Eating Fish Protects Heart, Study Finds
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Eating fish at least once a week cuts in half the risk of sudden cardiac death in men, according to researchers. In a study in today’s Journal of the American Medical Assn., a team of scientists led by Dr. Christine Albert of Harvard University’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that substances specific to fish, known as n-3 or omega-3 fatty acids, impart a protective effect on the heart. A diet rich in fish, the study suggests, helps keep the heart’s rhythm in sync by preventing clotting and clumping, allowing blood to flow freely. The study of 20,551 male physicians, age 40 to 84, show that eating fish at least once a week was associated with a 52% lower risk of sudden cardiac death.
MEDICAL RESEARCH
