Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., M.S.

In one of the largest studies to date published in the July 20, 2005 issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology, eating fish on a regular basis was linked with substantially lower levels of inflammation in the body reducing the risk of Acute Coronary Syndrome.

What is Acute Coronary Syndrome?

This is an umbrella term used to cover any group of clinical symptoms compatible with acute myocardial ischemia.

Acute myocardial ischemia is chest pain due to insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle that results from coronary artery disease (also called coronary heart disease).

These life-threatening disorders are a major cause of emergency medical care and hospitalization in the United States.

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

The new study also suggests that you don't need to eat salmon or other fatty fish and that you don't need to eat a lot of fish to get a benefit, said Wilson, a cardiologist at the University of Minnesota.

How the Study was Conducted

The study involved more than 3,000 Greek men and women with an average age of about 45. Blood samples were taken to measure levels of a variety of substances including C-reactive protein.

C-reactive protein and other markers of inflammation have been associated with heart disease, heart attacks and stroke.

How Much Fish is Recommended

The study found that those who ate at least 10.5 ounces of fish a week generally had as much as 33 percent lower levels of the various inflammatory substances, compared with those who did not eat fish.

However, it was determined that the optimal level for reducing inflammation was 0.6 grams a day, the amount found in one or two fish oil capsules or the amount found in just under 2 ounces in a mixed variety of fish.

References

Panagiotakos DB, Pitsavos C, Zampelas A, Chrysohoou C, Griffin BA, Stefanadis C, Toutouzas P.Fish consumption and the risk of developing acute coronary syndromes: the CARDIO2000 study. Int J Cardiol. 2005 Jul 20;102(3):403-9.

Zampelas A, Panagiotakos DB, Pitsavos C, Das UN, Chrysohoou C, Skoumas Y, Stefanadis C. Fish consumption among healthy adults is associated with decreased levels of inflammatory markers related to cardiovascular disease: the ATTICA study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005 Jul 5;46(1):120-4.

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