The Truth About Omega-3 and Fish
Are you really getting Omega-3 from the fish you eat?
You want to include all the Omega-3 possible in your diet so you eat the recommended amount of fish each week. After all, you want all the health benefits these essential fatty acids have to offer. But did you know, according to the American Heart Association and a recent study, you may not be getting enough Omega-3 if you cook your fish certain ways?
How Do You Cook Your Fish?
If you want the benefits of Omega-3, researchers now believe the best way to prepare your fish is by baking or broiling. According to Lixin Meng, M.S., the lead researcher in the Multi-Ethnic Cohort study, by eating fried, dried or salted fish, you don't get the heart-healthy benefits.
"In fact," Meng states, "these methods of preparation may contribute to your risk. We did not directly compare boiled or baked fish vs. fried fish, but one can tell from the (risk) ratios, boiled or baked fish is in the protective direction but not fried fish."
The 3-year study that Meng conducted involved 103,884 women and 82,243 men of Latino, African-American, Caucasian, Native Hawaiian, and Japanese. Meng studied how much, which kind, and how often they included Omega-3 foods in their diet. Foods eaten by participants included canned tuna, fish, other canned fish, and soy products that have Omega-3 in them. The highest amount of Omega-3 consumed was 3.3 grams per day. The lowest amount was 0.8 grams per day.
The study showed that men who ate about 3.3 grams per day of Omega-3 fatty acids had a 23 percent lower risk of cardiac death compared to those who ate 0.8 grams daily. "Clearly, we are seeing that the higher the dietary Omega-3 intake, the lower the risk of dying from heart disease among men," Meng said.
Meng feels this research helps people understand the importance of not only including dietary Omega-3 but eating the right types and cooking it the right way. Omega-3 is so important for many health benefits but only if you get your Omega-3 the right way. Take only high-quality fish oil supplements or include Omega-3 in your every day diet - just be sure you bake or broil your fish.
