Fish Oil & Heart Health

andFish Oil and Heart Health
Recent studies have cast doubt on the versatility of fish oil supplements, especially for those WITHOUT pre-existing heart conditions.
A BMJ Medicine report reveals that regular use of fish oil might increase your risk of heart-related disorders like stroke and atrial fibrillation. However, the same study indicates that fish oil supplements can benefit people diagnosed with a heart condition. It reduces their chance of developing other associated issues.
For instance, someone taking fish oil supplements for atrial fibrillation has a 15% lower chance of having a heart attack. Similarly, people with heart failure have a 9% lower chance of death. Although the study is observational, its strength lies in the data collected from over 400,000 people.
Fish oil and other omega-3s lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases, but this study shouldn’t be concerning. However, it’s also not a green light to start taking these supplements to prevent circulatory diseases.
There are other things that can help. Here are a few tips you can follow apart from just consuming fish oil supplements to aid your heart health:
Have a Balanced Diet
Add a variety of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, proteins, and healthy fats to your diet. Limit your sugar, salt, and saturated or trans-fat intake. It’s also important to watch your weight and exercise regularly.
Physical activities can keep your overall health in check. 20-30 minutes daily, at least five times a week, can help you significantly. You can also go for brisk walking, stretching, and strength training to help your heart. The idea is to get moving.
Quit or at least avoid smoking or use of tobacco. Also, stay away from secondhand smoke. The chemicals you ingest can narrow and clog your coronary arteries. If you are already at risk of coronary heart disease, quitting smoking is the best thing you can do.

Try Acupuncture!
Acupuncture, a time-tested Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice, can help. It involves the insertion of several fine needles into specific points on the body (called acupoints) to balance the flow of qi.
Whether as an individual treatment or combined with other therapies, acupuncture can help reduce risk factors and keep your cardiovascular health under control. It can also alleviate stress, help sleeping problems, reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which will also keep your heart healthy. Essentially, acupuncture helps your body return to balance. This complementary therapy can also help reduce inflammation, enhance blood circulation, calm the nervous system, and improve heart rate variability. It can reduce your chances of future attacks, strokes, palpitations, and more. Your treatment plan can also include lifestyle modifications and herbal formulations to reach your existing and future health goals.