Men who eat oily fish once a week, such as herring, mackerel, or salmon for example, are 12% less likely to experience heart risks than men who do not eat this type of fish, according to a study. study by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and published in the online journal European heart journal.
The researchers studied nearly 40,000 Swedish male patients, between the ages of 45 and 79, and recorded their eating habits. Of this group of patients, 597 suffered a heart attack, and 34 died.
“We divided the men into five groups, based on their fatty acid intake,” said Emily Levitan, one of the researchers in charge of the study. “The first group ate little or no fatty fish. In contrast, the fifth group ate large amounts of this type of fish, more than three servings per week.”
Once a week, no more
Scientists have found that the middle group, who eats one fatty fish per week, has a 12% lower risk than others of having a heart attack. The other groups, whose members eat between two to more than three servings of fatty fish per week, have a risk of heart attack similar to those who eat little or no fish.
Heart attack is the leading cause of hospitalization in men 65 and older, and causes symptoms like fatigue, weakness, difficulty walking, fast or irregular heartbeat, and persistent coughs.
Previous studies have shown that oily fish and omega 3 fatty acids help fight heart disease risk factors, by reducing blood fat levels and heart rate variability.
