Dr. Sinatra

If you're a fan of Oprah Winfrey, you may have recently seen my friend Dr. Mehmet Oz present his 10 Ways to Live Healthier on her television show. The plan includes a lot of worthwhile direction if you're looking for some good, basic ways to take charge of your health.

One of his food recommendations is a real must if you want to reduce your heart risk factors and prevent heart attack--and that's increasing your intake of omega-3 fats. Though you can get these fats by eating the foods Dr. Oz suggested (ground flaxseed, walnuts, salmon, scallops, soybeans, and squash), another good option is a fish oil supplement.

I'm a HUGE fan of fish oil and consider it a fundamental part of good cardiovascular nutrition. Not only is it a rich source of the fatty acids DHA and EPA, but it's been shown to be a healthy, natural way to lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation (two significant contributors to heart attacks. It also--

• Decreases triglycerides
• Reduces arterial wall inflammation
• Makes blood less sticky and less likely to form clots
• Stabilizes plaque and prevents plaque rupture
• Soothes and nurtures heart rate variability, actions that counteract arrhythmias
• Contributes to the bioenergy of the heart muscle

What's more, the well-known GISSI study in Italy found that there was a big reduction in death from subsequent heart attacks among 11,000 patients who took a fish oil supplement after a first heart attack.

Why American doctors haven't warmed to fish oil is baffling to me, given its cardiovascular benefits and its use as a standard treatment in other parts of the world. The European Society for Cardiology's guidelines for preventing a second heart attack include 1 gram of fish oil a day. I go further than than, and recommend taking 3-4 grams per day if you have cardiovascular problems. For prevention, 1-2 grams will do.

Let me know how it works for you.

For more information on healthy heart nutrition, visit www.drsinatra.com.