These are just two of the readers’ questions that have been flooding my inbox after reports last week that omega-3 fats do not reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke or cancer. These were the findings of a team at the University of East Anglia (UEA) that reviewed various studies looking at the benefits of oily fish and omega-3 fats. The team also found that, rather than having a protective effect for men with angina, large amounts of oily fish or fish oils appear to increase the risk of a heart attack.
However, there is plenty of positive research to convince me that boosting omega-3 intake is a good idea for those of us who don’t have angina. Several good studies not included in the UEA review show strong benefits from a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids. For instance, the behaviour of children with problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has improved with omega oils. The same is true for prisoners. Omega-3 fats can also help people with skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema. Meanwhile, during pregnancy, sufficient omega oil intake has been shown to encourage the growth of a healthy baby.
There is evidence to suggest that omega-3 may also help in the prevention of certain cancers, including bowel cancer, one of this country’s big killers. In every research field you will come across studies that show conflicting results. What seems to have happened in the UEA analysis, in which the research team examined studies that showed positive results against those that did not, is that one study (carried out on 3,000 men with angina) has tipped the scale. But this shouldn’t necessarily dissuade you from boosting your omega intake.
The best way to obtain omega oils is through a well balanced diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat: the body cannot make its own, so these fats must be taken in through food or as supplements. They are found naturally in oily fish, such as tuna, salmon and sardines. Vegetable sources include pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds and oil, flaxseeds and walnuts.
I still think we should be eating some oily fish every week. For girls and women of child-bearing age, two portions a week (a portion is 140g) is enough; everyone else can eat up to four portions. The reason for limiting the intake of pregnant and breast-feeding women is the risk of contamination from dioxins, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) — high levels of these can affect the development of an unborn baby.
Eating two portions of oily fish gives you approximately 3g of omega-3 fatty acids each week: about the right amount. Some parents find it difficult to persuade their children to eat oily fish. Try giving them four to five teaspoons of omega-3-rich seeds each day instead: simply grind the seeds and sprinkle on cereal or yoghurt.
Alternatively, offer a teaspoon of flaxseed oil a day on a spoon, or popped into juice, or stirred into porridge. But don’t heat the oil or flaxseeds as this will destabilise the beneficial oils. Of course, getting children to consume this amount of seeds or oil may not be easy, so if you have been giving your child an omega-3 supplement, or taking one yourself, you can continue to do so. I would recommend MorDHA Mini, which is suitable for children from six months to five years, MorEPA Mini or EyeQ for the over-fives and vegetarians could take flaxseed oil capsules (all these supplements are available from good health food shops or www.healthyandessential.co.uk). Vegetarians could also try Healthspan’s cerebrum algae capsules (www.healthspan.co.uk). However, if you have an elderly relative who suffers from angina or has had a heart attack, take advice from a doctor before giving them supplements.
Simply taking a supplement or boosting your oily fish intake isn’t enough to be healthy. You also need a well balanced diet that includes plenty of fruit and vegetables. A high-fat, high-sugar, low-fibre diet won’t be cancelled out just by popping a fish-oil supplement, as some people seem to believe.
Other products to boost your intake of omega-3 are enriched milks, spreads and eggs. There is, however, no point making a fried breakfast with an omega-3-rich egg sat alongside a fatty piece of bacon. The bacon and the saturated fat content of the breakfast could harm your waistline and your heart. Similarly, a yoghurt drink containing omega-3 won’t do your children any good if it contains huge quantities of sugar. Nor will a ready meal that contains omega-3 but also large quantities of salt: the damage done by the salt will far outweigh the benefits of the omega-3. Simply seeing the word omega-3 on the pack shouldn’t lead you to ignore all the other nutritional aspects of that food.
I recently suffered from an attack of urticaria (also known as hives) due to stress. Whenever I have a bad rash, I take an antihistamine tablet (5mg) and my skin seems better. Are there any foodstuffs that contain antihistamines?
Jane Teasdale, by e-mail
No foods contain an antidote to histamines per se. However, it may help you to avoid foods that are high in histamines. People with chronic urticaria can’t break histamines down as well as they should, and any histamines they absorb from food could be causing or aggravating their skin problems.
Some people can react very badly to one specific food, such as strawberries or shellfish, in which case the obvious treatment is to avoid the trigger, but many people suffer from urticaria that doesn’t seem to be linked to any one particular thing. If you are prone to attacks, it is a good idea to avoid those foods that are high in histamines.
Histamines are formed in our food by the action of certain bacteria. These are not disease-causing bacteria and their presence is normally harmless, but if too numerous, the histamine they produce can cause problems, including urticaria. The worst offenders are well ripened cheeses. Young, fresh cheeses — goat’s cheese for instance — should be fine, but blue cheeses will not. Some types of fish (mainly mackerel and tuna) can cause symptoms, especially if they’ve been kept at low temperatures for too long, or if they’re pickled or tinned, as bacteria in not-so-fresh fish produce a cocktail of toxins that includes a hefty dose of histamine.
Other culprits include continental sausages, sauerkraut, fermented soya products, such as tofu, yeast extracts and certain alcoholic drinks, especially some wines. (Unfortunately, the only way to find out which ones affect you is to try them and see.) Some people who get an attack after drinking certain wines swap to another grape variety or producer and find that their symptoms disappear. Red wines seem to be more of a problem than white.
Although fruits vary in their histamine levels, some, such as strawberries, can trigger an acute urticaric reaction. When it comes to chronic symptoms, citrus fruits, bananas and avocados can be among the worst offenders (although some people with chronic urticaria can eat them with no ill effect). There can be other, non-food reasons for the rash: stress, as in your case; heat; insect bites; certain drugs (discuss with your doctor); or hot sun.
DO YOU NEED ADVICE?
Send your nutritional problems to jane.clarke@thetimes.co.uk or to Jane Clarke, times2, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1TT. Her replies cannot apply to individual cases and should be taken in a general context. Consult your GP with any health or specific conditions. Jane cannot enter into personal correspondence.
