The Lifesaving Potential of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Can the levels of certain nutrients in your blood help predict sudden cardiac death? A recent study suggests that levels of omega-3 fatty acids, the healthy fats found in fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines, might do just that. Researchers analyzed 10 studies involving over 310,000 people and found that higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids slashed the risk of sudden cardiac death occurring by up to 45 percent. This suggests that levels of these nutrients could be valuable biomarkers and act as potential predictors of sudden cardiac death.

Published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, the paper describes how cardiovascular disease accounts for 30 percent of global mortality and approximately 17 million deaths annually. Of all cardiovascular disease-related deaths, around 40 to 50 percent are attributed to sudden cardiac deaths, of which 80 percent are caused by a form of irregular heartbeat known as ventricular tachyarrhythmia.

Defined as an unexpected natural death from a cardiovascular cause within a short time period (generally less than 1 hour from symptom onset) in a person without any prior fatal condition, the survival rate among patients with sudden cardiac arrest is extremely poor. Less than 1 percent of patients worldwide survive such an incident. Even in the United States, only 5 percent survive. Given these deadly odds, the researchers decided to conduct a meta-analysis to find potential nutritional biomarkers in an effort to help predict and prevent such deaths.

Reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death

The researchers sifted through nearly 1,800 studies, eventually narrowing them down to 10 that tracked over 310,000 people for an average of almost nine years. These 10 studies looked at levels of three specific omega-3 fatty acids in the participants’ blood: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA). Some studies measured these fatty acids in plasma, while others examined them in red blood cells.

The findings were striking. People with more omega-3 fatty acids clearly had a significantly reduced risk of sudden cardiac death. Those with high levels of EPA, DHA, and DPA in plasma had a 45 percent lower risk. In red blood cells, people with high levels of EPA and DHA had a 33 percent reduced risk. Breaking the analysis down further, EPA alone cut the risk by 21 percent, and DHA by 28 percent. The researchers concluded that their results suggest a potential cardio-protective association between high EPA and DHA levels in blood and a reduced incidence of adverse cardiac events.

The importance of vitamin C and other nutrients

As important as this study is, omega-3 fatty acids are not the only nutrients involved in protecting the heart and preventing it from beating abnormally. As Dr. Rath describes in his groundbreaking book, ‘Why Animals Don’t Get Heart Attacks…But People Do!’, the primary cause of cardiovascular disease is a chronic deficiency of vitamin C in the cells of the artery walls. A lack of vitamin C weakens the artery walls through the body not being able to produce enough collagen, a fibrous protein that is the main component in connective tissue. Along with the amino acids lysine and proline, vitamin C is essential for the production of this important protein.

In the absence of sufficient collagen, substances such as cholesterol, lipoproteins, and other risk factors enter the weakened walls in an attempt to repair the damage and strengthen the arteries. Unless the body is resupplied with optimal amounts of vitamin C, the artery wall repair process becomes continuous and atherosclerotic deposits develop. The narrowed arteries that result from this will eventually lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Vitamin C is also important for the prevention and correction of irregular heartbeats. The most frequent cause of irregular heartbeat rhythms is a chronic deficiency of vitamin C, the mineral magnesium, and other essential nutrients in the cells that generate and conduct the necessary electrical impulses responsible for the heartbeat. Long-term deficiencies of the necessary nutrients can cause or aggravate disturbances in the creation or conduction of these electrical impulses, thus resulting in the triggering of abnormal heart rhythms. It therefore follows that the primary solution for preventing and correcting irregular heartbeat problems is an optimum supply of the correct nutrients.

Seen in this light, the Journal of Clinical Medicine study helps point the way towards the healthcare systems of the future. Based on a patient’s cellular levels of essential nutrients, doctors will be able to spot and correct deficiencies before they can cause problems. The sooner this sort of testing becomes routine, the sooner that cardiovascular diseases and sudden cardiac deaths can be reduced to a fraction of their current incidence.

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Paul Anthony Taylor

Executive Director of the Dr. Rath Health Foundation and one of the coauthors of our explosive book, “The Nazi Roots of the ‘Brussels EU'”, Paul is also our expert on the Codex Alimentarius Commission and has had eye-witness experience, as an official observer delegate, at its meetings.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Paul's background was in the music industry, where he worked as a keyboard player and programmer with artists including Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry, Bill Withers, the Verve, Texas, and Primal Scream.

He first became interested in natural health after falling ill with a chronic fatigue syndrome-related disorder in 1991 and subsequently making a full recovery through the use of natural health therapies. After meeting Dr. Rath and Dr. Niedzwiecki at an anti-Codex rally in Berlin in 2002, Paul was inspired to make a life-changing decision to leave the music industry to work for the Foundation and help defend the right of patients worldwide to have free access to natural health approaches.

You can find Paul on Twitter at @paulanthtaylor

Der Executive Director der Dr. Rath Health Foundation ist einer der Koautoren des explosiven Buchs „Die Nazi-Wurzeln der Brüsseler EU“. Paul ist auch unser Experte zum Thema „Codex Alimentarius-Kommission“ und hat Augenzeugenerfahrung als offizieller beobachtender Teilnehmer bei diesen Treffen.

Bevor er seine Arbeit bei der Stiftung antrat war Paul in der Musikindustrie aktiv. Er arbeitete als Keyboard-Spieler und Programmierer mit Künstlern wie Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry, Bill Withers, the Verve, Texas und Primal Scream.

Sein Interesse an natürlicher Gesundheit wuchs, als er 1991 an Störungen erkrankte, die aus einem chronischen Erschöpfungssyndrom resultierten. Durch natürliche Gesundheitstherapien wurde er schließlich vollständig geheilt. Ein Treffen 2002 mit Dr. Rath und Dr. Niedzwiecki bei einer Anti-Codex-Demonstration in Berlin inspirierte ihn zu einer lebensverändernden Entscheidung und er verließ die Musikindustrie um für die Stiftung zu arbeiten und das Recht der Patienten zu verteidigen, weltweit freien Zugang zu natürlichen Gesundheitsverfahren zu haben.

Auf Twitter ist Paul unter @paulanthtaylor zu finden.

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