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Omega 3 And Cardiovascular Health

Omega 3 and cardiovascular health are becoming talked about more and more frequently as trials show just how beneficial omega 3s can be for the heart. With estimates showing that anywhere from 3 to 5 percent of the world’s population currently suffers from serious heart issues, and far more are dealing with issues that could easily become serious if left untreated, it’s not surprising that studies like this continue to be done.

What is surprising, though, is the fact that, despite the mountain of evidence showing just how beneficial omega-3s can be for the heart and the rest of the body, many people are still seriously lacking in them. While there are several potential reasons for this, the most likely one is the simple fact that people don’t realise just how important they are.

That’s why we have produced the following article on the connection between omega-3 and cardiovascular health. This should ensure that everyone knows just how important they are and how they can benefit the heart, and hopefully convince everyone to increase their own intake.

Table of Contents

What Is Omega 3?

Omega-3s are a type of healthy, essential fatty acid and polyunsaturated fat that studies show is among the most useful nutrients for humans in many ways. However, as we are unable to produce omega-3s naturally, we must get our omega-3s either from supplements or the food we eat in our diet.

Omega-3 fatty acids come in three different forms: ALAs (alpha-linolenic acid), EPAs (eicosapentaenoic acid), and DHAs (docosahexaenoic acid). All 3 are very similar, but they function in slightly different ways, and EPAs and DHAs are considered to be the most useful for humans. They can all be found in slightly different sources, too, although some sources do contain more than just one type of omega-3 (1).

The list of health benefits that omega-3s offer is very long, but this article will focus solely on looking at how they improve cardiovascular health. If you do want to explore some of the other benefits that they can offer in greater depth, though, we recently published two articles that cover all of them, which you can read here and here.

Omega 3 And Cardiovascular Health: How Do Omega 3s Help Support The Heart?

Lowers Triglyceride Levels

Omega-3s are proven to be capable of greatly reducing triglycerides, which are a common type of fat in the blood. Primarily used as a source of fuel, your triglyceride levels are determined by a combination of your diet, exercise routine, and alcohol intake. The issue is, when your triglyceride levels get too high, the triglycerides are stored as excess body fat and can lead to many serious health problems.

These include high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, type II diabetes, and other health issues like hypothyroidism. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation can help reduce triglyceride production in the liver and increase the clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, leading to far healthier levels and fewer health risks.

Studies show that a reduction in triglyceride production of between 20% and 50% is produced when supplementing with omega-3 doses of 2 to 4 grams of EPA and DHA per day (2).

Discover more: Omega-3 and Triglycerides

Reduces Inflammation

Clinical studies show that taking omega-3s reduces the production of things like free radicals and C-reactive protein (CRP). These are inflammatory molecules that cause oxidative stress and damage, and lead to significant levels of inflammation. Chronic inflammation is detrimental to a person’s heart health, as it contributes to atherosclerosis, which is a plaque buildup in arteries, leading to increased blood pressure and poor heart function.

The evidence shows that omega-3s produce resolvins and protectins, which are molecules that actively resolve inflammation. This enables omega-3s to not only prevent the main causes of inflammation but also to repair any inflammation that has already occurred. One study showed that otherwise healthy people who took omega-3 fatty acids each day saw the number of anti-inflammatory molecules in their blood increase significantly in the subsequent 24 hours (3).

Learn more about Omega-3 supplementation and inflammation here

Enhances Endothelial Function

The endothelium is a thin inner lining that can be found inside every blood vessel and the heart. Omega-3 fatty acids are proven to improve the health and function of the endothelium, which enhances vasodilation, which is the ability of the heart and blood vessels to relax and dilate. This will help to maintain normal blood flow and pressure, preventing the onset of cardiovascular disease or helping to treat any cases that are already underway (4).

Stabilizes Atherosclerotic Plaques

Studies show that supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA omega-3s, may help to stabilize the fatty plaques in arteries. This makes the arteries far less likely to harden or rupture, both of which are major causes of heart attacks and strokes, while also notably improving your blood flow and blood pressure, all of which will significantly improve a person’s cardiovascular health and functions (5).

Combats Arrhythmias

Omega-3 fatty acids influence the ion channels in the heart muscle, which helps to prevent ventricular arrhythmias or abnormal rhythms of the heart, especially in people who are already dealing with heart disease.

Arrhythmias are problematic as they can disrupt blood flow, and cause issues like strokes, tachycardia (a dangerously fast heart rate), bradycardia (a dangerously slow heart rate), atrial fibrillation, blood clots, dizziness, fainting, chest pain, fatigue, or even organ damage or the complete shutdown of the heart. This effect is why omega-3 supplementation has been extensively studied in people who have heart failure or are recovering after a heart attack (6).

Improves Blood Pressure

Numerous studies have shown that taking omega-3 fatty acids, particularly at higher doses, helps to reduce vascular resistance and improve arterial compliance. This enables it to improve a person’s blood pressure, leading to better cardiovascular health and functions and a significant reduction in the risk of issues like heart attacks, heart disease, strokes, and numerous other heart issues (7).

You can learn more about how Omega-3 supplementation improves blood pressure here.