Change Your Heart Health in Three Months or Less

It’s said, “Being wrong is acceptable, but staying wrong is unacceptable.” So think twice if you believe a high fish diet alone is providing you with enough essential fatty acids (EPA and DHA) to decrease your risk of heart attack. We were shocked when blood tests showed, despite our healthy diets, our absorption of fish oils wasn’t making the grade. What are people getting wrong? And how can you get it right?

Oil and water don’t easily mix, and most oils pass through your water-based body until enzymes in the small intestine break down fats. But it’s a mistake to believe this process is perfect.

We wrote previously about a supplement called Omega3x which uses digestive enzymes to facilitate absorption of essential fatty acids. And we promised to put it to the test and report back to you.

First, we stopped taking any omega supplements but continued a diet rich in fish. Then we tested our blood using the Omega-3 Index. We both failed. (Giff 5.56 percent and Diana 5.47 percent) These scores placed us barely above the “undesirable” high risk zone as measured at 4 percent or lower on the Index.

Then, for three months, we took Certified Naturals Clinical Omega-3x Fish Oil, a specific product containing Maxsimil that breaks down the hard-to-digest triglycerides of fish oil into more readily absorbed monoglycerides.

Then another blood test. The results were compelling. The measurement of the two most important omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) was now in the category of low risk for coronary heart disease — a result of between 8-12 percent on the Omega Index. (Giff 9.64 percent and Diana 11.64 percent).

You can visit www. docgiff.com to read the advice shared with readers for years. First, to decrease your risk of a fatal coronary attack, you gain advantage with high doses of vitamin C. Dr. Linus Pauling, a Nobel Prize recipient, observed most animals escalate vitamin C production when confronted with stress, but humans lack this ability. Then Dr. Sydney Bush, an English researcher, showed high doses of vitamin C opened clogged arteries, a huge discovery.

Any vitamin C product will do, but we recommend Medi-c Plus because its powdered form makes high doses easier to take and because it includes lysine, which builds strong cell walls.

Second, our experiment shows it’s important to supplement with omega 3. But not all omega supplements are equal. Maxsimil, developed by a Canadian company, is a fish oil that’s absorbed three times better than typical fish oils. It’s produced from small fish like sardines and anchovies rich in omega-3 fatty acid.

Fatty acids help prevent heart attack by decreasing cellular inflammation. Researchers have reported for years chronic inflammation is a factor in coronary attack. Now, the Omega-3 Index can accurately measure the amount of these fatty acids in our red blood cells.

Studies also report people consuming fish oils show decreased blood triglycerides, decreased total cholesterol, lower bad cholesterol, and raises good cholesterol. These patients also had fewer irregular heartbeats and heart attacks.

Low levels of essential fatty acids have been associated with mood imbalances and joint problems.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has reported the Omega-3 Index is just as important as cholesterol blood level. It’s alarming nearly half of all North Americans are in the high-risk category for heart attack.

The message is clear. If you want to be certain you’re absorbing essential fatty acids, get a blood test to measure EPA and DHA. Send a single drop of blood using a test kit provided by Omegaquant. Your result is mailed to you.

Take it from a 97-yearold, it’s never too late to reduce the risk of a coronary!

Sign-up at www. docgiff.com to receive our weekly e-newsletter. For comments, contactus@docgiff.com. Follow us Instagram @docgiff and @diana_gifford_ jones W. Gifford-jones, MD is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Harvard Medical School.