My brother has a thing about fish that rivals the senior George Bush's thing about broccoli -- he just hates it, plain and simple. As much as I've tried to get him to take Dr. Wright's fish oil recommendation, it falls on deaf ears. It doesn't matter that it comes in capsules, or that he doesn't have to taste the fish...I say the word "fish," and he's gone.
Well, a recent study gave me some hope for my brother. You see, he loves walnuts. And it turns out that, like fish oil, 1.5 ounces of walnuts as part of a balanced diet every day can also reduce the risk of heart disease.
Walnuts help your heart for some of the same reasons that fish oil does. They contain the ALA, or alpha-linolenic fatty acid similar to that found in salmon. Diets rich in ALA appear to lower bad cholesterol, and can drop C-Reactive protein by as much as 75 percent compared to the standard American diet that is gravely low in ALA and other omega-3 fatty acids. C-Reactive protein may well be a better predictor of heart disease than cholesterol, which makes this study particularly interesting. But you can do even better than eating handfuls of walnuts. You can also use walnut oil for your cooking, which would increase your ALA intake even further. And if you have the same aversion to fish oil as my brother, try a tablespoon of flaxseed oil instead -- in addition to the walnuts. Dark, leafy vegetables, canola oil, and eggs are also especially high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. And make sure you add 400 IU of vitamin E when you add additional essential fatty acids to your diet or supplement regimen. **************************************************** Shot down Q: Because of the shortage this year, we were unable to get the flu shot. Now there seems to be surplus, and they are pushing folks to go out and get them. Even without the shots, we have to say that we didn't see a difference in the flu around here. What are your thoughts on this? JVW: I'm not a big proponent of vaccines in general as there are a lot of safety issues surrounding them that have yet to be studied. The medical community definitely needs to address the potential long-term affects of mass vaccination. Some scientists have begun to lead the way. The experience of a shortage of flu shots in the beginning of this season meant that many people who would have normally received them did not.
Yet, the weekly reporting of flu visits and hospitalizations, found on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) presents some interesting data. It suggests that this season is no worse than previous seasons and considerably better than last season in some respects. Now that there is a surplus of the vaccine, public health officials have removed the restrictions on who should receive the shot and are urging people to go get them. However, a study conducted last year by the CDCP, concluded that the vaccine had little or no effectiveness against influenza.
The best way to avoid the flu is to boost your own immune system. This is something that should be done all year long in preparation for flu season. Please refer to my in-depth article in the April 2001 issue of Nutrition & Healing for suggestions to help you strengthen your immune system so you don't have to worry about the flu shot next year. **************************************************** What is...stearidonic acid? My brother isn't the only one who doesn't want to take fish-oil products, which is why chemists are working diligently in identifying more non-marine sources of omega-3 EFA. Stearidonic acid is an omega-3 oil that is found in blackcurrant seed oil and hemp seed. Of course, hemp seed -- also known as cannabis, the seed that turns into marijuana plants -- is embroiled in controversy. But blackcurrent seed oil has a clean reputation and may be another good option for boosting your omega-3 intake. Yours in good health, Amanda Ross
Managing Editor
Nutrition & Healing Sources: Zhao G, et. al. "Dietary alpha-linolenic acid reduces inflammatory and lipid cardiovascular risk factors in hypercholesterolemic men and women." J Nutr 2004; 134(11): 2,991-2,997 Ros E, et. al. "A walnut diet improves endothelial function in hypercholesterolemic subjects: a randomized crossover trial." Circulation 2004; 109(13): 1,609-1,614 S Dolan, et. al. "Preliminary Assessment of the Effectiveness of the 2003-04 Inactivated Influenza Vaccine--Colorado, December 2003," MMWR 2004; 53: 8-11 | 
