ABSTRACT
One should take the Omega-3 Index test before, and then again several months after having started consistently enriching the diet with foods rich in omega-3-rich fatty acids (FAs), so as to ascertain the effectiveness of the program in raising the tissue levels of omega-3 FAs (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] + docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]). The enrichment program, as illustrated by a six-day food plan in this chapter, helps us to put into effect the recommendations of the American Heart Association (AHA) science advisories on increasing the intake of omega-3s, to reduce the risk of heart disease and sudden cardiac death. The AHA recommends getting one to two servings of seafood per week, preferably of oily fish, in order to ingest approximately 1 g of EPA and DHA on those days. This is particularly important for people with existing coronary heart disease, all the more so if there has been a recent myocardial infarction. The chapter provides websites that help in determining the omega-3 FA content of a wide variety of common foods, both animal-derived and plant-derived.
