Omega 3 and Exercise Loses Weight and Hypertension

2007-06-06T21:57:00.001-07:00

If you're overweight and exercising and the pounds won't drop off, why not add a fish oil supplement? It might work wonders on your cardiovascular risk factors, according to a new report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Australian researchers found that combining regular aerobic exercise with consuming omega-3 fatty acids (from fish or fish oil supplements) may be more effective than either measure alone in reducing body fat and improving cardiovascular health.

75 overweight volunteers (BMI more than 25) with high blood pressure cholesterol, or triglyceride levels were randomly assigned to either: 6 gm of tuna fish oil daily, fish oil plus exercise, 6 gm of sunflower oil daily, or sunflower oil plus exercise. The exercise prescribed was walking for 45 minutes, 3 days a week, at 75% of maximum heart rate. Results after 12 weeks showed that both fish oil and exercise were independently associated with reduced body fat. The groups taking fish oil supplementation had lower triglycerides, increased HDL-cholesterol levels (the 'good' cholesterol), and improved arterial elasticity, compared with the groups taking sunflower oil.

The study didn't show a synergistic effect of fish oil and exercise - that would be asking too much, although the title of this piece may have suggested it. However, the benefits of fish oil supplements were clear cut, and this approach is well worth considering by overweight people at cardiovascular risk. East fish two or more times a week, or take good-quality fish-oil capsules.

High Cholesterol and Triglycerides

2007-06-06T18:10:00.001-07:00

You doctor is constantly hounding you about your cholesterol level. You never seem to win the constant battle. With an array of fast foods and take-outs we have around us it is not always easy to eat a balanced meal, especially since we are always pressed for time. We might have demanding lives and exercise does not fit into the picture. We have to realize that cholesterol is a problem that we have to face some time.

Understanding cholesterol and triglyrecides tests better can help us understand where we are going wrong in our lifestyle. It could mean that we have to just slightly adjust our diet or seriously watch our fat intake.

When we test cholesterol and triglyrecides, what are we actually testing? It is a test to check how much fat is in our blood and to determine how harmful it is to us. It also tests how prone we are to heart disease. Cholesterol runs in our blood attached to a protein, it generates hormones and helps to develop cells.

If we have too much cholesterol in our blood it can cause us to have a stroke or a heart attack. HDL (high-density lipoprotein), cholesterol removes fat from our body and carries it to the liver by means of our blood stream. A high level of this cholesterol is good for us. VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein) is not good for us. Triglyrecides which is produced by your liver is a fat that stores energy and the purpose of VLDL cholesterol, which contains minimul protein, is to distribute triglyrecides. A high level of this cholesteral causes a build up and you run the risk of a heart attack. Low-density lipoprotein which is known as LDL is a bad cholesterol because it increases your risk of developing heart disease. It carries fat and a tiny bit of protein from your liver to the rest of your body.

Heart Health News

Omega 3 and Exercise Loses Weight and Hypertension

High Cholesterol and Triglycerides