Fish Oil Beats Cardio

By Craig Ballantyne

Doctors have long recommended exercise for better cardiovascular health, but nutrition can be far more important.

A new study from Australian researchers reinforces just how beneficial the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil can be for heart health. In the study, men and women between the ages of 25 and 65 were given fish oil (supplying 1.9 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day) or sunflower oil (an omega-6 fatty acid, which served as a placebo). In addition, half of the subjects receiving the supplement performed three 45-minute aerobic sessions each week for 12 weeks.

The researchers found that the group that supplemented with fish oil improved their blood lipid levels significantly more than the sunflower oil group, lowering triglycerides by 14 percent and increasing HDL (”good” cholesterol) by 10 percent. Surprisingly, the regular aerobic exercise sessions provided NO benefit in terms of cardiovascular risk factors. But the combination of exercise and fish oil supplementation did help the subjects lose fat.