New study finds high fish consumption - low rate of heart disease
USA: A new study led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health concluded that consuming large quantities of fish loaded with omega-3 fatty acids may explain low levels of heart disease in Japan.
The study was published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study also found that third- and fourth-generation Japanese Americans had similar or even higher levels of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries - a major risk factor for heart disease, compared to white Americans.
The study was conducted at two universities and one research institute in the U.S. and Japan to compare serum levels of omega-3 fatty acids and atherosclerosis among Japanese, white American and Japanese American men. Based on data from 868 men between the ages of 40 and 49, Japanese men had the lowest levels of atherosclerosis and two times higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than white Americans or Japanese Americans.
Fish consumption among the Japanese is one of the highest in the world. Japanese men consume an average of 100 grams, equivalent to about 3.75 ounces, of fish every day from early in life. Meanwhile, Americans typically eat fish less than two times a week.
"The Japanese eat a very high level of fish compared to other developed countries," said Dr. Akira Sekikawa, study lead author and assistant professor for epidemiology at University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, in a press release. "While we don't recommend Americans change their diets to eat fish at these quantities because of concerns about mercury levels in some fish, increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids in the U.S. could have a very substantial impact on heart disease. Given the similar levels of atherosclerosis in Japanese Americans and white Americans, it also tells us that lower levels of heart disease among Japanese men are much more likely lifestyle related than a result of genetic differences," said Dr. Sekikawa.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat found primarily in fish. The two most potent omega-3 fatty acids are known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and are usually found in oily fishes, such as mackerel, salmon and tuna.
