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.

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

Benefits of Fish Oil

Fatty fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel have fats that can produce fish oil. Fish oil contains Omega-3 fatty acids which are recommended by health-care professionals to be included in a individuals diet. Omega-3 acids are mainly docosahexaenoic acid or DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA.

Omega- fatty acids are essential in cell building. It is important to get them from our diet since the body cannot produce this kind of acid. Research showed that Omega- 3 plays a significant role in brain and fetal development during pregnancy and infancy. Fish oil are believed and proven to provide numerous health benefits. Aside from this, there are also a lot of advantages by taking fish oil supplements.

Fish oil can:

Improve brain development and memory. There are studies showing that DHA actually plays a major role in brain functions. Low levels of DHA can increase the risk of having Alzheimers disease. Intake f fish oil during pregnancy is also recommended. According to a research conducted by the University of Western Australia showed that pregnant women who ingest fish oil supplement actually give birth to babies with better hand and eye coordination, better in speech and better cognitive development at the age of two and a half.

Aside from Alzheimers disease, fish oil can also help in reducing the risk of other mental illnesses like depression, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among children, dyspraxia, bipolar disorder and dyslexia.

Reduce the risk of hear attack. Even if the DHA and EPA are fatty acids, they can reduce cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure. It helps in preventing blood clots in the heart. So aside from heart attacks, fish oil is also important in reducing risks of coronary heart disease.

Reduce the risk of cancer. Researches have showed that fish oil can help in reducing risks of developing breast, prostate and colon cancer. They stop the growth of cancerous cells and inhibit its growth. For postmenopausal women, those who consume more Omega-3 fatty acids from salmon and mackerel or fish oil supplements are less likely to develop breast cancer.

Reduce the effects or helping patients deal with lupus, arthritis, colitis and asthma. Its natural anti-inflammatory capabilities can reduce pain brought by inflammatory arthritis and gastritis.

Help a lot during pregnancy. Not only does Omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil help in he fetal brain development, it can also reduce the risk of giving early or premature birth, post-partum depression for mothers, allergic reactions among babies an low- birth weight. Not only does it helps in pregnancy, there are preliminary researches showing fish oil to aid in getting pregnant or fertility.

Help improve the body overall. Fish oil can help in producing serotonin, the happy hormones. Happiness can help a lot of people deal with stress and other emotional issues which can totally improve a persons emotional and mental disposition. They can also revitalize and rejuvenate skin, reduce wrinkles, weight loss and improve eyesight. It is even said that fish oil can reduce acne and make your hair a lot better.

Fish oil is very important in building a better you. But doctors and experts suggest in taking pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplements. The problem with eating too much fish can actually lead to mercury contamination.

So, ask yourself, are you getting enough fish oil in your body? If not, then it is time to start making sure that you do.