Something seems FISHY!
July 1, 2010 No Comments
Did you know that research has suggested Japanese men are far less likely to be obese or suffer from atherosclerosis, than their caucasian counterparts?
Well it’s true!… But why?
Well it turns out the Japanese men eat up to twice as much seafood and fish, a food packed full of essential fatty acids. In particular they eat a lot of Salmon, one of the richest sources of these acids. Haven’t heard of essential fatty acids before? Yes, you have… one of them is Omega-3!
And the oil in fish contains two particular types of Omega-3 fats, called Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), that the body utilises. DHA in particular is involved in forming hormones, is part of the structure of the brain and retina, as well as having a role in sperm production. Dietary DHA is thought to reduced the risk of atherosclerosis and subsequently heart disease be reducing the levels of blood triglycerides (nasty low-density lipids that cause build up on the walls of your blood vessels).
There are other forms of omega-3′s, including alpha-linoleic acid, which can be found in flaxseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, soy and canola oil. But this type of fat needs to be converted by your body into one of the two forms that it utilises (DHA/EPA), therefore it is less efficient.
So, in a nutshell, what does this mean?… 1-2 weekly servings of fish (in particular salmon), will help boost your levels of DHA and EPA, reducing your risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Happy Eating!
Dr Christopher Hodgetts is a chiropractor at Hillarys Chiropractic, Perth Western Australia. Read more…
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