to 4.5 ounces of salmon and 23 ounces of cod provide 1 gram of DHA + EPA. While tuna also has a lot, it is more likely to contain mercury.
Other precautions
Fish oils can thin your blood so let your doctor know if you plan or need to have any surgery that you are taking fish oil or eating fish. You may need to stop before having surgery. Also consult your doctor about combining fish oil with drugs like aspirin that also thin your blood.
Fish oil may also lower vitamin E levels, thus many supplements have vitamin E added. Check to make sure yours doses so you do not get a deficiency.
Summary
In addition to running, fish or fish oil supplements can help your heart and also reduce joint inflammation. Consult your doctor before adding any supplement and be sure to let your doctor and pharmacist know what supplements you are on any time you are taking a medication, there can be adverse affects.
Hope you have a healthy happy heart for Valentines day and consider taking your sweetie out for a fish (organic mercury free) dinner! See you on the roads.
Kitty
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