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Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation
Fish oil contains one of the most important of the Essential Fatty Acids, Omega-3. Some of the top researchers in the world have shown
that Omega-3s from fish oil, particularly ones called EPA and DHA, play a role in preventing heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and
even cancer. The Omega-3s in fish oil have been shown to reverse atherosclerosis, ameliorate angina, and reduce heart attack, congestive
heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. They help maintain the elasticity of artery walls, prevent
unhealthy forms of blood clotting, reduce blood pressure and stabilize heart rhythm.
More recently, they have been shown to regulate and enhance mood, sharpen memory, and even aid concentration and learning. Remarkably,
it is now believed they can be used to fight depression, including postpartum depression, help bipolar disorder and attention deficit
disorder. They can also reduce stress and any resulting anger and violent behavior. One of the ways it does all of this is increasing
the levels of serotonin in the mind. This neurotransmitter determines how happy or depressed a person will feel. So by taking fish oil,
you will improve your mood, and not be psychologically in need of self-medicating yourself to feel better by reaching for some
carbohydrates to raise your blood sugar to a higher level, and give yourself a food induced mental "High". In addition, fish oil
increases the blood flow within the brain, and it has been found that depressed people are suffering from a decreased blood flow in
the brain. By taking fish oil you will have improved blood flow within the brain which will provide better distribution of those
nutrients that are critical to a well functioning and positive feeling brain, such as oxygen, and glucose, the main fuel for the brain.
Omega-3s will help keep you from developing any chronic diseases as you grow older, and at the same time enable you to have more
concentration and be able to think more clearly, and, in addition, be able to handle stress better. Thus, you can easily see how such a
supplement will be invaluable for the health of all those taking it and greatly improve both your mental and physical health.
One final note, it is importance to take fish oil during and after pregnancy to get adequate supplies of EPA and DHA, both for the
health of the mother and the developing fetus. The DHA in Fish Oil is very important for the optimal development of fetus’ brain during
gestation. After giving birth, it is better to continue supplementing with fish oil to both avoid postpartum depression, and to maintain
high levels of DHA in the breast milk for the developing baby.
It has now become widely recognized that fish oil is one of the healthiest supplements you can add to your diet. However, not just any
fish oil will do. Only the fish oil free of harmful pollutants such as mercury and industrial chemicals is completely safe for
consumption. And, this is also one reason why supplementing with pharmaceutical-grade fish oil can be safer than just eating much more
fish. Many fish, including tuna, halibut, swordfish, bluefish, king mackerel, tilefish, among others, are highly contaminated and need
to be severely limited. Sadly, most of the salmon in the market and served in restaurants is farm raised. Unfortunately, farm raised
salmon, because of their unnatural commercial diet, have very low levels of Omega-3s. In addition, they too have unsatisfactorily high
levels of industrial contaminants.
It is important to know all the facts about the flax seed and flax seed oil that you may have heard some people are presently using
to get Omega-3s. Their Omega-3s are not the same Omega-3s as the ones in fish oil. Flax Omega-3s are shorter chain. It is the longer
chain Omega-3s from fish oil, called EPA & DHA, that are the ones that give the health benefits described in this article. Some people
mistakenly think flax is an appropriate way to get DHA and EPA because the body has the ability to change the shorter chain Omegas into
long chain Omegas. The problem with this is that the process to do this is very long and difficult, so that in the end very little of
the valuable DHA & EPA is produced at all, making flax, ultimately, a very poor source of the valuable DHA & EPA Omega-3s after all.
The best way to get all the benefits of Omega-3s is to regularly take fish oil. However, as mentioned above, it is important that you
take fish oil that is very pure because many of the fish in the world, and therefore the oils produced from them, are highly
contaminated with mercury and toxic industrial chemicals. One of the best of the pharmaceutical grade fish oils is made by a company
called Nutracell. I highly recommend their fish oil, called Cerebrafil, over any other because of its potency and purity.
Their natural triglyceride form of Omega-3 fish oils is better absorbed by the body than the commonly used ethyl-ester form. It would
be wise to take this supplement daily and incorporate it into your life on a regular basis. The easiest way to get it is to go to their
web site www.cerebrafil.com, and order it from there.
It is not advisable to take Cod Liver Oil for the reasons regarding contamination above. It is also not advisable because in order to
get enough Omega-3s from Cod Liver Oil, you would have to take so much, that you would be in danger of overdosing on vitamin A.
A final note: you should ensure an adequate intake of antioxidants while taking your pharmaceutical grade fish oil. This can be
easily taken care of by consuming lots of fruits and vegetables, which you should be doing anyway, to live a healthier life. You can
also increase your antioxidants by using a cold pressed, extra-virgin olive oil, and preferably one that comes from organically grown
olives. (Interestingly, olive oil is very high in antioxidants because it is from a fruit, (olives), instead of a seed, like many of
the other commonly used oils available in the supermarket.) Another way to insure you have an adequate amount of antioxidants in your
body when you are taking your pharmaceutical grade fish oil is to take 100 to 400 I. U. (International Units) of Vitamin E daily, and
make sure to take d-alpha-tocopherol vitamin E, not dl-alpha-tocopherol, as the d-alpha-tocopherol is natural and the
dl-alpha-tocopherol is synthetic, and not recommended. Please read the label to make sure; many stores carry both types.
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