Q: After purchasing your excellent book “The OmegaRx Zone” and after having an infarction three months ago, I have been carefully following your protocols. I am taking eight capsules/day of pharmacy-grade fish oil. I now read that there have been studies by Dr. Alexander Leaf and others showing that this can cause heart attacks. The information is logged by Dr Dean Ornish on his Web site. I would greatly appreciate your help as friends are also following my advice from borrowing your book.
Sincerely, Bob
Dear Bob,
A:I think that Dean may have over-interpreted the results. One of the primary indicators for sudden cardiac death is reduced heart rate variability. Fish oil increases the heart rate variability in cardiovascular patients, therefore decreasing the likelihood of sudden cardiac death. Furthermore, the GISSI study conducted with some 11,000 cardiovascular patients indicated that taking about 1 gram of EPA and DHA per day reduced overall cardiovascular death by 20 percent and reduced death from sudden cardiac death by 45 percent. Keep in mind that the real cause of cardiovascular disease is increased inflammation in the heart cells mediated by increased levels of arachidonic acid. Fish oil dilutes out the arachidonic acid. The only way to actually reduce arachidonic acid is by following an anti-inflammatory diet, like the Zone Diet. Combine the two, and the likelihood of a premature death from heart disease is dramatically reduced.