Fish oil supplements help keep heart healthy

Prolonged exercise and taking a fish oil supplement decrease a condition that leads to heart disease, U.S. researchers have found. Atherosclerosis, a partial blockage of the arteries, is a primary cause of heart disease. A leading contributor to this condition is fat in the bloodstream, known as triglycerides.

Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia discovered that after study subjects ate fatty meals, those who engaged in long aerobic exercise had muscle cells that quickly broke down triglycerides. Taking a fish oil supplement also helped keep triglyceride levels down, researchers said.

The triglyceride levels of participants who took the supplement before a fatty meal were reduced by 38 percent. Those who took the supplement and also participated in prolonged exercise reduced their triglyceride levels by 50 percent.

Researchers hope the data can help minimize the reliance on drugs to treat people with heart disease.

Key concepts: Fish oil, exercise, atherosclerosis, triglycerides