DHA & EPA Continue to Impress for Cardiovascular Health

The long chain omega-3 essential fatty acids of DHA and EPA are the most lacking nutrients in the American diet, compared to what humans have traditionally been eating over the past thousands of years. Two new studies add to the overwhelming evidence that these fatty acids, especially DHA, are incredibly beneficial to cardiovascular health.

Mental demands on you result in your nervous system ramping up to deal with issues. An inevitable result of this is increased tension in your circulatory system during increased stress demands. Over time such tension reduces blood flow, increases inflammation, and sets the stage for deterioration of the cardiovascular system. A new study in humans shows that DHA and EPA (1.4 grams per day) can reduce the tension in your circulatory system in response to mental stress, thereby enabling blood to flow better and resulting in less wear and tear to your cardiovascular system in response to stress.

Such day to day benefit in offsetting cardiovascular wear and tear should add up to less heart disease in older age. A second study with 3277 Danish women and men tracked their intake of DHA and EPA for over two decades. It found that those with the highest intake of DHA and EPA had less heart disease than those with the lowest intake. The benefit was especially clear for women, who had a statistically significant 38 percent risk reduction for heart disease. Men also showed a benefiting trend of 26 percent risk reduction, although the result did not reach statistical significance.

The intake of long chain omega-3 essential fatty acids, especially DHA, continues to be one of the most important basic nutrients a person can consume for their health. High-quality molecularly distilled fish oils offer DHA and EPA in a form that is free of pollution. Toxic compounds found in fish, such as mercury and PCBs, can be removed. This enables you to have a good source of this vital nutrient on an ongoing basis.