Kathleen Doheny, "Fish Oil Fights Smog's Effect on Heart", Forbes, May
26, 2005,
Link:
http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/05/26/hscout525935.html

Daily supplements of fatty acid-rich fish oil may counteract the
effects of air pollution on the heart, researchers report.

"The cardiac responses to air pollutants were dramatically reduced in
those on fatty acids," said Dr. Fernando Holguin, an assistant
professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. He
presented the research this week at the American Thoracic Society's
annual meeting in San Diego.

Holguin's team tracked the cardiac health of 50 elderly people, all
nursing home residents averaging 70 years of age and living in
smog-plagued Mexico City.

Each resident received a one-gram oil capsule twice a day (once in the
morning and again in the evening) containing omega-3 fatty acids. Half
of the group received fish oil capsules and the other half soy oil
capsules.

The researchers took ongoing measurements of each participant's cardiac
function, focusing specifically on their heart rate variability.
Heart-rate variability refers to the heart rate alterations from beat
to beat.

"Exposure to the particles of air pollution reduces heart rate
variability, and taking the omega-3 fatty acids increased it," Holguin
explained. "Increased heart rate variability reduces heart disease
risk."

The fish oil was much better at keeping heart rate healthy than was the
soy oil, the Emory team found. "Those on soy oil had just marginal
protection," Holguin said, while "those on fish oil had a complete
abolishment of the effect of the [smog] particles on the heart."

Another expert, Dr. Zi-Jian Xu, a staff cardiologist at Santa
Monica-UCLA Medical Center and an assistant clinical professor of
medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, said he is not
surprised by the results. "Fish oil has been found to reduce
cardiovascular events, mainly heart attack and stroke," he said. "It
has also been shown to modestly reduce the risk of another heart
attack. The theory is that omega-3 fatty acids can improve
cardiovascular health."

The new finding is also consistent with previous research, Xu added.

Holguin advises that people follow the advice of the American Heart
Association (AHA) with regards to their daily intake of omega-3 fatty
acids. The AHA currently recommends that individuals with documented
heart disease eat about one gram of omega-3 fatty acids a day,
preferably from fatty fish. Beyond that, supplements could be
considered "in consultation with the physician," the AHA recommends.

Those without documented heart disease are advised by the AHA to eat a
variety of fish, preferably fatty species such as salmon, mackerel and
sardines, at least twice a week and to include oils and foods rich in
alpha-linolenic acid (flaxseed, canola and soybean oils, flaxseed and
walnuts) in the diet.

More information To learn more about outdoor air pollution, visit the
American Lung Association.