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| Left: A sketch of Red Sockeye Salmon. Right: Bald Eagle viewed through a telescope near the Chilkoot Lake camp site feeding on a seal carcass. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Eating more fish can protect your heart, a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests.
Researchers recently looked at why middle-aged Japanese men have far less heart disease than American men.
"The
death rate from coronary heart disease in Japan has always been
puzzlingly low," said Akira Sekikawa, a leader of the study and
assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh.
"Our
study suggests that the very low rates of coronary heart disease among
Japanese living in Japan may be due to their lifelong high consumption
of fish," Sekikawa said.
The study included 281 Japanese men, 306 white American men, and 281 Japanese-American men.
Even
though a series of blood samples found that the Japanese and
Japanese-American men smoked more, had higher blood pressure, and a
higher rate of diabetes --- all factors that contribute to heart disease
--- they had significantly less calcification and build up in their
arteries.
"Fish is an important factor in
keeping the Japanese healthy," said William Harris, director of the
Metabolism and Nutrition Research Center.
The Japanese eat about three ounces of fish a day, while the typical American eats fish only about twice a week.
The
American Heart Association recommends eating oily fish like tuna,
salmon, and sardines, which are high in omega 3 fatty acids and protect
against clogged arteries.
Sources: Reuters, Health Day News
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