The Benefits Of Fish Oil

The Benefits Of Fish Oil

When it comes to nutrition and our diet, there are good fats and there are bad fats. Artificially produced trans-fatty acids are bad in any amount and saturated fats from animal products should be kept to a minimum. The best fats are those that contain the essential fatty acids so named because we need them to live. Essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated and grouped into two families, the omega-6 EFAs and the omega-3 EFAs.

Minor differences in the makeup up the two groups make both the EFA families act very differently in the body. While the metabolic products of omega-6 acids promote inflammation, blood clotting, and tumor growth, while the omega-3 acids have an entirely opposite affect. Although we do need both omega-3s and omega-6s it is becoming increasingly clear that, an excess of omega-6 fatty acids can have grim consequences. Many scientists believe that a major reason for the high incidences of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, premature aging, and some forms of cancer are the profound imbalances between our intake of high amounts of omega-6 and lower amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

Sources and Recommended Daily Requirements

The main sources of omega-6 fatty acids are vegetable oils such as corn oil and soy oil that contain a high proportion of linoleic acid. Omega-3 acids are found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, and marine plankton and fatty fish. The main component of flaxseed and walnut oils is alpha-linolenic acid while the predominant fatty acids found in fatty fish and fish oils are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The most beneficial and active of these fatty acids are EPA and DHA.

Recent research has established that consuming fish oils (EPA and DHA) play a crucial role in the prevention and even the treatment of numerous diseases and conditions such as atherosclerosis, heart attack, depression, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, and Raynaud’s disease.

Recognizing the benefits of EPA and DHA and the serious consequences of a deficiency in our diets, the US National Institute of Health recently published Recommended Daily Intakes of fatty acids. They recommend a total daily intake of 650 mg of EPA and DHA, 2.22 g/day of alpha-linolenic acid and 4.44 g/day of linoleic acid. Your saturated fat intake should not exceed 8 percent of your total caloric intake or about 18 g/day.

Fish Oil Good For Our Brains

The human brain is one of the largest “consumers” of DHA. According to researchers, a normal adult human brain contains more than 20 grams of DHA. Low DHA levels have been linked to low brain serotonin levels, which are connected to an increased tendency of depression, suicide, and violence. A high intake of fish has been linked to a significant decrease in age-related memory loss and cognitive function impairment and a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, several studies have established a clear association between low levels of omega-3 fatty acids and depression.

An adequate intake of DHA and EPA is particularly important during pregnancy and lactation. During this time, the mother must supply all the baby’s needs for DHA and EPA because it is unable to synthesize these essential fatty acids itself. There is some evidence that an insufficient intake of omega-3 fatty acids may increase the risk of premature birth and an abnormally low birth weight.

The constant drain on a mother’s DHA reserves can easily lead to a deficiency and some research has concluded that preeclampsia (pregnancy-related high blood pressure) and postpartum depression could be linked to a DHA deficiency.

Researchers have found that children who regularly eat fresh, oily fish are four times less likely to develop asthma than do children who rarely eat such fish. Other research has found fish oil to be helpful in the treatment of other lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis and emphysema.

Fish Oil and the Heart

A vast amount of medical literature demonstrates that fish oils prevent and may help to ameliorate or reverse atherosclerosis, angina, heart attack, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Fish oils have also demonstrated an ability to help maintain the elasticity of artery walls, prevent blood clotting, reduce blood pressure and stabilize heart rhythm.

Various studies have concluded that fish oil supplementation may help prevent arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in healthy men. Another study of heart attack survivors found that patients supplementing with fish oils markedly reduced their risk of another heart attack, a stroke or death. Other researchers found that fish oil supplementation for 2 years caused regression of atherosclerotic deposits.

Still other researchers have found that supplementing with as little as 2 grams/day of fish oil (410 mg of EPA plus 285

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