Current Health News and Studies About Nutrition and Exercise

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June 2, 2009: a new study warns that excessive cola consumption can lead to mild weakness to muscle paralysis through potassium depletion. Dr. Clifford Packard says that "We have every reason to think that it is not rare. With aggressive mass marketing, super-sizing of soft drinks, and the effects of caffeine tolerance and dependence, there is very little doubt that tens of millions of people in industrialized countries drink at least 2-3 liters of cola per day.”

A severely low blood potassium level is known as hypokalaemia. Hypokalaemia can result in constipation as well as more serious conditions such as weakness and paralysis. Acute hypokalaemia can cause cardiac arrhythmias which can result in death. If a person is healthy, low potassium levels should cause no medical problems. But if not, mild to moderate hypokalaemia may increase the risk of death if one of the following conditions are present:

Researchers say that hypokalaemia can be caused by excessive consumption of glucose, fructose, and caffeine-all of which are found in soda.

June 3, 2009: when sugar cane or beet is processed into refined table sugar, molasses as a by-product results. The roots of the sugar cane go very deep into the soil-bypassing the nutrient sparse topsoil. Depths can range from 6.5 to 19 feet. This allows the unprocessed sugar cane to absorb the nutrients lacking in topsoil.

Processing sugar cane results in three grades of molasses, sulphured, unsulphured, and blackstrap. A boiling process is used to extract table sugar from the sugar cane or beet. This process leaves behind a thick, dark, and nutrient dense liquid known as blackstrap molasses.

Blackstrap molasses has a very low glycemic index. And due to its high iron content, many people who are anemic use it. Blackstrap molasses has folate and a high concentration of magnesium. It is also a good source of calcium, potassium, copper, zinc, and manganese.

Despite its taste, blackstrap molasses can be used as a sweetener. It can be used to sweeten teas, hot cereals, on waffles or pancakes or desserts. Some people have no problem with the taste of blackstrap molasses, others have. With years of eating processed foods literally swimming in sugar, a taste for this molasses may have to be acquired.

However unlike table sugar and artificial sweeteners, blackstrap molasses is loaded in bioavailable vitamins and minerals. It can be classified as a superfood.

June 4, 2009: it is the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) responsibility to oversee the accuracy of the nutrition labeling for up to 80 percent of packaged foods in the United States. But according to the FDA's own manual on nutritional labeling, it is the manufacturers' responsibility for assuring the validity of the nutrition information.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) gave the FDA a failing grade for failing to prevent false and inaccurate product labeling. This report which was released in October, 2008 states that the FDA has not kept up with enforcement efforts as the number of food products has gone up dramatically in the last few years. Random sampling of nutrition labels has not been performed by the FDA since the 1990s!

The GAO has also reported that the FDA does not track the correction of known violations.

In 2008 the television show Good Morning America hired a laboratory to test 12 packaged food products as to their accuracy. All had labeling inaccuracies of one kind or another, and 3 were off by 20 percent in categories such as sodium content and total fat!

But, according to government guidelines, the nutrition label has to be off by more than 20 percent before it violates federal law! If a certain product claims to contain 200 calories per serving, it can legally contain 240 calories! Government food laboratories have a 10 percent margin of error. Add this 10 percent margin of error to the 20 percent window the law allows, and a product claiming 200 calories per serving may have up to 260 calories per serving!

So what can you the consumer do? Not much. Your only alternative is to minimize your consumption of packaged foods. Buy organic foods and ingredients and prepare home-cooked meals. This option will contribute to living a healthy lifestyle.

June 7, 2009: I have been weight training now for 31 years; the majority of those years, I have been lifting in the evening. I would typically work an 8-hour day at the office, come home and sometimes take a nap, and then go to the gym.

Somewhere around the late 1990s or very early 2000s, I began working out in the mornings before going to work. Anecdotically, I felt energized after my morning workouts. Welch researchers have discovered that mental fatigue drains physical energy. Adults who exercised after a mentally challenging 90-minute test fatigued 15 percent faster than those who watched a 90-minute video prior to working out.

Researchers theorize that challenges to the brain and muscles tap the same part of the brain linked to perception of physical work. They suggest that morning workouts will not only get rid of more fat, but improve mental effort and focus the balance of the day.

June 10, 2009: Although the study known as the Women's Health Initiative was halted in 2002 because women who participated were developing more breast cancers from estrogen-progestin pill they were taking, researchers continued following the participants. Now these researchers are finding that women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are in danger of dying more frequently from lung cancer.

The women still using HRT and who develop lung cancer were 60 percent more likely to die from the cancer than women who weren't on HRT. The most common form of lung cancer is the non-small cell. Researchers looking at the women who developed this form of cancer saw that it was fatal to 46 percent of the women using HRT as opposed to 27 percent of the women who were given a placebo (sugar pill.)

Researchers were so alarmed by their findings that they stated that women who smoked and take HRT should stop taking the hormones.

The president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Dr. Richard Schilsky, said that the latest findings from the Women's Health Initiative is strong evidence that HRT should be used with great caution. In reality, cumulative evidence boldly proclaims that HRT should be avoided altogether!

June 11, 2009: Despite our technological and medical advances, cancer is yet on the rise. But at the same time, it has been estimated that 50 to 70 percent of all cancers could be prevented with a change of lifestyle!

MSN reported on a medical piece in Caring.com entitled 20 Cancer Symptoms Women Are Most Likely to Ignore. Listed below, they are:

June 13, 2009: New research has found that men who incorporate a regular program of strength training to their routine have a 40 percent reduced chance of dying from cancer. Over 8,500 men were watched for over twenty years by researchers. Each participant underwent regular medical checkups which included muscle strength assessments.

The men who worked out consistently and had the greatest muscle strength were between 30 and 40 percent less likely to die from a tumor. Even men who were overweight benefited from the protective effects of weight training.

Said the researchers, "In the light of these results, it is equally important to maintain healthy muscular strength levels.”

According to the researchers, strength training for as few as two days per week were adequate to reduce cancer mortality rates.

June 18, 2009: What if I told you that there is a cure for every major disease that exists? The big three diseases in America are, not necessarily in order of most people affected, cancer, heart disease, and Aids. This cure prevents, yes and even cures, these deadly scourges.

The cure which I will describe shortly has been successful against, in addition to the big three, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, COPD, leukemia, influenza (the flu), and many, many more.

Consider the following, your body is 70 to 80 percent water. Water itself is composed of 89 percent oxygen by weight. Therefore your body is 62 to 71 percent oxygen. A full 90 percent of your biological energy comes from oxygen.

You can survive for weeks or even months without food, and a few days without water. But, you can only survive a few minutes without oxygen to breathe (from the air.) If you don't believe it, see how long you can hold your breath.

The cure I am referring to is known as oxygen therapy. Oxygen therapy refers to the practice of administering oxygen, ozone, or hydrogen peroxide to the body for therapeutic purposes. Hydrogen peroxide creates an environment in the body that kills viruses, harmful bacteria, toxins, pathogens, and disease microorganisms while invigorating healthy cells.

Although it is important that you supply your body with the minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and essential fatty acids that it needs for growth and good health, it needs a strong foundation on which to stand. Since the body is 62 to 71 percent oxygen, it is essential that its cells be oxygenated. The primary cause of all disease, whether cancer, AIDS, or heart disease, is in one way or another related to an oxygen deficiency.

Oxygen therapy involving the use of hydrogen peroxide is not a recent discovery. It has been in use globally for 170 years! Millions of people have been cured of cancer and other major diseases by its use.

There are many grades of hydrogen peroxide in use. The only grade for use in preventing and curing disease is 35 percent food grade hydrogen peroxide. You can purchase genuine 35 percent food grade hydrogen peroxide at this site - Guardian of Eden.

Hydrogen peroxide floods the entire body with life sustaining oxygen in which it is impossible for almost all diseases caused by viruses, deadly bacteria, toxins, pathogens, and disease microorganisms to live. If these elements cannot survive in an oxygenated environment, than diseases such as cancer, AIDS, Multiple Sclerosis, and cardiovascular disease cannot develop and thrive. The body is enabled to heal itself.

Oxygen therapy can be safely used for everyone except anyone who has undergone an organ transplant. It can be used safely for your pets too.

Remember this, viruses, harmful bacteria, toxins, pathogens (anything that causes a disease), and disease microorganisms cannot live in an oxygen-rich environment!

A leading proponent of natural healing and alternative medicine, Dr. David G. Williams says of hydrogen peroxide, "I'll admit I was skeptical when I first about using hydrogen peroxide orally or intraveneously. This healthy dose of skepticism, however, led to a great deal of investigation, clinical work and experimentation. And while I realize a large majority of readers will never be convinced that hydrogen peroxide is a safe and effective compound, I am. Hydrogen peroxide is safe, readily available, and dirt cheap. And best of all, it works!" (Read full article.)

Even 35 percent hydrogen peroxide must be handled carefully. It can be dangerous. It will burn the skin if any is spilled on it. If that happens, flush thoroughly with water. Hydrogen peroxide is also flammable.

Thirty five percent food grade hydrogen peroxide must never be taken undiluted! It causes neurological damage. Trial and error has found that the best way to dispense hydrogen peroxide is via a glass bottle with an eyedropper cap. Store any unused undiluted hydrogen peroxide (the 35 percent food grade) in the freezer. If any unused diluted hydrogen peroxide remains in the glass bottle with the eyedropper cap, store it in the refrigerator until the next dose.

The following table contains a 23-day protocol for self-administering hydrogen peroxide:

As you see from the above table, use only distilled water and dilute the hydrogen peroxide in 6 to 8 ounces of water. (According to Dr. David Williams, alternatives to distilled water are juice, milk, or aloe vera juice.) After following the 23-day regimen, gradually decrease the dosage by one drop a day until you reach a maintenance dose of 3 drops, 3 times a day.

As you add more and more drops, you may find that hydrogen peroxide tastes like bleach. This is normal. If the taste is too bad, try diluting the hydrogen peroxide in aloe vera or watermelon juice instead of distilled water.

This regimen must be taken on an empty stomach! The best times are at least 1 hour before eating and/or 3 hours after eating.

You may experience unpleasant effects after taking hydrogen peroxide. Do not be alarmed. Your body is busy ridding itself of toxins. Though not common, these symptoms may include nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, and cold or flu-like effects. This phase is known as the healing crisis. Whatever you do, do NOT stop this oxygen therapy. The symptoms will pass in a day or two.

June 21, 2009: Although stress can be beneficial, many times it is the opposite - causing untold misery for many Americans. Did you know that stress:

And that is not end of the health implications of runaway stress. Chronic stress can increase your levels of triglycerides and cholesterol. In addition, your hormones insulin and cortisol rise. This will raise the level of difficulty of losing weight or building muscle.

Elevated cortisol levels will cause fat buildup around your midsection. This is deadly visceral fat.

July 2, 2009: We are more than half-way through 2009 and rapidly approaching 2010. Technology is growing exponentially and advances are being made in the medical field diagnosing disease and offering better surgical procedures. Yet we are just as sick, and in a lot of ways, even sicker than in our parent's generation. What's going on?

Ideally, just as technology is bringing to the consumer machines and devices that were the stuff of science fiction a few decades ago, the state of our health should be progressing too. But, alas, just the opposite is occurring. America's health profile is deteriorating.

One factor which is driving America's declining health is obesity. Obesity as a health problem was a non-factor in the 50s and 60s when I was growing up. Now it is one of the greatest and most devastating health issues globally. Obesity is a catalyst for some types of cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other chronic medical issues.

Being overweight or obese isn't just an adult's problem. It has trickled down to the children. Statistics show that obese parents are likely to produce obese kids. The state of Illinois is ranked tenth in the nation for the percentage of children ages 10 through 17 being overweight or obese (34.9%.)

One-fourth of Oregon's adult population is obese and one-fourth of its kids are overweight. Ohio ranks tenth in the nation in adult obesity; Mississippi at 32.5 percent obese has the fattest residents in the nation! The state of Colorado has the nation's leanest population with an obesity rate of 18.8 percent. Twenty three states have adults fatter they they were just a year ago.

A person is classified as being overweight when he or she is 30 pounds over their 'normal' weight. Being 70 to 80 pounds over 'normal' weight classifies one as being obese. 'Normal' weight is determined by BMI (body mass index.)

According to a study performed by researchers at Oxford University's Clinical Trial Service Unit, severe obesity reduces expected lifespan by ten years.

Besides producing an increased risk for several types of cancer and high blood pressure, obesity places severe strain on the ankles, knees, and hips. This results in slowly wearing away cartilage. Worn cartilage is like driving with worn brake pads. Pretty soon there will be no pads left and you'll be driving with metal-on-metal. But walking around with bone-on-bone leads to avoidable joint replacement surgery.

An Italian study has discovered that gaining weight after reaching middle age leads to a greater risk of developing a lifestyle hampering disability such as increased difficulty in bathing, walking, or driving. According to the study, it didn't matter what the initial weight was. People who gained over percent of their body weight throughout the years were affected.

July 4, 2009: when it comes to the human body, nothing is as simple as it may at first appear; this may be the case of weight loss too. According to Marc David, founder and director of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, weight loss is not simply a matter of calories in, calories out.

Mr. David says that the commonly held belief that eating less and exercising more will cause a person to lose weight is based on antiquated science. Calories are metabolized differently for different individuals. It depends on several factors including stress levels and even breathing habits.

As hard as it may be to believe, too much exercise can cause the body to retain excess weight. Extreme exercise imposes an extraordinary amount of physical stress on the body. This results in cortisol (the stress hormone) levels remaining high.

Cortisol is involved in: (a) metabolizing glucose (b) regulating blood pressure (c) releasing insulin (d) immune functioning (e) inflammatory response. When cortisol levels are continually elevated it causes the body to store fat and makes it difficult to build muscle.

The combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fat will also influence weight loss. A lack of essential fats in the diet will cause your metabolism to slow down and calories will not be burned efficiently.

Adequate protein is essential for weight loss. It should be eaten at every meal.

July 6, 2009: Most Americans hold doctors in great esteem, and infallible in their knowledge. Although doctors go to medical school and complete years of residency training and take grueling exams, at the end of the day they are only human. As such, their knowledge is limited.

When it comes to nutrition, almost everyone assumes that doctors are learned nutritionists too. Most of the time this is far from the truth.

According to various surveys across the country, only between 30 and 40 percent of medical schools offer a nutrition course as a requirement. And of those that do, the course is only offered in the first year. This means that at most, 40 percent of American doctors have had a nutrition course in first year medical school.

Dr. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, says that the medical schools that do offer a nutrition course receive teaching materials supplied by the Dannon Institute, the Egg Nutrition Board, Cattleman's Beef Association, National Dairy Council, Nestle Clinical Nutrition, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, and Baxter Healthcare Corporation.

Nutrition teaching materials are supplied by pharmaceutical, beef, egg and dairy companies. To think that the information supplied is free of the suppliers' bias is rather naive. So even the doctors who receive a basic nutrition course from medical school are given nutrition information slanted in favor of pharmaceutical, beef, dairy, and egg companies.

For unbiased nutrition information-information that is current and not opinionated, your best source is a registered dietitian or nutritionist. These professionals have studied and specialized in nutrition and nutrition only.

July 10, 2009: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is diagnosed in an estimated 8 percent of children aged 4 through 17 and 3 to 4.4 percent of adults in the United States according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA.) A 2008 study found that the percentage of older children who are diagnosed with ADHD is rising approximately 4 percent per year.

ADHD/ADD (attention deficit disorder) encompasses a cluster of symptoms that include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. (ADD has by and large been replaced with ADHD.)

There is no definitive answer as to what causes ADHD. Several theories have been proposed though. Some of these suspected culprits are inherited genetic factors, environmental toxins, lead, and industrial chemicals like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls.) A study conducted in 2006 found that when a pregnant woman used drugs, alcohol, or smoked, the risk of her child developing ADHD increased.

The late children's health specialist Dr. Lendon Smith effectively used nutrition and diet to tackle the symptoms of ADHD.

In an interview, Dr. Smith said, "...“When I became familiar with nutrition, I found that if a stimulant drug had a calming effect [as is the case with ADHD], it meant that the child did not have enough norepinephrine (a stimulant) in his limbic system, and that I could help with a good diet and some supplements which should shore up the enzymes in his brain that make that neurotransmitter.

If he had ever had ear infections, I stopped his dairy products, and added calcium -- 1,000 mg -- usually at bedtime.If he was ticklish, I added magnesium -- 500 mg is usually safe for a child or adult.

If he was a "Jekyll and Hyde" type of person (severe mood swings), he had intermittent low blood sugar and he needed to nibble all day to keep his blood sugar up. Or at least eat some additional protein and fewer carbohydrates for better maintenance of blood sugar levels. No sugar or white-flour junk food.

If he could not remember his dreams, he needed vitamin B6 -- 50 mg is about right.

If he ever had eczema or dry scaly skin, he is to take the essential fatty acids [omega-3 fats like krill oil].If he had dark circles under his eyes, he was eating something to which he is sensitive. Milk, wheat, corn, chocolate, eggs, citrus. Usually it is his favorite food."

July 17, 2009: a new study which was published in the Journal of Nutrition finds that the amino acid arginine may stimulate weight loss. Obese laboratory rats had their diets supplemented with this amino acid over a period of three months. Their body fat gains were decreased by 64 percent.

Arginine enhanced the oxidation of fat and glucose while simultaneously increasing muscle (See also CLA.) Remember, lean muscle burns more fat than fat does.

Watermelon is an abundant source of arginine. It can be found in seafood, nuts, and seeds too.

July 18, 2009: science has proved that not only are omega-3 fatty acids (Also...) essential for your health, but that their source affects their effectiveness.

Omega-3s from krill can better fight some metabolic symptoms such as elevated fat levels in the heart and violent mood swings than omega-3s from fish oil.

In their study, researchers discovered that as far as obesity was concerned, krill oil reduced heart fat levels by 42 percent while omega-3s from fish oil only reduced them 2 percent! Omega-3s from krill decreased liver fat levels by 60 percent compared with 38 percent with omega-3s from fish oil. In the liver, fat buildup can result in insulin insensitivity leading to type 2 diabetes.

July 24, 2009: several studies (3 out of 4) have associated the artificial insulin called Lantus to an increased risk of cancer. Lantus is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis.

A Swedish study comprising 114,841 insulin-treated patients found that those on Lantus were almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer as those on human insulin. A German study using 127,031 patients found that malignancies were more common in patients treated with Lantus as opposed to the patients treated with human insulin (See diabetes.)

July 25, 2009: according to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, there is no major association between heart disease and egg consumption as was previously taught. Another study shows that eating an egg every day may prevent macular degeneration because of the nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin. Yet another study reveals that people who eat eggs everyday lower their risk of developing cataracts.

The benefits of egg nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin on the prevention of macular degeneration and the risk reduction of developing cataracts are due to the fact that these nutrients are more readily assimilated from eggs than any other food. Since cooking denatures lutein and zeaxanthin, and other nutrients, eating eggs raw guarantees nutrient potency.

Eggs contain naturally occurring vitamin D. Their high sulphur and vitamin and mineral content may also spur quicker nail and hair growth. This is particularly true if a person is deficient in vitamin B12 or sulphur.

Raw eggs taste like vanilla. If eating raw eggs seems repulsive, having them soft boiled or poached leaves most of he nutrients intact. Data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) finds that only 1 in 30,000 eggs are contaminated by salmonella. This number is dramatically reduced if the eggs are organic, laid by chickens which are grass-fed.

July 27, 2009: a new study which appears in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology finds that foods high on the glycemic index can damage artery walls causing heart problems.

Study participant Dr. Michael Shechter stated, "It's very hard to predict heart disease. But doctors know that high glycemic foods rapidly increase blood sugar. Those who binge on these foods have a greater chance of sudden death from heart attack. Our research connects the dots, showing the link between diet and what's happening in real time in the arteries."

The study's result was based on 56 volunteers who were in good health. These volunteers were divided into four groups. One group was given cornflakes with milk, another a sugar mixture, the third bran flakes, and the last group was given water. All groups with the exception of the group given water (placebo) had diminished arterial functioning.

The group given the cornflakes and sugar mixtures especially experienced a sudden and temporary malfunction in the endothelium, a thin layer of cells that line artery walls and reduce turbulence as blood rushes through the body.

Over a period of time, this can damage the endothelial walls and reduce elasticity in the arteries. This can result in heart disease, or even sudden death.

August 1, 2009: sodium bicarbonate, better known as baking soda is actually internally given off in the body; a healthy pancreas secretes sodium bicarbonate to neutralize stomach acid and create an ideal environment for pancreatic enzymes.

It is the job of some of the pancreatic enzymes to circulate in the blood to kill cancer cells. However, too much iron interferes with the pancrea's ability to create sodium bicarbonate and this can lead to insulin resistance. A condition such as this promotes both cancer and diabetes.

Sodium bicarbonate is an extremely powerful cancer fighter. It is so effective because it is an alkaline source. This alkalinity permits high levels of oxygen in the body.

When the body's pH level is just above 7.4, cancer cells become inactive; at a pH of 8.5, they die. Alkalizing and oxygenating are unparalleled in their ability to kill cancer cells. Baking soda does both.

It has been observed that people around the globe who have high amounts of bicarbonate in their drinking water have both a decreased mortality and disease rate!

Spring water has bicarbonate ions which attach themselves to sodium, potassium, magnesium, or calcium ions.

August 6, 2009: a study which was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that phytosterols in the diet plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of cancer. They have already been established as being able to reduce cholesterol levels 8 to 17 percent.

Phytosterols may turn on an enzyme that causes cancer cells to die. Scientific trials have shown that they may potentially prevent cancers of the stomach, ovaries, lungs, and breasts.

The researchers recommend a daily intake of two grams of phytosterols. They are more effectively absorbed coming from nuts, vegetables, and legumes as opposed to supplements.

August 7, 2009 evidence continues to mount concerning the link between autism and the increasing American vaccination schedule; a new study shows that the preservative thimerosal causes concentration and time-dependent mitochondrial damage, reduced oxidative-reduction activity, cellular degeneration, and cell death.

Even in low concentrations, thimerosal causes significant cellular toxicity in human neuronal and fetal cells. Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative (49.6 percent ethymercury.) It is established fact that mercury exposure can result in immune, sensory, neurological, motor, and behavioral dysfunctions. These symptoms either define or are related to autism.

Autism has exploded since the late 1970s--increasing almost 60-fold in the United States. This, by the way, parallels the rate of increase of the childhood vaccination schedule.

August 11, 2009: there is an easy way to determine heart health, and the likelihood of your having a heart attack; this method is simply determining your resting pulse rate.

Researchers at George Washington University School of Medicine analyzed almost 130,000 postmenopausal women with no history of heart disease. Women who had a resting pulse above 76 beats per minute (BPM) were 26 percent more likely to have a heart attack than those with the lowest (62 BPM or less.)

Counting your pulse is easy. Place your finger on your wrist in the area where your thumb and hand ends until you feel your pulse. Then simply count the number of beats in 15 seconds; multiply that number by 4.

Remember, your pulse will be higher than normal after physically exerting yourself (say after exercising or climbing a flight of stairs.) The best time to take your resting pulse is upon awakening in the morning or after your have settled down for awhile.

August 14, 2009: science continues to find evidence of not only the importance, but the wide spectrum of use of omega-3 fatty acids in the human body; these fatty acids accumulate in the brain and help children who have learning disabilities, reduce prison violence, and improve a person's daily mood.

Studies performed by well-known universities throughout the world show that not only do omega-3 fatty acids regulate the brain, but they also lower the risk of developing heart disease, arthritis, and many forms of cancer. On a cosmetic level, omega-3s even attack wrinkles.

Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, MD of the Harvard School of Public Health did a study in which he found that the absence of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet leads up to 96,000 premature deaths in America annually.

Many are of the belief that omega-3s come from fish--they don't. In reality, they originate in the green leaves of plants. Fish receive omega-3s from the phytoplankton (microscopic green plants in the oceans) and seaweed that they eat.

Omega-3s protect the brain from neurological disorders and allow the heart to continue beating.

There is another group of essential fatty acid known as omega-6. Though necessary in the diet, the standard American diet (SAD) has an over-surplus of them. Omega-6s come from the seeds of plants. They promote blood clotting and inflammation.

According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), America's daily consumption of omega-6s more than doubled--going from approximately 7 grams to 18. The AMA (American Heart Association says that heart disease has risen in parallel with the rise in consumption of seed fats (omega-6s.)
See Krill Oil.

In addition to the rise of heart disease, our increasing use of omega-6s has led to a rise in depression, arthritis, obesity, insulin resistance, and cancer. Though not solely responsible, the imbalance of omega-3 to omega-6 is key.

When the American diet began to emphasize foods based on seeds (omega-6s) rather than plants (omega-3s), people became fatter and sicker.