Omega-3 found to potentially cut chances of dying from a heart attack

A huge study, including 45,637 participants, has claimed that food with high levels of Omega-3 acids is the secret to surviving a heart attack.

Researchers from around the world, who joined together to form the Fatty acids and Outcomes Research Consortium (FORCE), made up of 19 studies from 16 countries, found that foods such as oily fish, nuts and seeds were associated with around a 10% lower risk of fatal heart attacks.

Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, says, “Eating oily fish that is high in omega-3 fats like sardines, salmon and mackerel, is recommended as part of a balanced diet to help product our heart health.

“This study reinforces those recommendations and suggests there may also be a heart health benefit to omega-3 fats that come from vegetarian sources, such as flaxseed, rapeseed and soya oils, but more research would be needed to confirm these findings.

“Although eating a portion of oily fish a week has been recommended as part of a healthy balanced diet for some time, we know that there is still a way to go before people are meeting these recommendations. At the moment we just eat around a third of a portion a week on average.”

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