Heart attack: fish is a useful ally

Bringing fish to the table twice a week is good for the heart. Science says it too. We learn to recognize the right one and cook it correctly.

It’s good. There are varieties suitable for all tastes. You can cook in an infinite number of ways, in a short time and even without being great cooks.

It is digestible, low in sodium and does not make you fat.

It is excellent when it is fresh, it remains nutritionally impeccable when frozen. It’s not necessarily expensive.

And most importantly, it’s good for you. Always to the thyroid, for the high iodine content; And when it is fatter it is healthy for the brain and heart thanks to the precious omega-3, polyunsaturated fatty acids that countless clinical studies have now consecrated as essential elements of cardiovascular prevention.

For this reason, fish from the North Sea such as herring, mackerel, sardines and salmon and tuna should not be missing on the tables of adults and children and should be consumed more often than is usually done.

Proven properties

Studies conducted so far have shown that omega-3s are involved in modulating immune response and inflammatory reactions, pain sensitivity and regulating vessel tone.

In particular, they are the precursors of series 3 prostaglandins, substances produced by the body and considered beneficial for cardiovascular health since they have vasodilatory action and reduce the tendency to develop thrombi that can occlude blood vessels.

In addition, they have anti-inflammatory effects, lower the levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and increase those of “good” cholesterol (HDL).

They contribute, that is, to normalize all the main parameters that, if altered, promote diseases such as hypertension, heart attack, atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

Among the other properties of omega-3, useful for the prevention of heart and vessel diseases, there is also the ability to reduce the risk of heart rhythm alterations, which are potentially lethal in patients who have already had a heart attack.

This antiarrhythmic action demonstrated about a decade ago by an important Italian clinical study (the Gissi-Prevention) is so marked that for some years concentrated omega-3 have been used as real protective drugs in people who have already been affected by heart attack.

How many you need

But on average, how many omega-3s should you get with food, every day, to get the most benefits while you’re still healthy?

Exact recommendations in this regard there are none, but if you eat average portions (100-150 grams each) of fish at least two-three times a week,

Or, two portions of fish and one of nuts (three to five fruits, in order not to exceed the calories and avoid unfavorable weight gain) you should be able to ensure an adequate income.

With some caveats. First, canned fish is not worthwhile. If it is in oil, in fact, it is very caloric; If it is natural, it contains too much sodium.

And the fresh one is still better not to fry it: the potential benefits for the heart and vessels would be eliminated by cooking rich in fats and increasing the production of free radicals and peroxides in the body.

Finally, choose the type of fish wisely and, in particular, do not be misled by crustaceans, which are not fish and do not contain useful fats, but are very rich in cholesterol and, therefore, harmful if consumed too often.