Omega-3 From Fish Can Reduce Cardiovascular Disease

This is a brief summary of the research from: Critselis, E, et al. (2023). High fish intake rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces cardiovascular disease incidence in healthy adults: The ATTICA cohort study (2002-2022) . Frontiers in Physiology 14.

The Yolk

Does fish intake reduce cardiovascular disease?

• Study Design
  • 20 year long study looking at cardiovascular risk and death from cardiovascular disease in healthy Greek adults
  • 2,000-3,000 participants, assessed at 10 and 20 years
    • Completed food frequency questionnaire
    • Scored to show dietary patterns
      • Servings of fish per week
      • Adherence to the Mediterranean diet
    • One-third followed the Greek National Dietary Guidelines
• Results
  • High seafood intake
    • 27% decreased cardiovascular disease risk at 10 years
    • 74% lower mortality
    • 24% lower risk of cardiovascular disease at 20 years
  • High small fish intake (anchovy, sardine, mackerel)
    • 76% reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality at 10 years
  • Greatest benefit found in:
    • Greater or equal to 65 years old 
    • Women
    • Those who did not adhere well to the Mediterranean diet

What’s healthy about fish?

• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Vitamin D
• Protein
• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Zinc
• Iron
• Iodine 
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Vitamin B12

Considerations when eating fish

• Amount
  • American Heart Association recommends 1-2 servings per week to reduce heart disease
    • 1 serving = size of the palm of your hand
• Mercury
  • Following the 1-2 servings recommendation, there is minimal concern
  • Some fish low in mercury include:
    • Scallops
    • Mussels
    • Salmon
    • Crab
    • Shrimp
    • Trout
    • Haddock
    • Lobster
    • Mackerel
• Fried fish
  • High heat reduces omega-3 and vitamin D content – but varies depending on fish
  • Vegetable oils increase calorie and poor fat content

Perspective

• Fish has repeatedly been shown to have benefits to cardiovascular disease from its omega-3 fatty acids
  • The largest benefit in studies comes from those who replace poor quality foods with fish instead
• The study took place in Greece
  • Access to fresh fish varieties compared to most of United States or other countries not in the Mediterranean region
  • Different dietary patterns compared to other regions
• Consider replacing one protein meal per week with fish
  • 25 healthy recipes

Research & Resources

• FDA chart – advice on eating fish
• Consuming 2 servings of fish per week associated with lower risk of mortality in those who have cardiovascular disease
• Benefits outweigh risk in fish contaminants – with moderate intake
• Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish reduce all cause mortality
• Fish consumption associated with lower inflammatory markers