Research can make deciding what you need to do to promote heart health so confusing. There are two new studies showing contradictory results when it comes to omega 3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease risk.

Researchers compared the heart health and exercise capacity of 98 patients randomly divided between a control group receiving a placebo supplement and the test group supplementing 850-882 milligrams of the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. All study participants were diagnosed with early stage heart failure.

After one year of follow-ups, which included monthly assessments, individuals receiving the omega 3 supplements showed significant improvements compared to the group receiving the placebo supplement. Test results found left-ventricular function to have improved for those receiving the omega 3 fatty acids, while the placebo group left-ventricular function actually worsened. Oxygen capacity was also measured and improvements were seen in the omega 3 supplement group, not the placebo group.

Hospitalization rates for heart failure were drastically different between the two groups also. Six percent of individuals supplementing omega 3 were hospitalized, compared to 30 percent in the placebo group.

Researchers divided approximately 5,000 study participants into four groups to study the impact of omega 3 fatty acids on heart attack survivors.

Group 1 received omega 3’s found in fish (EPA and DHA)
Group 2 received omega 3s found in plants (ALA)
Group 3 received all three forms of omega 3’s (EPA, DHA, & ALA)
Group 4 received a placebo (the control group)

All four groups received the supplement (or placebo) in the form of 19 grams of margarine daily.
Initial results showed reduced cardiovascular events with the EPA and DHA supplement. However, after 30 months neither the EPA and DHA supplement nor the ALA offered increased protection compared to the placebo.

It is possible that because the study participants also received antihypertensive, antithrombotic, and lipid-modifying therapy that the impact of the omega 3 supplements was more difficult to pinpoint.

Or, this study could show that adding omega 3 fatty acids to a food such as margarine is not the best option for increasing your intake of omega 3 fatty acids.

So, what should you do? Use the best of both worlds. Continue to get your omega 3 fatty acids daily from a high quality supplement and from actually eating fish at least twice a week, as recommended by the American Heart Association. Then use products that contain added omega 3s, such as margarine, as an added bonus if you want.

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Learn more about Lisa Nelson RD athttp://www.reallivingnutrition.com/LisaNelson.aspx. Lisa is also the founder and owner of HeartHealthMadeEasy.com offering support, education, and guidance as you achieve your heart health and weight loss goals. Receive regular heart health and weight loss tips from dietitian Lisa Nelson when you subscribe toThe Heart of Health, and the free special report "How to Make Heart Healthy Changes into Lifelong Habits" athttp://www.hearthealthmadeeasy.com/.