Fish oil beats statins for lowering mortality

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, Harsha wrote:

> Hi David,

>

> Thanks for the information.

> Walnuts and flax seeds and flax oil are high in Omega 3 as well.

 

 

Yes but the problem with Omega 3s from these sources

is that they must go through 4 steps of conversion

in the body before they are hopefully transformed into

prostaglandins.

 

Seed omega 3s must be transformed into

 

1. Stearidonic acid first

 

2. then into Eicosatetraenoic acid

 

3. then into Eicosapentaenoic acid

 

4. then hopefully (if it's made this far)

into prostaglandins.

 

 

All these conversions require enzymes

which are inhibited by many factors.

 

(common nutrient deficiencies, alcohol & typical aging to name a few)

 

Fish oils are superior to seed oils because they are preformed.

 

They contain Eicosapentaenoic acid and hence it only needs

to go though 1 step of conversion in the body to become

the much desired & healthy prostaglandins.

 

Fish oils are also superior to seed oils

in that they contain DHA (Dihomogamma-linolenic acid)

which is only 1 step away from being converted to

series 1 prostaglandins.

 

These are the prostaglandins one hopes the omega 6s

they eat from, as an example, olive oil become converted into.

 

However olive oil and other seed Omega 6 sources

must go through 3 steps of conversion in the body

before hopefully becoming series 1 prostaglandins.

 

While I certainly would not advocate anyone to seize eating

seed oils, I would most certainly advocate eating fish oils too.

 

If one decides to take only one, the fish oils are far superior

to seed oils.

 

If one is adverse to eating fish oils

but desires the many health benefits of them,

I have heard there is Eicosapentaenoic acid

derived from certain seaweed.

 

It might even have DHA, though I am not certain.

 

As a final note I'd mention that over time

there is a documented improvement in mood

for many people taking fish oils.

 

This improvment in mood has not been noted

from taking seed oils.

 

(this is most likely because much less of the seed

fat gets converted into prostaglandins in the body)

 

Anyhow, I hope this helps!

 

 

 

> David Bozzi wrote:

>

> >

> > Hi Gang, thought some of you might find this interesting...

> >

> >

> > Fish oil beats statins for lowering mortality risk

> >

> > The April 11 2005 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine published a

> > review of the effects of various lipid lowering regimens on overall

> > mortality and mortality from coronary heart disease. Researchers from

> > Basel Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and University Hospital in

> > Basel, Switzerland reviewed 97 clinical trials published between 1965

> > and 2003 that included 137,140 men and women being treated and 138,976

> > control subjects. The current analysis compared the association with

> > mortality risk of diet, lipid lowering drugs categorized as statins,

> > fibrates and resins, and the nutritional supplements omega-3 fatty

> > acids (commonly found in fish oils) and niacin.

> >

> > While the fibrate class of drugs failed to influence overall mortality

> > and mildly elevated noncardiac mortality, and while diet, resins and

> > niacin appeared to provide insignificant benefits, statins and omega-3

> > fatty acids signifcantly lowered both overall and coronary heart

> > disease mortality risk during the trial periods. The risk of overall

> > mortality was reduced by 13 percent by statins and 23 percent by

> > omega-3 fatty acids compared to the risk experienced by those who did

> > not receive treatment. When the risk of mortality from heart disease

> > alone was analyzed, the use of statin drugs and omega-3 fatty acids

> > were found to lower the risk by 22 and 32 percent, respectively.

> >

> > The superiority of omega-3 acids in lowering the risk of overall and

> > cardiac mortality cannot be explained by an ability to reduce

> > cholesterol, which averaged 2 percent in this meta-analysis compared

> > to an average reduction of 20 percent acheived via the use of statins.

> > The protection provided by omega-3 fatty acids against heart

> > arrhythmias, along with their antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory

> > properties may be responsible for the mortality risk reduction

> > suggested by this review.

> >

> > http://www.lef.org/whatshot/#fobs

> >