Monday, December 21, 2009
According to a novel research, moderate consumption of fish can prove beneficial for all those who have experienced heart failure.
Findings of the study reveal that consuming this seafood 1 or 2 times in a week can lower the risk of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) - to impaired ventricular contraction - in post acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.
According to Wikipedia, acute coronary syndrome is a set of signs and symptoms related to the heart.
1000 ACS patients studied
To find out whether consuming fish helps in lowering heart failure risk, researchers from the University of Athens carried out a study on 1000 heart patients.
They examined several factors such as demographics, nutrition, lifestyle, and medical factors together with the risk of rising left ventricular dysfunction after nonfatal heart failure.
Moderate fish intake linked to lower heart failure risk
The researchers noted that patients, who consumed a moderate intake of fish at least once or twice in a week, exhibited a reduced risk of developing left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD).
Alternatively, higher consumption of fish was not found to reduce the odds of developing LVSD.
Past studies have also found a optimistic association between judicious intake of fish and prevention of cardiovascular events.
More research needed
In spite of of the promising outcomes of the study, the researchers feel there is a must for further research to draw a more tangible connection among fish consumption and preservation of heart's health.
Lead researcher Dr. D. Panagiotakos states, "More research is necessary in this area, including the determination of the type of fish consumed and the type of the cooking method (boiling, baking, and frying)".
The researchers have also quoted a study which states that regulated consumption of a wide variety of fish is best for reducing mercury exposure and increasing omega-3 fatty acid intake.
Findings of the recent study are published in the journal Food Science.
Fish, healthy for heart
As said by the American Heart Association (AHA), fish is an essential source of heart-protective vitamins and minerals and contains very little artery dogging saturated fat.
It is also the best dietary source of omega-3 fats, which help in lowering the Blood Pressure (BP), cleaning the arteries, thus keeping the heart healthy.
