Fish for Better Health

By Herbert Vego

THIS time, let’s talk about health for a change.

There was a time when I attempted to be a vegetarian due to a heart disease known as “left ventricular dysfunction.”  But since I found it hard to discard meat, I thought of shifting to a near-vegetarian diet, eating pork and beef only occasionally.

It buoyed my spirit that, after hearing American nutrition vlogger Dr. William Li, I could eat fish “unli.” Unlike pork and beef, fish has no bad cholesterol that could clog the arteries and trigger stroke or heart attack. I did further research.

First, I learned about salmon as a low-fat, high-quality protein filled with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins such as D and B2; rich in calcium, phosphorus and minerals such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium.

Studies in the 1970s showed that Greenland Eskimos had a lower rate of heart disease than did other people living in Greenland. Analysis of dietary differences between the groups showed that the Eskimos ate less saturated fat and more omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, whale and seal meat.

Researches since that time have supported the heart-healthy benefits of eating fish to lower blood cholesterol, blood pressure and the risk of blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, fish oil reduces the risk of sudden death.

Doctors recommend at least two weekly servings of fish, preferably mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, tuna and salmon. However, they also warn pregnant and breastfeeding women to be more careful because fish may contain traces of mercury from industrial pollution, which has been linked to neurologic problems in the developing fetus.

Fish is best eaten with fiber-rich oatmeal, which comprises gel-like soluble fiber that reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol. Soluble fiber — which is also found in such foods as kidney beans, mongo sprouts, apples, pears and prunes — reduces the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines. It binds bile and dietary cholesterol) for excretion.

I learned that five to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day decreases LDL cholesterol by about 5 percent. Eating 1.5 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 4.5 grams of fiber.

Aside from fish, nuts may also replace foods high in saturated fats. All nuts are high in calories. Instead of using cheese, luncheon meat or croutons in your salad, add a handful of cashew nuts.

Also of paramount nutritional value are foods fortified with plant sterols — substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol.

Juices fortified with plant sterols can help reduce LDL cholesterol by more than 10 percent. The amount of daily plant sterols needed for results is at least 2 grams — which equals about two 8-ounce servings of plant sterol-fortified orange juice a day. Plant sterols in fortified foods don’t appear to affect levels of triglycerides or of “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Nor do they interfere with the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins — vitamins A, D, E and K. Therefore, foods fortified with plant sterols are essential for people who actually have high levels of LDL cholesterol.

Long thought to have cholesterol-lowering effects, soy protein actually has very little impact on reducing cholesterol levels. However, it does contain vitamins and minerals and is a good source of fiber. It’s also a healthy low-fat alternative source of protein.

To summarize, the first step for a heart-healthy diet is to reduce your intake of bad fats. The second is to eat a combination of cholesterol-lowering foods

If I may add, I fought Covid-19 for 11 days at the Iloilo Mission Hospital in March 2021 and came out in a vertical position. Thank you, Lord.

-oOo-

MORE POWER LOWERS RATES

THE electrifying news in Iloilo City this month is that MORE Power has reduced its  residential electricity rate from ₱12.0344 to ₱11.1354 per kilowatt-hour, effective May 18, 2025, which is mainly due to the lower generation and transmission cost, as well as reduced prices from the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) and stable prices from bilateral contracts. It is the cheapest in Western Visayas.

MORE Power always takes advantage of the favorable rates from the electricity market by purchasing more when WESM prices are low.

MORE Power’s distribution charge has remained the same.

The increase or decrease in the power bill depends on the consumers’ consumption level, which normally rises or falls in accordance with home temperature.

Incidentally, MORE Power spokesman Jonathan Cabrera referred me to a study calling for the transformation of electric cooperatives into private corporations regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Let us have that for another column.