Worries solved

Q:

My family has a history of heart disease, so for the past year I’ve been following my doctor’s advice to eat more fish and supplement with fish oil. But at my last physical, my blood work didn’t show any improvements in key inflammatory markers. What gives?

A:

You’re taking the right steps—the omega-3 fatty acids in fish and fish oil have powerful anti-inflammatory effects that can reduce heart disease risk by up to 60 percent. But to really see results, it’s key to curb your intake of vegetable oils including those made from soybeans, corn and grapeseed.

The reason: These oils are rich in omega-6 fatty acids that promote inflammation and increase the formation of heart-harming triglycerides, which can counteract the beneficial effects of omega-3s if the ratio in the diet is too high. And studies show the standard American diet provides 16 servings of omega-6s for every one serving of omega-3s!

The good news: Cutting out processed foods made with vegetable oils will quickly get your dietary ratio to the ideal sweet spot of 3:1 so omega-3s can do their job to protect your ticker.