Eating 1-2 servings of fatty fish per week or taking omega-3 oil supplements, may reduce a woman’s risk of heart failure by about 25 to 30%, according to a new study.
The benefits appear linked to the omega-3 content of the fish, report researchers in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The highest intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids linked to a reduction in the risk of heart failure of 25 per cent.
According to Emily Levitan and her co-researchers, consuming one serving of fatty fish per week could reduce a woman’s risk of developing heart failure by 20%; two servings per week could reduce the risk by 30%, compared with women who ate no fatty fish.
The association for the highest consumption of omega-3 fatty acids was slightly less than eating two servings of fatty fish per week. The highest intake of omega-3 oil was associated with a 25 per cent reduction in risk of heart failure.
The researchers analyzed data from 36,234 women between the ages of 48 and 83, participating in the Swedish Mammography Cohort. Over the course of 18 years of study, 651 cases of heart failure were documented.
The researchers concluded, “Moderate consumption of fatty fish (1–2 servings per week) and marine omega-3 fatty acids were associated with a lower rate of first heart failure hospitalization or death in this population.”
Source: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.50
“Fatty fish, marine omega-3 fatty acids and incidence of heart failure”
Authors: E.B. Levitan, A. Wolk, M.A. Mittleman