Omega-3 EPA 护心血管、降醇
心脏问题是本港头号杀手之一,每年病发猝死的个案不断上升。不少都市人的血管年龄大过真实年龄,原因是不良饮食习惯、营养不均衡、缺乏运动,容易令血液及血管壁积聚坏物质,血管提早老化,变得僵硬、缺乏弹性,影响血液正常输送,威胁心脏健康。
不良饮食 吃出毛病
味道重、分量多、太油腻,其实代表着高盐、高糖、高热量、高脂肪,容易导致血压升高、糖尿病、高胆固醇和肥胖,直接影响心脏健康。除了控制少吃油腻、致肥和不健康的食物外,可多摄取高纤食品,促进胃肠蠕动,加速消化和排泄;还有多补充EPA鱼油,可降低胆固醇,促进心脏健康。
降醇之关键营养
奥米加三多元不饱和脂肪酸Eicosapentaenoic Acid,俗称EPA,是平衡胆固醇的重要营养素,能增加好胆固醇(HDL),减低血液中坏胆固醇(LDL)和三酸甘油酯的水平,并中和浓度,避免血管收窄,降低血管硬度,使血液顺畅,排走体内积存的废物1-2,降低动脉硬化和血管栓塞的风险。
保护心脏 畅通血管
EPA能畅通血管,保护心脏。当人体红血球内的奥米加三多元不饱和脂肪酸,水平低于4 % 时,患心脏病并病发死亡的机会就会较高;而当水平达到理想的8 %时,就可预防心血管疾病3。临床研究显示,EPA可改善血黏稠度,避免血液过度凝结,令血液流畅4。透过使血管保持柔软,促进血液循环,降低心血管疾病的发病率,其舒缓程度可高达45%5-7。每日摄取EPA,能减少因心血管问题而住院或死亡的比率,对于改善慢性心脏衰竭,效果尤其显著,能使寿命平均增长2.2年8-9。
更多Omega-3 EPA信息:
參考資料:
1. McKenney et al. Prescription Omega-3 Fatty Acids for the Treatment of Hypertriglyceridemia. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2007; 64(6): 595-605. 2. Mita et al. Eicosapentaenoic Acid Reduces the Progression of Carotid Intima-media Thickness in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Atherosclerosis 2007; 191(1): 162-167. 3. Harris et al. The Omega-3 Index: A New Risk Factor for Death from Coronary Heart Disease? Preventive Medicine 2004; 39(1): 212-220. 4. Connor et al. Are Fish Oils Beneficial in the Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1997; 66(suppl): 1020S-1031S. 5. Lee et al. Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Cardioprotection. Mayo Clinic Proceeding 2008; 83: 324-332 6. GISSI-HF investigators. Effect of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure (the GISSI-HF trial): A Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial. The Lancet 2008; 372(9645): 1223-1230 7. Virtanen et al. Fish Consumption and Risk of Major Chronic Disease in Men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008; 88:1618-1625 8. Yamagichi et al. Fish, Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Mortality from Cardiovascular Diseases in a Nationwide Community-based Cohort of Japanese Men and Women: The JACC Study. Journal of American College of Cardiology 2008; 52: 988-996 9. Mozaffarian et al. Plasma Phospholipid Long-Chain ω-3 Fatty Acids and Total and Cause-Specific Mortality in Older Adults: A Cohort Study. Ann Intern Med 2013; 158(7): 515-525.