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According to the American Heart Association, AHA, (link) the only natural super EPA and DHA source of omega 3′s for heart health is salmon. Salmon contains 1.1 to 1.9 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids per 3 ounce serving. Canned tuna (light) only has  0.17–0.24 grams, while cod at 0.15–0.24 or catfish at 0.22–0.3, are all way behind. The entire list is at the link above.

The AHA also says, “Patients with documented CHD,  should consume about 1 gram of EPA+DHA per day, preferably from fatty fish.  EPA+DHA in capsule form could be considered in consultation with the physician.” (link)

There are other sources of omega 3 fatty acids like flax seed and walnuts, but they contain a version called ALA which has to be converted to DHA and EPA. Walnuts do seem to have health benefits according to WebMD.

WHICH HAS MORE EPA and DHA?
While one might assume that wild salmon has more omega 3s, that’s not necessarily the case.  According to a study by the USDA , farm raised salmon sometimes have more DHA and EPA.

WHAT ABOUT CONTAMINANTS ?
According to Science magazine, Jan.9, 2004 it says, “Even the least contaminated farmed salmon, from Chile and Washington state, had significantly higher contaminant loads of PCBs, dioxins, and dieldrin than wild salmon.” As a resident of the St. Louis area, I recall them closing down an entire area, Times Beach, because of dioxin on the roads. Do I really want to be putting more dioxin into my body just because farm salmon is cheaper? I don’t think so! Note you will need a free subscription to see the article. (link)

IS WILD REALLY WILD?
According to Consumer Reports of some 26 fish they bought that were labeled as wild, “only 10… were definitely caught in the wild. The rest came from salmon farms.” Web MD has a good article about this.

SUMMATION
Even if you’re not a big salmon eater, you only need 3 ounces to get plenty of omega 3′s. Buy the expensive, but healthy wild salmon and you’re body will appreciate it.

I sent this email to the Dr. Oz show – it will be interesting to see if I get a response.

“While I like most of the shows, there is one area which I think needs improvement – show data backup of the claims you make.

Here’s an example – just recently Dr. OZ talked about the health benefits of coconut oil. He says that there are new studies which say it can help you lose weight and that the fat is different then in other saturated fats.
I’d like to see links on your website backing up your statements.
What specifically are the studies and give us links to them.

Everything I’ve found on Webmd and the MayoClinic indicates  that we need to limit coconut oil.
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/mediterranean-diet-topic-overview
and
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coconut-oil-and-weight-loss/AN01899

Thanks for your consideration.

Tom

I was watching Dr. Oz and wrote down his heart health tips.

• 2 T flax seed oil but = 240 calories. note we already use flaxseed meal from Trader Joes, so we may just try to get some pills/
• 2 baby aspirin with a glass of water at night
• sun salutation-stretching in morning – 10 minutes
• climb stairs – 7 min per day
• 20 min brisk walk per day
• 3 servings fruits per day
• meat as side dish – not main dish
• fish twice a week
• one glass red wine
• In a later show he said that flax seed wasn’t as good as wild salmon for Omega 3′s. Flax seed has ALA omegas and is needs to be converted to  the DHA and EPA,
• Farm vs Wild Salmon which has more DHA and EPA?

The Journal of Nutrition has another great study about the great things that 2.5 ounces of pecans do for you – assuming you have a 2400 calorie diet. LDL and Triglycerides were lowered and HDL was increased. Another nice site about nuts in general is from the Univ. of Nebraska.

A recent article in the”Journal of Nutrition” basically says that yellow and purple potatoes are much better for you than regular white potatoes. Here’s what they said, “Pigmented potato consumption reduced inflammation and DNA damage in healthy adult males. This offers consumers an improved nutritional choice in potato consumption.”

Bring em on – potatoes for everyone!

Here are a couple of articles basically saying that calcium supplements seem to be increasing your risk of heart disease and heart attacks. This is not true of calcium you get in food – just supplements.

• BMJ
• WEBMD

While it’s hard to read and interpret Journal of Nutrition articles, the facts are that Virgin Olive Oil has phenol concentrations of 629 mg/liter while refined olive oil has 0 mg/liter. Buy virgin olive oil, not the refined type.

WebMD has a nice slideshow of tips on how to lose weight without overt dieting.

Cinnamon seems to be not only a terrific spice for all sorts of savory foods, but it may also have some health benefits – there’s only one way to know for sure – test it on myself.

According to Doctor Oz, cinnamon may lower blood sugar levels, reduce cholesterol and may help in weight reduction. On the other hand, WebMD says there are no proven health benefits and also warns, “Very high quantities of cinnamon may be toxic.”

Luckily I get my blood tested every 6 months so I’m going to see what if any effects it may have. I’m now taking two 500mg capsules of cinnamon every day plus another teaspoon with my yogurt. I’ll report the results. Has anyone else tried cinnamon for its possible health benefits?

I find it a bit aggravating when Dr. Oz seems to recommend that everyone quit coffee on his website. If you look on the webmd website and do a search you will find these articles about coffee.

1. Drinking Coffee May Extend Life

2. Moderate Coffee Drinking Reduces Risk of Dementia and Alzheimer’s by 65% in Study

3. Coffee’s Surprising Health Benefits

4. Coffee Cuts Stroke Risk in Women

Here’s another interesting video.

http://www.rd.com/video/is-coffee-good-for-you/video169763.html