Do Omega 3 Fatty Acids Lower Your Blood Pressure?

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: How Do They Help with Hypertension and Heart Health

What are Omega 3 Fatty Acids?

Omega 3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats (a group of dietary fats), considered healthy fats that contain three compounds together -

1. ALA (Alpha Linolenic Acid)
2. ELA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)
3. DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)

Among these three, ELA and DHA are the beneficial constituents which help in hypertension and heart health.

ALA needs to be converted by the body into ELA and DHA to be completely useful.

How do Omega 3 Fatty Acids Act on Hypertension and Heart Health? 

The benefits and actions of omega-3 fatty acids are as follows -

1. Blood Pressure Regulation

EPA in Omega 3 fatty acids help regulate the systolic blood pressure, the upper value of your BP reading. (average: 120 )

1. Anti Inflammatory Properties

Omega 3 fatty acids help heal the heart and blood vessels by reducing inflammation.

1. Cholesterol Level Management

Omega 3 fatty acids increase the good cholesterol and decrease the triglycerides. This protects your heart health and blood vessels. Decreases in bad cholesterol keep the blood vessels good enough for the blood to flow without any pressure on the walls.

1. Improves the Health of Blood Vessels

Omega 3 fatty acids make the blood vessels healthy and flexible. By doing so, the blood vessels can dilate and allow good blood flow. 

1. Antiarrhythmic Effects

Omega 3 fatty acids can help stabilise the heart rhythms, reducing the risk of abnormal heart rhythms called arrhythmias.

1. Plaque Reduction

Plaques (atherosclerosis) are cholesterol deposits, calcium, cellular wastes and blood products with Omega 3 fatty acids. Plaque deposition increases blood pressure.

1. Blood Clot Prevention

The blood-thinning properties of Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent unnecessary blood clot formation in the heart. 

1. The Function of Blood Lining

Endothelium, the lining of blood vessel walls, improves its functioning with omega-3 fatty acids.

1. Improves Cardiac Output

Cardiac output is the amount of blood which pumps out of the heart, which shows the ability of the heart to function well. The Omega 3 acid supplements will help in better heart function.

1. Heart Rate Reduction

Research shows that with Omega 3 acids, a reduction of 2.23 beats per minute of heart rate. 

With all these benefits, your body's circulatory system improves overall functioning.

Sources of Omega-3s  

There is a prevalent misconception that the source of omega-3 acids is just fish oils or fatty fish. Even though fatty fish are the primary and essential source of Omega 3 acids, let's also check what other sources you can use and how all these sources help reduce blood pressure.

Fatty Fish 

Salmon, Mackerel, and sardines are the most common fishes that contain omega-3 acids in abundance. River water fishes have a high quantity of omega-3 acids in them.

Flax Seeds

You can use flax oil, ground flax, and whole flax seeds. Flax seeds are full of ALA content of omega acids. 

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are something that you can consume daily. Apart from providing a rich source of fibre and hydration to your body when soaked in water, chia seeds are also incredibly rich in manganese, selenium, magnesium, and other nutrients. It contains at least 5,050 mg of ALA per 28 grams.

Walnuts

Among nuts, walnuts are highest in Omega 3 acids, with 1,884 mg of ALA per serving of 3 gms. It improves the composition of blood fats.

Soybeans

Soybean is a moderate source of omega-3 acids, which you can add to your diet in various ways, such as dry dishes or curries. Soybean oil contains omega-6 fatty acids, which the American Heart Association has recently proved to help improve heart health.

Edamame is young soybeans which contain ALA.

Other Sources of Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Some food items that contain a decent amount of omega contents are;

• Pasture-raised eggs
• Meats and dairy (if you are lactose tolerant ) from grass-fed animals.
• Hemp seeds
• Vegetables like spinach, kale, winter squash, brussels sprouts and Perilla.
• Wheat germ
• Avocado
• Canola oil
• Oat germ

Supplements that Contain Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Research studies indicate that omega-3 three fatty acid supplements give less omega than you obtain from a diet filled with omega-rich food. Although, it can be a shortcut to receiving omega in your body.

Some research also indicated that the supplements do not reduce the risk of heart disease. However, high doses of supplements reduce triglycerides.

Some dietary supplements that contain omega 3 are-

1. Fish oil supplements
2. Fish liver oil supplements such as cod liver oil.
3. Krill oil
4. Algal oils are vegetarian or vegan-friendly sources
5. Flaxseed oils.

A survey by National Health 2012 showed that 7.8 per cent of adults and 1.1 per cent of children in the United States intake omega supplements.

How You Can Incorporate Omega 3s into Your Diet

Enjoy by adding an ounce of Omega-rich food into your recipes daily. Try to alter between vegetarian and non-vegetarian omega sources with the inclusion of supplements now and then.

Some of the tips you can adopt into your diet curation are ;

1. Grill seafood sources of omega such as Grilled Salmon or Mackerel seasoned with your favourite herbs.
    
2. Add chia seeds to your drinking water and keep it for a few minutes before intake. You can add seeds to your morning smoothies.
    
3. You may eat walnuts as a tiny snack, which you can grab conveniently.
    
4. Use hemp seeds as sprinkles over your prepared dishes. You can also add them to other sources of omega dishes, such as seafood recipes.
    
5. Choose omega-rich oil such as flax seed or canola in your dish preparation.

Daily Dosage of Omega 3s for Your Heart

Research studies by the American Heart Association show that 2 to 3 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids daily is optimal for lowering blood pressure.

2 to 3 grams of daily DHA and EPA dosage resulted in a 2mm Hg reduction in the upper-value blood pressure (systolic).

Instead of calculating dosages, it is best to incorporate omega-rich food into your daily diet.

Conclusion

We are in a world that turns to synthetically obtained medications for many conditions like heart health and hypertension. But, we often need to remember that the micronutrients required for managing these conditions are lacking in our diet in the first place.

Alter your diet by understanding the science behind omega-3 fatty acids for better heart health and managing hypertension.

Contact your health coach or doctor if you have a health condition and are already taking prescribed medication.