| In the 1980s, a round of studies reported that a diet | | | | benefits to people who have already had one's heart |
| high in fish could help protect against heart disease, | | | | attack. Having two fish meals (each including about 3 |
| prompting many Americans to trade some of their red | | | | ounces of fish) a week may reduce the chances of |
| meat and poultry for a couple of fish meals each | | | | suffering a second, fatal heart attack. It also appears |
| week. | | | | that eating more cold-water fish such as salmon may |
| They made the right choice. Research has shown that | | | | help keep arteries from closing after angioplasty, a |
| people who eat fish are less likely to die from heart | | | | procedure used to unclog blocked blood vessels in the |
| disease than their non-fish-eating counterparts. What's | | | | heart. |
| more, you don't have to eat a lot of fish to get the | | | | In addition to its favorable effects on clotting and |
| benefits. Evidence suggests that two fish meals a | | | | cholesterol, the oil in fish appears to help keep the |
| week is all you need to help keep your arteries open | | | | heart beating in a healthy rhythm. This is important |
| and your heart working well. | | | | because potentially serious heartbeat irregularities, |
| The omega-3 in fish appear to put the brakes on | | | | called arrhythmias, may lead to cardiac arrest, in which |
| the body's production of prostaglandins, leukotrienes, | | | | the heart stops beating entirely. |
| and thromboxane, naturally occurring compounds that, | | | | There is increasing evidence that the omega-3 in |
| in large amounts, may cause blood vessels to constrict, | | | | fish somehow fortifies the heart muscle and keeps it |
| elevating blood pressure. | | | | beating regularly. In one study, people getting nearly 6 |
| These compounds also may promote unwanted | | | | grams of omega-3 a month-the equivalent of having a |
| clotting in the bloodstream, which can lead to heart | | | | 3-ounce serving of salmon weekly-had half the risk of |
| disease. | | | | cardiac arrest as those who ate no omega-3. |
| The ability of omega-3 to prevent clotting is | | | | While the benefits of adding more fish to your diet |
| particularly important. Clots that form in the | | | | are well known, you don't want to overdo it. One study |
| bloodstream can block the flow of blood to the heart, | | | | led by researchers at Northwestern University Medical |
| possibly causing heart attacks. Further, the oil found in | | | | School in Chicago found that those who ate more |
| fish appears to raise levels of high-density lipoprotein. | | | | than 8 ounces of fish a week had higher stroke rates |
| Further, the oil found in fish appears to raise levels of | | | | than those who ate less. This doesn't mean, however, |
| high-density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" | | | | that you should stop eating Fish. Having small portions |
| cholesterol that helps keep fatty sludge from | | | | (2 to 3 ounces) twice a week will provide most of the |
| depositing in the arteries. | | | | benefits without the possible risks. |
| Research shows that fish can offer particular | | | | |