Category: General Health

Fish Oil For The Heart

It seems that a lot of research and studies are showing how effective fish oil is in helping improve our heart conditions. Studies in Denmark showed that fish oil could reduce heart attacks by 50 %. While the Journal of American Medical Association published a report from Harvard School of Public Health that states that women who consume fish with higher Omega-3 fatty acid lessens their risk of incurring any heart disease.

These evidences show us how good Omega-3 fatty acid is to our body. This would actually improve our life and lengthen our life span. High contents of Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and anchovies. They have docosahexaenoic acid or DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA which have anti-inflammatory and anti-coagulant effects.

Omega-3 fatty acid belongs to the polyunsaturated fats, along with omega-6 fatty acid. Omega- 6 acid come mainly from vegetable oil. Omega-6 oils can also provide the body with heart and health benefits, but too much is also bad for the body. Omega-3 fatty acids do not only help in heart issues, but also support brain development.

EPA and DHA are very important to our body. But the body does not produce Omega-3 fatty acid. We have to get the nutrients from our food. Omega-3 acids are called or referred to as building blocks of the body. They help the brain and vision development, not only for children but for adults as well.

Italian researchers actually say that consuming about 1 gram of Omega-3 per day would show significant effects on reducing heart attacks. A gram of Omega-3 fatty acid can be present in a medium sized serving of salmon.

How do these acids exactly reduce heart attack risks?

They reduce triglyceride levels. Triglycerides come from fats of the food that we eat and calories not digested. In excessive amount, tryglycerides can cause coronary heart disease. They are just like cholesterol, they block the arteries and these can lead to heart attacks.

Aside from that they can also stabilise irregular heart beat. It can lower blood pressure and increase the level of good cholesterol. They also have anti-inflammatory characteristics. They are also anti-coagulant which means they make sure that they platelets do not stick together are clot. These clotted platelets can also block the arteries and the blood flow. You call this Thrombosis.

But according to a research led by Dr. Jochen Senges of the University of Heidelberg, the risk for a second attack among patients who used recommended medications compared with those who are using fish oil has no significant difference. It just show how important it is to avoid getting any heart attack in the first place.

You can take fish oil supplement or eat a lot of fatty fish but if you do not combine them with a healthy heart diet, still it is going to be useless. A healthy heart diet would include high fiber food like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and nuts. Aside from eating fish, eating good quality protein products like lean poultry, non-fat dairy, and other products that does not contain saturated fat or trans fat.

Fish oil is not a magic pill which can transform you immediately into a healthy person just by taking them. Being a healthy person does not only require taking food supplements but also eating properly and healthily.

Fish Oil Effects That You Can Avoid

There has been a lot of buzz about fish oil and its benefits. Researches and studies have proved the numerous health benefits that fish oil can give. But every coin has two sides. So, is it possible for something beneficial like fish oil, to have bad effects, as well? Yes, it is possible.

If you have fish oil capsules or liquid at home, then you would have to make sure that it would not be exposed to heat, light and oxygen. When exposed for too long, the fish oil would get oxidized and would get bad. Once the fish oil gets bad, it would lose its nutritional value. Aside from that, bad fish oil and fatty acids are said to contribute to the development of cancer and other diseases.

Minor side effects of fish oil would include a fishy aftertaste, diarrhea, and fishy burps. Some would report nose bleeding as a side effect of fish oil intake. Aside from this, you would have to be conscious with vitamin A, E and D. Accumulated or large doses of these vitamins can eventually lead to poisoning.

There are also serious side effects of fish oil. If these side effects happen to you, it is best to consult a health care professional. You would have to stop taking fish oil supplements or it could mean other serious ailments.

Fish oil is said to increase the risk of bleeding, especially gastrointestinal bleeding. So if you would notice red blood on your stool and vomiting blood, the consult a health care professional immediately. Serious effects could also include hemorrhagic stroke or bleeding in the brain. Common symptoms would include vision and speech changes, numbness or loss of strength in the limbs and frequent and painful headaches.

If you have diabetes, then it would also be better to check with your doctor if taking fish oil supplements is safe. Taking fish oil supplements can sometimes result to hyperglycemia or high blood sugar. Be watchful or conscious of allergic reactions. Symptoms that you are allergic with fish oil supplement include rashes, itching, swelling, wheezing and difficulty in breathing or swallowing.

To avoid the minor side effects, you can take the fish oil supplement along with your meal. This would get rid of the aftertaste and make it easier to digest. It is less likely for you to experience abdominal or stomach pain. There are few who keep their supplements refrigerated. It is said that keeping them frozen or cold would help lessen gastrointestinal problems or side-effects.

Too much is always not good. The problem is we do not how much is too much. There is maximum amount that an individual should take. But there is a recommended amount, for male it is 1600 mg while women are recommended to have 1100 mg.

As mentioned, we should be cautious with Vitamin A,E, and D overdose. How do we deal with this?

Read the labels. Know what kind of supplement you are taking. You have to know if the fish oil supplements you are taking exceed the recommended level. To avoid an overdose of Vitamin A and D, avoid using fish oil that includes the internal organs like liver.

Fish oil is something that can very essential in improving our physical and mental health as long as it is taken in recommended doses and amounts. Let us remember that fish oil is not a magic pill that would immediately remove us of any ailments and pains. Its effects can be gradually noticed over time.

Brain Food: Fish Oil And Your Brain

Fish oil is not only good for the heart and for our overall health, this is also good for our brain. Fish oil comes from fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and anchovies. It contains Omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid or DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA. These kind of Omega-3 fatty acids cannot be produced by the body so it is important to take in food that contain these kinds of nutrients.

Fish oil is said to improve brain development and memory. DHA plays a major role in the structure and development of the brain. It is also important in developing vision. Pregnant womens diet should constitute fish oil since DHA is important for the baby to develop their brain.

According to the research by the University of Western Australia, expectant mothers who include DHA in their diet are said to give birth to babies with better eye and hand coordination and less risk of giving birth prematurely. Their children are also better speakers and could understand more at the age of two and a half. Although, if you are pregnant and would like to take fish oil supplement, it is better check with your doctor first. Fish oil is also said to result into bleeding as a side-effect.

Research and studies showed that adding fish oil to your diet could also reduce possibility and risks of mental and psychological disorders like depressive orders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, Alzheimers disease and dementia.

Actually, according to a study by Aberdeen University they identified that fish oil can actually increase IQ scores and can even slow the ageing process. According to a Swedish study published in the Archives of Neurology, patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer were given 1.7 grams of DHA and .6 grams of EPA. They showed less cognitive decline in six months.

As mentioned, fish oil is recommended for children who have ADHD. There are studies showing that the lack polyunsaturated fatty acids can contribute to this disorder. This can also be the reason behind dyslexia. There were studies conducted among children, they were given fish oil supplements for the period of three months. These children showed significant improvements in behaviour, reading and spelling. They were also able to focus and concentrate more.

There were studies that showed that Omega-3 fatty acids had the same effects as Prozac which is a known anti-depressant. Studies showed that countries with high fish consumption have lower rates of depression. Aside from that, pregnant women and those who have just given birth who include fish in their diet regularly have lower risk of experiencing postpartum depression.

If you have decided to take fish oil supplements to address these mental problems for yourself or for your kids or relatives, then it would be best to consult a doctor first. You would have to know how much you are going to take. Just like any vitamins or anything, when taken in excess it can have bad effects.

Too much of fish oil supplement can also cause some serious problems like oxidative stress. Some doctors would recommend taking Vitamin C along with the fish oil supplement. This would actually balance the nutrients that you are getting.

Fish oil has amazing effects on our health and body, we just have to remember to keep it balanced with a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle.

Customer Knowledge: Buying Fish Oil Supplements

Fish oil has many benefits to our overall health, whether it is for the heart or brain. Research showed that fish oil can reduce the risk of heart attacks, cancers, mental and psychological disorders and other sicknesses. The market is full of fish oil products, but how do we make sure that what we get are actually the ones that can benefit our health.

Not all fish contains Omega-3 oil or the essential fatty acids. Fishes that have the highest number of fatty acids are salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies.

There are things that you would have to consider when buying fish oil. Actually, health professionals would say that eating too much fish that contains fish oil and Omega-3 can cause mercury contamination. This can happen if you do not exactly know where the fish are caught. If the fish is caught in polluted waters, we can ingest mercury and other heavy metals.

To avoid toxins entering out body, we have to make sure that the fish oil that we are taking is molecularly distilled and pharmaceutical grade supplements. These kinds of fish oil are removed of all toxins. You would have to check at the label to make sure that they come from clean waters and properly refined.

When checking the label of a particular fish oil supplement, you check their websites and look for the Certificate of Analysis. This COA is an analysis performed by an independent laboratory to identify the freshness of the product. Aside from checking the source of the fish and the freshness of the fish oil, you would also need to know what kind of fish the oil is from.

Studies showed that fish oil with docosahexaenoic acid or DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA have the most health and benefits. Studies showed that the brain uses or needs more DHA to function better. Aside from being free of heavy metals, it should always contain at least 60 % of EPA and DHA. You would also have to consider or be cautious with vitamins like Vitamin A and E which can be very harmful in large doses.

How would you know that you are buying the safe fish oil supplement? Only buy from companies that use fresh and high qualify fish and inform the public where they get their fish. You can check their websites or labels to be informed properly.

Fish oil supplements can be either liquid or tablet. Liquid fish oil costs more than oil capsules. But when compared with capsules based on the cost-per-gram it is actually less expensive. Capsules are tamper-proof and keep the oil from getting bad. Most people find fish oil to be expensive or over priced. Some experts would say that there are two ways to compare prices. You can compare the total amount of DHA in the supplement and the cost for each gram of DHA.

You would feel that you have low quality fish oil if you suffer from any ache or pain. So, we would have to be cautious when buying low-cost fish oil. They may not be the same as the high-quality fish oil. You would have to be cautious when buying cheap fish oil.

So, when buying fish oil, or any kind of product, read the label or the product information first. Getting informed will relieve you of any kind of health risk in the future. Reading the label or getting to know the product would not be more than a couple of minutes, anyway. So, spare the time.