Researchers from around the world, who have joined together to form the Fatty acids and Outcomes Research Consortium (FORCE), claim that foods with high levels of Omega-3 acids is the secret to surviving a heart attack.
Using 19 studies from 16 countries, and including 45,637 participants, researchers found that foods such as oily fish, nuts and seeds were associated with around a 10 per cent lower risk of fatal heart attacks.
Victoria Taylor, our senior dietitian said:
“Eating oily fish that is high in omega-3 fats like sardines, salmon and mackerel, is recommended as part of a balanced diet to help protect our heart health.
“This study reinforces those recommendations and suggests there may also be a heart health benefit to omega-3 fats that come from vegetarian sources, such as flaxseed, rapeseed and soya oils, but more research would be needed to confirm these findings.
“Although eating a portion of oily fish a week has been recommended as part of a healthy balanced diet for some time, we know that there is still a way to go before people are meeting these recommendations. At the moment we just eat around a third of a portion a week on average.”