The Correlation of Fish Oil and Blood Pressure: An Answer to Hypertension

Health experts have believed for decades that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil may help support blood pressure levels.

High blood pressure is dangerous because it means the heart is pumping blood through the arteries too hard, causing the walls of the arteries to overstretch and weaken, making them more likely to rupture and trigger aneurysms and strokes.

The over-stretching of the arteries can also cause small tears and scar tissue than can attract cholesterol and plaque, elevating the risk of dangerous blood clots, blockages and other potentially dangerous issues, including tissue and organ damage caused when narrowed or blocked arteries don’t deliver enough blood and oxygen to the intended parts of the body. Kidney failure is a very important risk1.

While there are a wealth of medications prescribed to treat high blood pressure, some may have side effects such as causing blood sugar levels to rise...increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, negatively impacting sexual function, as well as insomnia, depression, asthma and fatigue2.

That's what makes natural omega-3 supplements our range of omega-3 fish oil products so popular amongst our customers as they don’t have any side effects.

Pure and Effective Omega 3

Our blends of Omega-3 products are an effective, safe, and sustainable way of getting the essential fatty acids you need for cardiovascular, joint and brain health.

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How does fish oil help the body?

Experts in this field believe that fish oil works by strengthening blood vessels and keeping them pliable, creating an environment where blood pressure won’t build up and cholesterol and plaque are less likely to be attracted to artery walls3.

According to the American Heart Association, the omega-3s in fish oil may help reduce cholesterol, slow the development of plaque in the arteries, reduce the risk of irregular heartbeat and reduce the chance of heart attack or stroke, all of which can be linked to high blood pressure4.

In a 1993 study, researchers from the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health found that in a study of more than 1,000 people, those who took fish oil supplements saw significant reduction in blood pressure5.

Even more importantly, the findings showed that the effects were more measurable in those with existing high blood pressure or heart disease, researchers said.

Twenty years later, a new study echoes those promising results.

Can DHA & EPA fish oils lower blood pressure?

We can’t say for sure but consider the following...

According to researchers at the Center for Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Computational Biology, Exponent, Inc., - which has locations in both Illinois and Colorado – 31 percent of Americans have high blood pressure, another 31 percent are on the verge of developing it and 20 percent of those who have high blood pressure have no idea. Not only that, almost half – about 47 percent – have hypertension that is not adequately controlled6.

To determine the impact of the fatty acids in fish oil – DHA and EPA – on high blood pressure, researchers analyzed data from 70 clinical studies and found that the omega-3s helped significantly lower blood pressure, especially in those with high blood pressure that had previously gone untreated.

Fish Oil vs. Placebos in Reducing Hypertension

Researchers compared food sources as well as fish oil supplements against placebos, though supplements were used in the majority of the studies, which were gathered from the United States, Europe and Australia. In most of those studies, supplements were found to be more effective than food sources at controlling blood pressure, researchers said.

Both systolic and diastolic numbers were reduced, and researchers said that their analysis showed that EPA and DHA are as effective “and in some cases more effective,” than lifestyle interventions including increased exercise and alcohol and sodium restrictions at lowering blood pressure for those not taking prescriptions drugs to treat their condition.

“From a clinical and public health perspective, provision of EPA+DHA may lower blood pressure and ultimately reduce the incidence of associated chronic diseases,” said researchers.

The study appeared earlier this year in the American Journal of Hypertension.

Higher quality, better results

It’s important to note that the studies used in the recent analysis used standard fish oil supplements, rather than our Xtendlife fish oil products, which are manufactured under the strictest possible standards and independently tested for purity.

Click on any of these links to read more about our Omega 3/DHA Fish Oil, our Omega 3 / DHA Plus and Omega 3 / QH Premium CoQ10 products.

FOOTNOTE: Although we are not suggesting this may be the reason but you may like to know that our Chairman and Founder Warren Matthews who will be 67 next month has a blood pressure of 119/75 which is exceptional for someone of his age. He has been taking 4 soft gels a day of our Omega 3 / QH Premium CoQ10 for some years.

References:

  1. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighBloodPressure/What-is-High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_301759_Article.jsp
  2. http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/side-effects-high-blood-pressure-medications
  3. http://www.webmd.boots.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/high-blood-pressure-fish-oil-supplements
  4. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Fish-and-Omega-3-Fatty-Acids_UCM_303248_Article.jsp
  5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8339414
  6. http://ajh.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/03/06/ajh.hpu024.full

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