Tag: Fish Oil

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.

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.

You Gotta Love Fish Oil

One has gotta love fish oil. If you think that Im kidding then please continue reading. Those who shun fishes like mackerel, tuna and salmon due to some personal and at times even weird preferences might have second thoughts after they come to learn the benefits of eating those kinds of fish. These fish along with herring, sardines, flounder and lake trout contains omega-3 fatty acids.

However, just to clarify the fish themselves are not capable of producing the oil themselves. In the case of herrings and sardines, they accumulate the omega-3 deposits from eating microalgae that produces them. And mackerel, salmon, flounder, and trout get their supply from eating small fishes like the herrings.

Now aside from the omega-3, other fatty acids present in what we may call oily fishes are the eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA and docosahexaenoic acid or DHA. You have probably heard of these two from commercials or advertisements which markets products that contain these acids. EPA and DHA can play an important role in the development of ones brain, helps keep the nervous system in top shape and even protect people from heart disease. If you, however, find that these benefits are not enough then I dont fret fro there are a number of other great advantages from including fish oil in ones diet. Let us begin.

Another good reason of making oily fish part of the daily meals or considering fish oil as food supplement is that it can reduce the risk of getting cancer. May it be breast, prostate or colon cancer, fish that are rich in fatty acids were found to be capable of stopping the development and spread of cancer cells to healthy ones.

And what about the findings that pregnant women has less chance of developing complications during pregnancies? You see, those fatty and oily fishes are more than just a treat to the palates. The fish oil, moreover, helps prevent premature delivery and low birth weight. In fact, women who consumed fish oil during their pregnancy were found to deliver babies that are stronger against allergies.

Besides the things that have mentioned so far, fish oil seems to be quite beneficial for our eyesight as well. As we grow older our eyesight slowly diminishes. Thats why a lot of older folks need corrective eyeglasses or even surgery just to see a little bit clearer. Fish oil helps improves eyesight, decrease the dryness, and prevents the decline of eyesight in old age.

Other known benefit include treatment for inflammatory bowel disorders, rheumatoid arthritis and even systemic lupus. Not to mention, fatty acids from fish can help prevent a variety of depression and anxieties. The omega-3 in the fatty acids are good for relieving anxiety, sadness, stress, mental fatigue, restlessness, suicidal tendencies and some nervous disorders. Even those who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorders are encouraged to include fish oil in their diet.

If you by now youre still not loving fish oil then I dont know what else to say. Since studies are being conducted continuously, scientists will find more benefits from eating fish oil. They will find a whole new list of why it would be good to add fish oil in ones diet.

However, even at this time with the different benefits that have been cites, I have no reason to doubt that one really gotta love fish oil.

The History of Fish Oil

A breakthrough in medicine practice happened 550 million years ago was brought about by single-cell algae. There was an explosion in biological diversity as multi-cell organisms started to evolve from single-cell algae. These new organisms had to develop a communication system to enable specialized cells to transmit messages to one another. The purpose of communication was two way; one was to build nerve connections between specialized cells and the other involved the use of hormones.

Eicosanoids were the first hormones product of these communications and they utilize fats in cell membranes as their building blocks. These eicosanoids dont just use any type of fat for their synthesis but they also require the long-chain highly-saturated fat (polyunsaturated) which is only found in algae-derived fats. And this is what many scientists of today believed to be the cause of breakthrough that separated smart man from average man.

Some 150,000 years ago our ancestors had discovered that fats or fish oil makes them smart. The healthy eicosanoids that are derived from those fats that control our health today the omega-3 rich fish oil.

The first recorded production of fish oil happened in 1775 in England. However, when the cod was brought back from America, the livers appeared to be disgusting as it were slapped onto the filthy streets of London, for the oil would ooze out. This was collected together with other stuffs on the streets and sold as cod liver oil.

Despite of its filthy beginnings for many people at that time the crude liver oil was considered a miracle oil for diseases like arthritis. The cod liver oil isn’t actually contaminated by street sewage but it’s still full of industrial contaminants like mercury and PCBs. These contaminants pollute the waters where cod live. Because of this the end products has some foul taste that turned the stomach of every child in America who took it two generations ago.

So while it’s true that 1 tablespoon of cod liver oil supplies 2.5 grams of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, it is also true that it supplies contaminants and a high dose of vitamin A, which is stored in the body’s fat tissues and can cause toxic effects like hair loss if taken in high enough doses.

The final breakthrough in fish oils happened when Ultra Refined EPA and DHA concentrate Omega-3 product was developed. EPA and DHA are almost found exclusively in sea foods. The process required advanced chemical engineering that starts with the removal of most of the saturated fat by fractional distillation and the removal of virtually all the PCBs (measured in parts per billion) by more sophisticated molecular distillation. In the process called polishing, impurities are removed through hot water. The fish oil are also added with anti-oxidants for longer life and added nutrients.

With these innovations, a new type of fish oil was developed. The end-product ensures you to have a concentrated amount of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids without unwanted substances like chemical contaminants or harmful fatty acids that can harm your well-being.

It is only with the use of pharmaceutical-grade fish oil that you can get high enough levels of long-chain Omega-3 fats for your brain and body. The effect of the high-grade fish oil usually occurs after taking it everyday in 30 days.