A brand-spankin’-new study has been published about the effects of fish oil and soy oil on heart disease, but more specifically, heart rate variability or HRV. HRV testing is “a well-established screening tool used by cardiologists to assess the heart’s electrical system — helping to distinguish healthy heartbeat variations from potentially fatal heart rhythm abnormalities, such as arrhythmia.” The author of the study further elaborated on HRV:

“Although most people think that the heart beats like a clock, in reality our hearts have constant fine-tuning variations that you are not even aware of… The timing between heartbeats may all of a sudden be a little shorter or longer, and these adjustments are a very good thing. Those who have heart failure do not have those variations. And the fatty acids in the fish and soy oils increase these variations, which is clear evidence of having a healthier heart.”"

Both fish oil and soy oil were found to relieve patients of these heart disease symptoms, but which one was better?

Holguin and his team noted, however, that fish oil capsules seemed to provide the greater overall cardiac benefit. Those taking the fish oil capsules were quicker to improve their HRV levels than those taking the soy oil capsules, for example. And those ingesting fish oil experienced HRV increases within just three weeks, compared to eight weeks in those taking soy oil.

Similarly, the researchers also found that, of the two supplements, fish oil appeared to provoke HRV improvements across the widest spectrum of electrical impulses that control healthy heartbeat changes.

This is an amazing benefit! It seems that taking fish oil supplements can literally (and quickly) eliminate a person’s risk of heart disease.

Both Fish Oil and Soy Oil contain Omega-3 Fatty Acids, but why would fish oils produce greater and faster results? The answer lies in the the type of omega-3 fatty acids contained in both oils.

Soy oil, like flaxseed oil, contains Alpha Linoleic Acid (ALA), which is a short-chain fatty acid. Fish oil contains Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaeonic Acid (DHA), which are long-chain fatty acids. The only reason ALA is useful to your body is because your body can convert it into EPA or DHA, but at an extremely inefficient rate. I will get into more detail about this later, but here is further proof that fish oil is a much greater source of omega-3 fatty acids than any plant source.