As I sat pondering my topic for this week’s note, it occurred to me I was sitting squarely at the beginning of February, arguably at the foot of the most romantic month of the year.

 

And while February may have its etymological roots in the latin root februa taken from an ancient Roman purification festival, I would much rather write about affairs of the heart this month – rather than, say, detoxification of the liver.

 

The heart has probably garnerd more literary thought and ink than any other body organ. Shakespeare, Gandhi, Einstein, Pascal, Aristotle have all weighed in, not to mention the really heavy hitters: Springsteen, Browne and Dylan. So I see no earthly reason why I should abstain from adding my couple of cents.

 

And while I have a lot to say regarding the heart – being the sensitive loading-dock guy that I am – I’ll restrict this week’s comments to something incredibly easy and incredibly good you can do for your heart.

 

Fish oil. That’s right, tough guy. You heard me right. Fish oil.

 

I wrote previously about the health benefits of omega fatty acids. Their benefits have been linked to a host of issues ranging from asthma to ADHD symptoms in children.

 

Omega 3s, fats from oily, cold-water fish such as mackerel, salmon, albacore tuna and herring, have been specifically shown to help the heart, and that fact is not really in doubt or contested.

 

The American Heart Association recommends we eat two servings of these oily fish weekly for optimum heart health.

In an AHA scientific statement approved May 28, 2002, the AHA stated “EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) supplementation intakes of .5 – 1.8 grams/day significantly reduces subsequent cardiac and all-cause mortality.” See statement here.

 

The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements solicited a review of the evidence on omega 3’s and cardiovascular disease, finding: “Overall, the evidence from the primary and secondary prevention studies supports the hypothesis that consumption of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA, ALA), fish, and fish oil reduces all-cause mortality and various CVD outcomes such as sudden death, cardiac death (coronary or MI death), and MI,

 

Translation: Be good to your heart with fish twice weekly or supplement.

 

Of course, there are issues to consider. What about mercury and other contaminants in the fish? What about the aftertaste?

 

We like Barlean’s Fresh Catch Fish Oil.   Like all Barlean’s products, freshness is a priority. Wild-caught anchovy, sardine, cod and mackerel are harvested from the Arctic, Norwegian, Peruvian and Pacific oceans, flash-frozen and then ultra-purified, resulting in pharmaceutical-grade fish oil.

 

Each batch is independently certified to be free from lead, cadmium, mercury, PCBs, arsenic and dioxins.

 

Further, every softgel is infused with natural fruit flavor without a hint of fishy smell or aftertaste. 

 

When it comes to oils, we just don’t think it gets much better than Barlean’s Organic Oils. That’s why we sell them.

 

So do your heart some good. You’ll walk a long road trying to find this much concensus on any other supplement. Take your fish oil. And…

 

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart. Confucius.

 

I’ve got to put some heart into shipping an order. Be well.