Fish oils / do we need them for Heart health?

dubsontour

Long time reader of this thread and I don't think this has been answered anywhere else.
Been a veggie for 11 years and just recently read the study that women of child bearing age would reduce their risk of heart attack/stroke by 90%:eek: if they ate oily fish 1-2 times per week.
Now I am in my late 40's and all child bearing days behind me, but it has made me question am I doing damage to my heart by not eating fish as I have cardiac problems on both Mam and Dad's side.. None myself thank God except for raised cholesterol last year which I lowered by diet..
I take Udo's oil each day on my food and eat a wide range of veg & fruit, but is this sufficient...
Sorry this is so long, but it is a worry, maybe someone has an answer for me..
Cheers

blatantrereg

The only nutrient not available in a vegetarian diet is particular beneficial omega 3 fats in fish oil. There are abundant sources of other beneficial omega 3s in vegetable sources like linseed or hemp, but from a health aspect it would be optimal to consume the ones from fish too. Then again if you eat fish you're exposed to an awful lot of pollutants.

You aren't doing damage to your heart by not eating fish. You are omitting something beneficial, however it sounds like you more than compensate for that in your diet overall. The dramatic reduction you quote would only be for someone who consumes a lot of bad fats in the first place, and has a very poor ratio of bad fat to good fat in their body.

dubsontour

Thanks for the reply..Glad to hear that.. Must also increase linseeds in my diet, had heard a bit about them but did not know how good they were for veggies..