Omega-3 associated with reduced risk of death

Lower risk of death with Omega 3

Here is an important update on omega 3 fatty acids published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine. This was a 14 year study of generally healthy older people, (average age 74). 

Higher levels of omega-3's were associated with a reduced risk of dying during the study. Those with the highest 20% in blood levels were 27% less likely to have a heart attack and 48% less likely to die of an arrhythmia. This was not a supplement study. High blood levels could be achieved with an average daily intake of a moderate amount of fish providing 250 mg to 400 mg of EPA plus DHA and noted that greater intake would not yield much further benefit. Based on other studies any cardiovascular benefit of supplementation may be limited to people who do not already regularly consume fish. View article

However, the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids extends well beyond the cardiovascular system as seen below:

Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at healthy young adults with diets low in omega-3 fatty acids and found that those given a DHA-rich fish oil supplement daily (2250 mg of fish oil providing 1,160 mg of DHA and 170 mg of EPA had improved memory performance compared to those who received placebo. This was a 6 month trial only, and women had greater improvements in episodic memory (correctly remembering one more word or picture), while men experienced greater improvements in reaction time of working memory, completing tasks 20% faster than men in the placebo group. View study