Could ignoring THIS take YEARS off your life? [Research shocker]
There are six words nearly every doc has heard.
“But at least I don’t smoke!”
It’s become a leading excuse for bad habits… ’cause people THINK that as long as they don’t smoke, they can GET AWAY with something that’s not QUITE as bad.
“Sure, maybe I’m a little overweight,” they might say, for example. “But at least I don’t smoke!”
Well, friend, I’m not here to nag you into good habits.
I’m certainly not going to deliver a lecture about smoking, either.
But I do have a reality check for you today – because there’s ONE common “habit” that’s every bit as bad for you as smoking.
It gets ZERO attention.
There are NO awareness campaigns.
And most people never even THINK about it!
But according to the latest research, your longevity could DEPEND on it.
A smoker’s risk… without the smoke
I don’t think it’s any big secret that omega-3 fatty acids are CRITICAL to good health.
But most people don’t exactly make a BIG effort to get them, either.
One way to measure it is with what’s called the omega-3 index.
Ideally, you want somewhere in the 8-12% ballpark. But the average American barely hits a 5… and millions fall well below the target.
And that, my friend, is the bad “habit” I mentioned earlier.
Because if your own index is low… you’re facing some of the very same deadly risks as a smoker!
Overall, folks at the higher end of the omega-3 index are 33% less likely to prematurely drop dead – of ANY cause – when compared to folks at the lower end of the scale.
That, they say, translates into dying up to 4 YEARS SOONER — and it’s entirely because you didn’t hit your omega-3 targets.
That’s pretty much the same hit on longevity that smoking will take.
You can get your own omega-3 index checked next time you’re at the doctor… or you can order a DIY test online. (Warning: you gotta prick your own finger).
Or you can just ASSUME you’re probably a little on the low side, since MOST people are.
Research published in 2019 found 3 ways to bring your omega-3 index to an 8 or higher:
- EAT 4-5 servings a week of oily fish like salmon, or
- TAKE 500 mg of omega-3 fatty acids daily and eat oily fish just 3X a week, or
- SUPPLEMENT with 900 mg EPA and DHA combined daily if you want to skip the fish.
Just beware that 900 mg EPA and DHA is not the same as 900 mg of fish oil.
I just looked online, for example, and found one common brand’s “1,200 mg of fish oil” dose has just 360 mg as EPA and DHA combined.
That’s a little shady if you ask me – so, read the label closely to ensure you get what you need and what you paid for.
