Delfi.lt Cardiologist Šerpytis told us which foods should never be forgotten by those with heart disease
Paulius Samoška / Indrė Leikauskė
Cardiologist Šerpytis told us which foods should never be forgotten by those with heart disease
There is a lot of talk about the benefits of omega-3 polyunsaturated acids for children and adults. It is recommended to give fish oil to children from an early age. However, cardiologist Rokas Šerpytis, a doctor at the Cardiology Center of the VUL Santaros Klinikos, says that omega-3 must first be obtained from food, and supplements are only used to replenish resources, the press release says.
Protects against cardiovascular diseases
"It has been found that in areas where people eat a lot of marine fish, cardiovascular diseases are rare. This was first observed in Greenland, where people consume a lot of marine fatty fish. It was found that these fish are rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated acids. Studies have also shown that people who eat such fish at least once a week have a 16 percent reduced risk of coronary heart disease. And if they eat it 2-4 times a week, the risk of stroke is also significantly reduced. However, when studying the impact of omega-3 supplements alone on overall mortality, no such effect has been found yet," says cardiologist and expert on the platform "Your Immunity" R. Šerpytis.
The cardiologist explains this by saying that if only one pure beneficial substance is consumed without its "friends" in food, this substance is simply not absorbed or is absorbed less well.
Therefore, according to him, everyone, including children, should eat plenty of foods rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated acids: fatty sea fish, seeds, nuts, and supplements can be taken alongside them - thus replenishing the possible deficiency of this substance. According to the doctor, useful fatty fish include salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel, cod, herring, etc.
"Considering that we live in Lithuania, where we do not have the best chances of obtaining organically grown, high-quality salmon, biotuna, or good-quality oysters, supplements can be a rational solution to replenish omega-3 reserves. However, as I mentioned, they cannot replace food products," says R. Šerpytis.
Children need omega-3s every day
The cardiologist reminds that children should receive omega-3-rich foods every day, as it is necessary for their memory, thinking, vision, metabolic processes, brain and heart health, and inflammation prevention. “The most important thing is that the diet is balanced – it is really very important for children to eat fish, and fish oil or other omega-3 supplements can be included in the diet additionally. Fish oil alone will not satisfy the real need,” says the doctor. He also adds that children need omega-3 supplements that are specially adapted for them.
Contributes to longevity
According to R. Šerpytis, food containing omega-3 is particularly important for adults because it helps protect against chronic inflammation, so people who have the necessary amount of these polyunsaturated acids in their body can achieve the goal of living longer.
"Omega 3 reduces inflammation, the risk of inflammatory, chronic diseases, such as diabetes, coronary heart disease. One observational study, during which people were followed for 11 years - the amount of omega-3 in red blood cells was measured, found that those who had the highest concentration of omega-3 in the blood lived as much as 5 years longer than those who had the lowest indicators," says the cardiologist.
According to the doctor, current international, European and American guidelines recommend prescribing omega-3 supplements to people with high triglyceride levels in the blood.
"Triglycerides are substances that store fat in the human body. When we talk about coronary heart disease and cholesterol, we are looking at the so-called "bad" cholesterol, an increase in which means that a person has a higher chance of developing a very dangerous cardiovascular disease."
"If triglycerides are also significantly increased in the blood, this is also a factor of equal importance. The aforementioned guidelines indicate that if triglyceride levels increase, especially for secondary prevention, when people have had a myocardial infarction or have significant coronary heart disease, they are recommended to first be prescribed cholesterol-lowering medications, and if they fail to reduce triglycerides to the required norm, then omega-3 polyunsaturated acids are additionally prescribed," says the cardiologist.
He also adds that in such cases, patients are given a large dose of omega-3 - 4 grams. For comparison, supplements usually contain 1 gram of this substance.
The doctor also says that liquid supplements are generally better absorbed.
