5 Food Fats to Know for Heart Health
Karen Marschel, RD, LD, CDE asked:
1. Omega 6 Fats: This type of fat is found in corn oil and soybean oil and the amount we use has increased over the years because we eat more processed foods. Go check a few boxed foods in your kitchen cupboard and you will likely find soybean oil in the ingredient list. Too much omega-6 fat can increase inflammation.
2. Omega 3 Fats: There are 3 omega-3 fats – DHA, EPA and ALA. The first two are found in fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel, and herring. ALA is the plant source of omega-3 and is found in flax seed and walnuts. Omega-3 fats help reduce inflammation. If you can eat fish high in omega 3 twice a week you can get a good base amount for heart health. If you don’t like fish then you can take fish oil capsules. Remember to read the dosage directions on your supplement bottle. If your doctor recommends 1000mg or 1gram fish oil daily, that actually means 1000mg EPA/DHA. What you need to do is add the EPA and DHA amounts. Most bottles have about 300mg of these once you add them together so that means you need 3-4 pills to get 1000mg of omega-3. You also want to buy a brand you feel has good quality. Since supplements are not regulated you have no guarantee what is actually in the bottle. Flax seed is a grain and can be purchased as seed or milled. You need to eat the ground form to get the health benefits because the body can not break down the seed form. Once it is ground be sure to keep it refrigerated. Add 1-2 tablespoons to cereal, yogurt, or any dish you are having. You will get the benefit of the omega-3 and the fiber!
3. Monounsaturated fats are also anti-inflammatory and good for our heart and cholesterol. The Mediterranean Diet is high in monounsaturated fats and includes regular intake of foods like olive oil, canola oil, avocados and nuts. Eating these good fats can lower blood pressure, cholesterol and reduce risk for diabetes.
4. Trans fats are not good for our health. Some trans fats are naturally found in animal foods but most of our excess trans fats are from processed fat in packaged foods. Stick margarine is the classic example of trans fats. When stick margarine is made, oil is processed to become solid. This process is called hydrogenation and you will often see the words “partially hydrogenated” on ingredient labels. The chemical process of making oil turn solid creates trans fats which have been found to raise artery clogging cholesterol (LDL) and lower artery cleaning cholesterol (HDL). Trans fat amounts are required to be on labels by FDA and you want to try to keep your intake as close to zero as possible. The simplest way to keep trans fat intake low is to eat less processed food.
5. Saturated fats can also raise cholesterol. Just think of saturated fat as solid fat like lard or butter. Whole and 2% milk, cheese and fatty meats are also high in saturated fat. Some snack foods and bakery products are high in saturated fats as well. Check the labels and try to keep saturated fat less than 20 grams daily. You do not need to quit eating cheese and eggs. My recommendation is to choose small portions of less processed cheese. I personally don’t like fat-free cheese for the taste or texture. Eggs have a little saturated fat but are also a very good protein source. They have gotten a bad reputation over the years due to their higher cholesterol content. Reducing processed foods will do much more for your health than cutting out the eggs.
heart health
1. Omega 6 Fats: This type of fat is found in corn oil and soybean oil and the amount we use has increased over the years because we eat more processed foods. Go check a few boxed foods in your kitchen cupboard and you will likely find soybean oil in the ingredient list. Too much omega-6 fat can increase inflammation.
2. Omega 3 Fats: There are 3 omega-3 fats – DHA, EPA and ALA. The first two are found in fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel, and herring. ALA is the plant source of omega-3 and is found in flax seed and walnuts. Omega-3 fats help reduce inflammation. If you can eat fish high in omega 3 twice a week you can get a good base amount for heart health. If you don’t like fish then you can take fish oil capsules. Remember to read the dosage directions on your supplement bottle. If your doctor recommends 1000mg or 1gram fish oil daily, that actually means 1000mg EPA/DHA. What you need to do is add the EPA and DHA amounts. Most bottles have about 300mg of these once you add them together so that means you need 3-4 pills to get 1000mg of omega-3. You also want to buy a brand you feel has good quality. Since supplements are not regulated you have no guarantee what is actually in the bottle. Flax seed is a grain and can be purchased as seed or milled. You need to eat the ground form to get the health benefits because the body can not break down the seed form. Once it is ground be sure to keep it refrigerated. Add 1-2 tablespoons to cereal, yogurt, or any dish you are having. You will get the benefit of the omega-3 and the fiber!
3. Monounsaturated fats are also anti-inflammatory and good for our heart and cholesterol. The Mediterranean Diet is high in monounsaturated fats and includes regular intake of foods like olive oil, canola oil, avocados and nuts. Eating these good fats can lower blood pressure, cholesterol and reduce risk for diabetes.
4. Trans fats are not good for our health. Some trans fats are naturally found in animal foods but most of our excess trans fats are from processed fat in packaged foods. Stick margarine is the classic example of trans fats. When stick margarine is made, oil is processed to become solid. This process is called hydrogenation and you will often see the words “partially hydrogenated” on ingredient labels. The chemical process of making oil turn solid creates trans fats which have been found to raise artery clogging cholesterol (LDL) and lower artery cleaning cholesterol (HDL). Trans fat amounts are required to be on labels by FDA and you want to try to keep your intake as close to zero as possible. The simplest way to keep trans fat intake low is to eat less processed food.
5. Saturated fats can also raise cholesterol. Just think of saturated fat as solid fat like lard or butter. Whole and 2% milk, cheese and fatty meats are also high in saturated fat. Some snack foods and bakery products are high in saturated fats as well. Check the labels and try to keep saturated fat less than 20 grams daily. You do not need to quit eating cheese and eggs. My recommendation is to choose small portions of less processed cheese. I personally don’t like fat-free cheese for the taste or texture. Eggs have a little saturated fat but are also a very good protein source. They have gotten a bad reputation over the years due to their higher cholesterol content. Reducing processed foods will do much more for your health than cutting out the eggs.
heart health
Fish Oil for Heart Health: Does it Work?
Michael Holman asked:
If you are like me, you have probably already heard people recommending fish oil for heart health. There are a lot of other health benefits also attributed to it. Is it really true? Or is it all just hype? Let’s find out.
Here’s the good news. Research has shown that it is in fact, good to take fish oil for heart health. Provided you take the right oil containing the right ingredients. But more on that later. First let’s see what this oil can do for our heart.
Omega 3 oil has been found to prevent Thrombosis. It does so by preventing the blood platelets from sticking together. When these platelets begin to clot, they block the arteries and restrict the flow of blood. This ultimately leads to heart attacks. Omega 3 also regulates the electrical system of our heart and helps in preventing any heart rhythm abnormalities.
Another way the oil helps the heart is by reducing the Triglycerides present in the blood. Triglycerides are fats closely related to cholesterol. They are also responsible for blocking arteries and causing heart attacks.
As a validation of fish oil heart benefits, even the American Heart Association recommends taking it for the heart.
So the next question is what kind of oil to take?
Most of the benefits of the oil can be attributed to the DHA Omega 3 fats present in it. So you need to look for an oil rich in DHA, along with EPA added in for good measure. Together, these two essential fats account for most of the health benefits of Omega 3 oils.
The Hoki fish found in New Zealand is one of the best sources of DHA and EPA. It is found in abundance near the southern coast of New Zealand, which is a pristine area free from industrial pollution. This means the Hoki found there doesn’t contain any contaminants in it.
There can still be some natural pollutants present in the fish too. So if you take fish oil for heart, you need to make sure it has been properly refined to remove all natural and industrial pollutants. Molecular Distillation is the process that can do this effectively. Check if your oil has undergone this refining process.
One more thing to note is, the DHA content in the oil should be more than the EPA content. The reason for this is, latest research has shown that DHA is much more beneficial to our health than EPA. Also, our body can easily convert DHA into EPA by a simple process, if needed. But the reverse process is not possible. So we have to get all our DHA from an external source like fish oil only.
In conclusion, taking fish oil for heart is one of the best ways to keep our heart fit and free from diseases. So go now and find out a good oil to keep your heart running in prime condition!
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If you are like me, you have probably already heard people recommending fish oil for heart health. There are a lot of other health benefits also attributed to it. Is it really true? Or is it all just hype? Let’s find out.
Here’s the good news. Research has shown that it is in fact, good to take fish oil for heart health. Provided you take the right oil containing the right ingredients. But more on that later. First let’s see what this oil can do for our heart.
Omega 3 oil has been found to prevent Thrombosis. It does so by preventing the blood platelets from sticking together. When these platelets begin to clot, they block the arteries and restrict the flow of blood. This ultimately leads to heart attacks. Omega 3 also regulates the electrical system of our heart and helps in preventing any heart rhythm abnormalities.
Another way the oil helps the heart is by reducing the Triglycerides present in the blood. Triglycerides are fats closely related to cholesterol. They are also responsible for blocking arteries and causing heart attacks.
As a validation of fish oil heart benefits, even the American Heart Association recommends taking it for the heart.
So the next question is what kind of oil to take?
Most of the benefits of the oil can be attributed to the DHA Omega 3 fats present in it. So you need to look for an oil rich in DHA, along with EPA added in for good measure. Together, these two essential fats account for most of the health benefits of Omega 3 oils.
The Hoki fish found in New Zealand is one of the best sources of DHA and EPA. It is found in abundance near the southern coast of New Zealand, which is a pristine area free from industrial pollution. This means the Hoki found there doesn’t contain any contaminants in it.
There can still be some natural pollutants present in the fish too. So if you take fish oil for heart, you need to make sure it has been properly refined to remove all natural and industrial pollutants. Molecular Distillation is the process that can do this effectively. Check if your oil has undergone this refining process.
One more thing to note is, the DHA content in the oil should be more than the EPA content. The reason for this is, latest research has shown that DHA is much more beneficial to our health than EPA. Also, our body can easily convert DHA into EPA by a simple process, if needed. But the reverse process is not possible. So we have to get all our DHA from an external source like fish oil only.
In conclusion, taking fish oil for heart is one of the best ways to keep our heart fit and free from diseases. So go now and find out a good oil to keep your heart running in prime condition!
Create a video blog