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Eating More Salmon Can Help Combat This Disease, New Study Suggests Hildur Arnardottir, Ph.D
Later on, your arteries will thank you.
There is a long list of reasons to include salmon in your diet. This fish is high in vitamins B6 and D and fits perfectly into the world’s best diet, to name a few benefits.
New research reveals that omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fatty fish like salmon, may play an essential role in preventing atherosclerosis, where plaque builds up within the arteries walls. Researchers discovered omega-3 fatty acids form molecules that activate a receptor, which could be essential in stopping the inflammation process and combating the condition, according to the study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Senior author Hildur Arnardottir, Ph.D., said, “Omega-3 fatty acids can potentially help protect against atherosclerosis by several means, in particular by lowering inflammation, a key [factor] driving atherosclerosis illness.”
“This study is just one piece of the big puzzle,” she cautioned, “and further studies are needed before we can fully translate this to humans.”
Even though experts aren’t sure if eating extra omega-3 fatty acids would protect you from atherosclerosis, their anti-inflammatory qualities have been linked to various other health benefits, including keeping your mind sharp and decreasing joint pain.
Because most processed foods on store shelves are made with lower-quality oils, such as safflower or soybean oil, which are rich in omega-6 fatty acids rather than omega-3s, getting more of these fatty acids in your diet may take some work, according to Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, nutrition and wellness expert and co-author of Sugar Shock.
“When your omegas are off-balanced in this way, it may increase low-grade, chronic inflammation,” she explained. “This has been linked to autoimmune inflammatory illnesses including rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, and mood disorders.”
So, before your next shopping trip, make it a point to include foods strong in omega-3 fatty acids on your shopping list. If you’re not sure where to begin, Victoria Goodman, DSC, RD, LDN, CLT suggests eating “fatty fish two times a week” and “avocado, flaxseed, and olive oil most days of the week.”