Fish Oil Helps Reduce Stress On Heart

So far, you may have heard only about live fish that reduces stress. Many therapists say that observing fish swimming in the aquarium has a calming effect on your mind. That is why, you are advised to keep a fish bowl at your work desk; it helps you focus your mind. Watching fish swim is a psychological stress buster.

But eating fish can be a physical stress buster. Yes, some new research seems to suggest that eating fish can reduce the stress on your heart. We already know that fish has plenty of omega-3 fatty acids that are heart healthy. We are also aware of the health hazards of stress, especially when it comes to pulmonary or heart disorders. The truth is that, stress is like a slow poison for your heart; it damages your heart little at a time until a small trigger causes the final cardiac arrest.

That is why, it is awfully good news that eating fish reduces stress levels and protects your heart. Actually, it is the fish oil that is present in fatty fish like salmon that is particularly beneficial. The Michigan University of Technology has come up with new research data that fish oil contains essential omega-3 fatty acids that can calm your heart down in stressful situations.

Normally, when you are under stress, your heart rate rapidly rises. When this happens, your brain sends signals to the heart that it is an emergency, you must either take flight or stand up and fight. In this situation, the body presses the panic button automatically. Being constantly under stress means that your body is in the panic mode. In the long run, this could lead to bursting of blood vessels and hardening of arteries.

However, eating fish can reduce your stress levels. The research included a survey in which the participants were given fish oil supplements. For eight weeks, they were then tested under stressful situations. Basically, there heart rate was recorded when they were stressed due to some reason. But even under stress, their heart did not increase as much as expected. This lead the researchers to the conclusion that fish oil protects the heart from the harmful impact of stress.

More work still has to be done on this subject. However, you can start on your regular intake of fish to reduce stress levels. Try to replace the meat in your diet with heart healthy fish. And if you are a vegetarian, then you can always have fish oil supplements.