We need to be consuming around 3g of omega-3 oils every day to reduce our risk of heart disease—that’s double the amount recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The optimum amount is equivalent to eating a five-ounce portion of salmon every day, say researchers at Macau University of Science and Technology in China—way more than the WHO’s recommendations and that of health agencies such as the National Health Service (NHS), which advises people eat just one serving of fish a week.
After trawling through 71 previously published studies, the Macau researchers estimate that people need to be consuming 3g of omega-3 fish oils every day to prevent heart disease and lower blood pressure levels. People who already have heart disease would benefit from taking even higher doses every day.
Vegetarians and those worried about the mercury content of some oily fish can take high-dose supplements—including algae supplements—and add walnuts, chia seeds or soybeans to their diet.
(Source: Journal of the American Heart Association, 2022; 0: e025071)
