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Dr. Susan E. Brown

New data show omega-3s reduce fracture risk

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Getting enough fish oil daily in midlife is associated with lower fracture risk for women later in life, according to a major study from the University of Iceland. And when news about a significant decrease in fracture risk comes from researchers in a country where fracture risk is high, I certainly pay attention.

In the Icelandic study, women who got high daily amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish-oil consumption during midlife had a 25% lower risk of fracture compared to those who didn’t. The risk of fracture for men who consumed fish oil daily was even less – up to 45% less than those men who had lower levels. For men, getting optimal amounts of fish oil later in life was associated with lower fracture risk.

Are you getting enough omega-3s in your diet?

Closer to home, the average American only gets about 200 mg per day of the most important omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from their diet. The American Heart Association recommends a much higher intake of between 1,000 and 3,000 mg. Test Your Omega 3 Level At Home!

Good omega-3 food sources

Omega-3s are found in a wide range of foods, including many fish sources. But vegetarians and vegans can also get omega-3s from food, with research showing a diet high in omega-3s from plant sources may be just as effective as those from fish sources.  Here are my favorite choices for omega-3 rich foods:

• Seafood (sources both high in omega-3s and low in environmental contaminants include anchovies, herring, mackerel, oysters, wild salmon, and sardines)
• Fresh ground flaxseed
• Flaxseed oil
• Hempseed oil
• Canola oil
• Avocados
• Walnuts
• Eggs
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Olives

As it sometimes can be difficult to get the full amount of omega-3s from diet alone, many women choose a daily high-quality omega-3 supplement.  I recommend Omega-3s that are molecularly distilled to help you get all of the key benefits for your bones, joints, immune system, heart, skin and more.

References:

Orchard TS. 2013. The association of red blood cell n-3 and n-6 fatty acids with bone mineral density and hip fracture risk in the women’s health initiative. J Bone Miner Res. 2013; doi:10.1002/jbmr.1772.

Harris, TB. 2015 May; Plasma phospholipid fatty acids and fish-oil consumption in relation to osteoporotic fracture risk in older adults: the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility Study. Am J Clin Nutr  101(5):947-55. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.087502. Epub 2015 Mar 18. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25787995 accessed March 23, 2016)

Dr. Susan E. Brown

Omega-3s May Reduce Risk of Hip Fractures

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Can omega-3 fatty acids help reduce your hip fracture risk? Scientists studying the blood levels of postmenopausal women say “yes.” As evidence, they point to omega-3’s ability to reduce inflammation and reduce fracture risk. In thus study of 648 women those with omega 3 fat blood levels in the highest one-third experienced one- half the number of hip fractures as did women with lower omega 3 blood levels.

Flax_iStock_000013482529XSmallOmega-3s from plant sources may be as effective as the omega-3s from fish sources. This is good news for vegetarians, vegans, and those trying to follow a more strictly veggie meal plan.

I also want to note that researchers looked at the relationship between omega-6 fatty acids (which we generally get too many of in the standard American diet) and the healthy omega-3 acids which help balance the negative effect of omega-6s. Here they found nearly double the risk of fractures for those women with the highest ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 intake.

Science has confirmed so much about critical importance of omega-3s for bone health — as well as for your heart, your joints and your emotional health — that’s why I include them as part of my Better Bones Package. The ideas below will help you incorporate more omega-3s into your daily diet.

Omega-3 guidelines for everyone

• Build the foundation of your diet upon a wide variety of fresh whole plant foods.

• Eat ocean fish such as salmon from cold waters. Sardines, mackerel, herring, whitefish and anchovy are also excellent omega 3 sources.

• Use whole plant foods as the major source of your fat intake, e.g., fresh ground flax seeds, avocados, soy, nuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds, and olives.

• If you use concentrated fats and oils in cooking, favor those rich in monounsaturated fats, e.g., olive, safflower, canola, or nut oils. Oils rich in omega-3s (flaxseed and hempseed) can be used in lots of foods but never heated.

• Avoid processed foods and deep-fat-fried foods laden with trans fats and omega-6 fatty acids.

• Don’t let foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol displace those rich in unsaturated fats, particularly omega-3s.

Reference:

Orchard TS. 2013. The association of red blood cell n-3 and n-6 fatty acids with bone mineral density and hip fracture risk in the women’s health initiative. J Bone Miner Res. 2013; doi:10.1002/jbmr.1772.