Medtronic Lawsuit Lawyers, Williams Kherkher

Heart Healthy Diets: Linolenic Acid

Linolenic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid. It is an organic compound that is found in many common vegetable oils and has been shown in many studies to improve a person’s cardiovascular health.

Linolenic acid, a fatty acid, is a member of the group of essential fatty acids. They are called essential fatty acids because they cannot be produced within the body and so have to be acquired through foods that are eaten. The majority of seeds and seed oils are much richer in linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is also an essential fat but it competes with linolenic acid and has a very different effect on human health.

Humans can obtain linolenic acid only through diet because the body lacks necessary acids to convert other acids to linolenic acid. The human body can synthesize two other important acids from linolenic acid. These acids play a vital role in many metabolic processes. Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosaheaenoic acid are readily available from fish.

A number of studies have found evidence that linolenic acid is tied to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. It is not clear why this is true. Some studies have linked linolenic acid with rapidly progressing prostate cancer and macular degeneration.

Dietary linolenic acid has been assessed for its role in cardiovascular health. There have been clinical benefits seen in some studies but not all. A review in 2005 concluded that “the weight of the evidence favors recommendations for modest dietary consumption of linolenic acid for the primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.”

Contact a Medtronic Lawyer

If your heart has been given a Medtronic ICD to control arrhythmias, contact the Medtronic lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 800-761-3187 to discuss your legal options.