I know in a previous post about supplementation, I said that I preferred not to take supplements and to just choose real, nutrient dense, whole foods, to get a balanced diet, but the truth is that I do supplement.
The reason I didn’t include fish oil in my supplementation post is because I don’t see it as supplementary to your diet, I see it as essential!
We have long known that an improper balance of the omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio is a key factor in many illnesses and ailments that plague millions of people who are hooked on a Westernized diet. in fact, a study from The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health has shown that human beings evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) of approximately 1 whereas in Western diets the ratio is 15/1-17/1. A prime reason for this deficiency in our omega-3 levels is due to our lowered consumption of cold-water fish.
The pile of research papers being published showing the benefits of taking about 2-15g (depending on body size) of high quality fish oil per day grows at an almost exponential rate, as well as the list of “itis’s” that seem to be prevented by taking a fish oil supplement and maintaining a healthy omega fatty-acid balance.
Still not convinced? Here are 7 proven omega 3 benefits you should know about:
1. Less Pain and Inflammation. Omega 3 fatty acids, particularly EPA, have a very positive effect on your inflammatory response. Through several mechanisms, they regulate your body’s inflammation cycle, which prevents and relieves painful conditions like arthritis, prostatitis, cystitis and anything else ending in “itis.”
2. Cardiovascular Health. Omega 3 fatty acids have also been proven to work wonders for your heart and the miles and miles of arteries and veins that make up your cardiovascular system. They help to lower cholesterol, tryglicerides, LDLs and blood pressure, while at the same time increasing good HDL cholesterol. This adds years to your life expectancy.
3. Protection from Stroke and Heart Attack. When plaque builds up on arterial walls and then breaks loose, it causes what’s known as a thrombosis, which is a fancy way of saying clot. If a clot gets stuck in the brain, it causes a stroke and when it plugs an artery, it causes a heart attack. Research shows omega 3 fatty acids break up clots before they can cause any damage.
4. Better Brain Function and Higher Intelligence. Pregnant and nursing mothers can have a great impact on the intelligence and happiness of their babies by supplementing with fish oil. For adults, omega 3 improves memory, recall, reasoning and focus. You’ll swear you’re getting younger and smarter.
5. Less Depression and Psychosis. Making you smarter is not all omega 3 does for your brain. Psychiatry department researchers at the University of Sheffield, along with many other research studies, found that omega 3 fish oil supplements “alleviate” the symptoms of depression, bipolar and psychosis (Journal of Affective Disorder Vol. 48(2-3);149-55).
6. Lower Incidence of Childhood Disorders. Just to show how fish oil fatty acids leave nobody out, studies show that children (and adults) with ADD and ADHD experience a greatly improved quality of life. And those with dyslexia, dyspraxia and compulsive disorders have gotten a new lease on life thanks to omega 3 oils.
7. Reduction of Breast, Colon and Prostate Cancer. And finally, omega 3 fish oil has been shown to help prevent three of the most common forms of cancer – breast, colon and prostate. Science tells us that omega 3s accomplish this in three ways. They stop the alteration from a normal healthy cell to a cancerous mass, inhibiting unwanted cellular growth and causing apoptosis, or cellular death, of cancer cells.
* The above list was taken from work by nutrition and physical therapy expert, Michael Byrd. Byrd writes about his pursuit of wellness, the extraordinary healing power of natural whole foods and many of fish oil’s benefits at this omega 3 web site.
Some other benefits that Byrd doesn’t mention are the effects that supplementing with fish oil can have on body composition. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that taking a daily intake of fish oil and regular exercise both reduce body fat and improve cardiovascular and metabolic health. The reason being that fish oil lowered triacylglycerols, increased HDL cholesterol, and improved endothelium-dependent arterial vasodilation, or, in understandable terms, lowered fat stores, increased good cholesterol levels, and improved blood flow.
Some things to look for when choosing a fish oil supplement:
Pharmaceutical Grade
- Check that your bottle of pharmaceutical grade fish oil has a Lot Number that has been posted on an official IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) consumer report site such as IFOS.
- Check to ensure that you are buying a TG (natural) PGFO and not an EE (synthetic) PGFO.
- Check the ingredient label to ensure that the pharmaceutical grade fish oil has a 60% Omega-3 concentration and complies with the CRN and WHO standards.
- Ask your supplier for a Certificate of Analysis and look for its 5 star rating to confirm that the pharmaceutical grade fish oil has exceeded these international standards.
Oil Source
You want your fish oil to come from a source that is as close to the bottom of the food chain as possible. Heavy metals (such as mercury) that accumulate in the body’s of fish get amplified as they move up the food chain. Many commercially sold fish oil’s use wild salmon as their oil source however, as salmon is a predatory fish, it tends to have high trace levels of heavy metals.
Search for fish oils that are sourced from smaller fish species, like sardines and anchovies, that have eaten the omega rich algae directly.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
There are two main types of Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil, DHA and EPA. DHA plays a most vital role in promoting good health. More than half of our brain’s mass is made up of fats, and of these fats, DHA accounts for over half. This is one of the most reveling factors that show why DHA is so important to us.
It has been proven that numerous mental conditions such as depression, anxiety, mood swings, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s disease and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), among others, are caused due to a DHA deficiency. DHA is also the more important omega 3 in reducing tryglycerides (blood fats closely related to cholesterol) and in helping to reduce or prevent heart rhythm abnormalities, one of the major causes of heart disease deaths. Heart disease is accompanied by cardiovascular inflammation, and DHA has the most potent anti-inflammatory effect of the omega 3 oils. Memory and focus have also been proven to improve with consistent use of fish oil supplements. Therefore, if you want to benefit from fish oil supplements, make sure you are using one that has high DHA levels.
Related Topics
Tags: branched-chain amino acids, Diet, fat, fish oil, omega-3, supplements
