Protect Yourself from Pollution

Your car, your kitchen remodel, your grill, even the candles you light -- they all spew tiny pollutants into the air (what scientists call "particulate matter"). And, while you can limit the spewing you're personally doing, these tiny airborne particles (they're a few microns thick, and 1 micron = 39 millionths of an inch) are being released on a grander scale by everyone else's car -- not to mention diesel trucks and coal-fueled electricity plants, the leading spewers in America. And jet planes, construction equipment, road resurfacing, wood burning, and more.

Frequently breathing in iffy particulates can create irregular heartbeats. If you're already coping with heart and lung problems or diabetes, you may be even more susceptible to pollution’s health-busting effects.

But hey, there are ways to protect yourself! While you can't stop the particles (though you can do your part . . . Prius, anyone?), you can defend yourself from their harsh effects with fish fats -- specifically with DHA, the king of omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats do all kinds of good things in your body that reduce your risk of heart trouble (as well as stroke, depression, memory loss, and impotence -- quite a list). We recommend taking 2 grams of distilled fish-oil supplements a day or 600 milligrams (mg) of DHA supplements. We do.

Just one alert: If you already have a heart arrhythmia, chronic angina, or congestive heart failure, check with your doctor about taking fish-oil supplements; they may not be for you. Alternatively, you can eat 12 walnuts a day or nonfried fish three times a week (chunk light tuna, salmon, mahimahi, sole, and tilapia are good choices). They're delicious ways to get your fill of these good fats.