Tag: Health Benefits

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.

Choosing Fish Oil Supplements

Choosing the right fish oil supplement may not always be easy. One of the things to consider is that one should know about what makes such supplements valuable to health, which is its omega 3 fatty acid content. There are various sources of such essential fatty acids. It can be easy to question if there is indeed a difference between getting this nutrient from different sources.

Three Types Of Omega 3 Fatty Acids
One of the things that people should know is that there are three known types of omega 3 fatty acids, the essential nutrient found in fish oil supplements. The three types of omega 3 fatty acids include EPA, DHA and ALA. ALA, or alpha-linolenic acid is a short chain omega 3 fatty acid that is usually found in plant sources such as flax seed, walnuts, canola and soybean oil. DHA or docosahexaenoic acid and EHA or eicosapentaenoic acid are considered as long chain omega 3 fatty acids. The latter two are those found in fish oil supplements.

The difference between short chain omega 3 fatty acids such as ALA and long chain omega 3 fatty acids has to do with how the body processes them. In order for the body to make use of such essential fatty acids, it has first to convert the short chain types into its long chain form. This does not usually happen readily. That is why fish oil supplements are considered more effective in providing the omega 3 fatty acids that it needs because it is already the long chain form which does not require any more conversion before the body can use them.

Effectiveness
One of the other things to consider when choosing between fish oil supplements and ones that are sourced from plants deals with their effectiveness and benefits. Experts believe that the long chain omega 3 fatty acids being sourced from fish oils prove to be more effective in terms of health benefits. These essential fatty acids have already been known to offer some benefit in preventing heart disease. With the short chain fatty acid ALA however, experts are not too sure if ever it does provide the same benefit because it may still require additional conversion before it can be used by the body.

Fish Oil Source
Now that one already knows the difference between omega 3 fatty acids sourced from fish as well as those from plants, it seems that fish oil seem to have the upper hand. But this time there are some other things to consider. In order to get the type of fish oil supplements that offer the best source of long chain omega 3 fatty acids, people should know where they are being sourced from.

One important thing for consumers to look at when buying fish oil supplements is the label. It should contain information of where the fish oil used in the supplement is being sourced from. Because there can be more than just one fish species to source out such supplements, it is important to clearly know what types of fishes these may be.

Certain labels may contain information of the fish oil being sourced from salmon, tuna or anchovies. This might be considered safe. But if labels on the said supplements only tell of fish oil or marine lipids, this should ring some warning bells. It may be possible that fish oils in such supplements may not be too sure where the source may come from, which might also cast some doubt on the purity of the fish oil being used

Why Having Fish Oil in Ones Diet is Important

Why we need fish oil in our diet? Why is it important? The short version of the answer to those questions would be: were not healthy if we dont. Allow me to read some of your thoughts. You are probably thinking at the back of your mind that fish oil are just fatty oils and you know you have been told for so long that fats are not good for ones health so what is this writer raving about? Totally excluding fish oil in ones diet is not a healthy practice, is that true? And now kindly prepare yourself for the longer version of the answer to those two questions will follow next.

But before we go into the fish oil benefits lets briefly explain the omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids. These are the two main divisions of the fatty acids. Vegetables oils like soy oil and corn oil fall under the omega-6 group. And most of us are aware, and take note that experts agree on this, that too much intake of vegetable oils could result to blood clothing and inflammation.

This is probably one of the reasons why you are reluctant to believe that not all fatty oils are bad for your health. In fish, the omega-3 fatty acids are produced by marine planktons which are part of the fishs diet. The omega-3 contains eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) which are basically the two important fatty acids that gives the body the most number of benefits.

Among the health benefits of EPA and DHA include preventing heart attacks, the development of cancer and atherosclerosis. In fact, studies have shown that people who eat more fish have lower chances of having their blood vessels inflamed which is definitely good for the heart. By eating a fish diet or taking fish oil supplements, the heart becomes healthier. Moreover, other studies have confirmed that by including fish in ones daily meals could help combat hypertension and obesity. These acids are also known to lower blood pressure.

Some studies have found out that fish oil when used by people with asthma conditions seems to provide relief and a general improvement of health conditions. Aside from those with asthma and other allergies, people who are being treated for depression and mood swings can use fish oil as well to help them control their emotions.

Although, we still maintain that the best way to obtain fish oil is by eating the fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. However, due to several reports that the fish we eat contained rather high levels of the mercury, a pretty dangerous element. Pregnant women and those with young children should avoid eating fish with high mercury levels.

While having fish oil in ones diet is indeed very important, nowadays it is becoming more of a risk to get your daily allotments of fish oil from the eating salmon, tuna, mackerel, etc. Even though they are still the best ways to get your essential fatty acids, due to some recent reports of high levels of mercury found in fishes, it might actually be better to go with fish oil supplements instead.

These supplement capsules can be bought from health and even drugstores. But make sure you pick the best brand of supplement and read reviews as well as get referrals from friends. Dont think for a minute that youre just being picky.

What youre doing is making sure that you will invest your money on a trusted supplement brand.

How can aromatherapy help you get better sleep

With the trend of going back to the natural and to the basics, aromatherapy is becoming a popular alternative in the world of total wellness and health. In fact, more and more people are using it to get better sleep which they think is the best way to regain one’s strength so he or she can do all the things that needs to be done.

Aromatherapy is believed to have therapeutic properties that can heal a person’s illness or relax him or her. Today, aromatherapy is not only used for healing processes but is also used to help a person get better sleep since it is practiced in a very soothing way.

To achieve the health benefits of aromatherapy not only on how to get better sleepspecifically essential oilsone should get all the knowledge and experience that you can get. It is best to read references of aromatherapy from various books, magazines, and even online sites that offer free aromatherapy information.

To gain experience, one can also enroll in an aromatherapy crash course class that is near your place. Here, they can teach you the basics of conducting an aromatherapy procedure as well as almost all the information that one needs to know about aromatherapy. For people with hectic schedules and dont have time to attend a class physically, they can enroll in various online sites that offer aromatherapy classes.

Using aromatherapy

Before anything else, make sure that you have supplies for aromatherapy such as items that will be used for measuring items such as cups and spoons, means of transferring liquids such as funnels with different sizes, containers for mixing elements and for proper storage such as bottles or vials, labeling items like stickers, lots of paper towels and alcohol to clean the area afterwards. After preparing the necessary supplies, you may start with your homemade aromatherapy. The following are just some of the aromatherapy products that you can do inside the confines of your abode.

1. Aromatherapy massage or body oil. All you need is to combine 50 drops or 1/2 teaspoon of the essential oil of your choice together with 4 ounces of vegetable oil.

2. Aromatherapy compress. This is considered as one of the easiest aromatherapy products out there. All you need is to add at least 5 drops of essential oil to a cold or hot cup of water and dip a soft cloth on the mixture.

3. Aromatherapy foot or hand bath. What you need is to add 10 drops of chosen essential oil to a part of cold or hot water in a medium-sized basin. Using your hand or a stirring rod, stir the essential oil evenly to blend well with the water.

Getting better sleep using aromatherapy

To get better sleep, one must also know which are the essential oils that can bring about positive changes in a person’s body. Some plant derivations of essential oils and their potential benefits such as geranium for relieving stress-related conditions like tensions, nervous breakdown, and skin illnesses like eczema or hard-to-heal wounds; jasmine for arousing sensuality, relaxation, and in treating several skin conditions; eucalyptus for relieving muscle pains and aches as well as in to alleviate respiratory system conditions especially poor breathing; frankincense to aid lung conditions, urinary problems, irregular menstruation, and relieving pains in skin disorders like acne and excessive burns; lavender for helping improve the function of the respiratory system and alleviate stress-related conditions such as insomnia, depression, and mental fatigue; and peppermint to aid respiratory problems specifically asthma as well as mental fatigues that lead to fainting and extreme headaches.