Fish Oil

According to the Center For Disease Control and Prevention, 910,000 people will die this year from some form of cardiovascular disease. That’s a staggering forty percent of all annual deaths! The great irony is that cardiovascular disease is largely preventable. Have you taken the necessary steps to heart attack-proof yourself?

There’s a simple, proven and easy way to reduce the chance of you becoming part of these grim statistics, and that is to increase your intake of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

The research has continued to pour in from countless sources about the amazing benefits of the omega-3’s. In fact, scientists and medical professionals alike now agree that the omega-3 fats can prevent - and even reverse - the deadly effects of cardiovascular disease and stroke (the first and third leading causes of death, respectively).

Omega-3 fats have gotten so much good press lately that you’re probably already aware that you can get your omega-3 fatty acids from all types of seafood, particularly the oily fish like salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines. Studies have shown that people who consume high amounts of fish improve their overall health and well being in too many ways to list.

A 17-year study of men with no history of heart disease, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that those with the highest blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were more than 80 percent less likely to die suddenly from heart disease. And the benefits apply to women as well. A 16-year study of almost 85,000 women found that those who ate fish two to four times weekly cut their risk of heart disease by 30 percent, compared with women who rarely ate fish.

A 1999 study called “Food intake patterns and 25 year mortality from coronary heart disease,” revealed some very interesting findings about omega-3 fatty acids by comparing the diet of people from America to other regions of the world. The results of this study showed that in countries like Japan, where seafood consumption is high, the prevalence of death from heart attacks is much lower than in America.

Scientists believe that this is due to the fact that Asians eat far more seafood than Americans, and 85 percent of Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. The same findings were uncovered with the Eskimos from Greenland, who also consume large amounts of seafood. The 1970 study found that despite eating a high fat diet, the Inuit had significantly lower incidence of heart disease.

So what is it about omega-3 fatty acids that make them so great for your heart? It boils down to the chemical composition of the fatty acids. If you looked at them under a microscope, you would see that omega-3 fatty acids are long strands of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These polyunsaturates - alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - lead to significant reduction in cardiovascular disease risk and other health benefits.

Studies show that consuming these fatty acids over an extended period of time can decrease blood cholesterol levels, cause regression of coronary heart ailments and even help in preventing the progression of colon cancer.

But despite the average American diet being low in omega-3 fatty acid consumption, there is a limit to how much you can consume safely. The recommended daily intake of EPA and DHA is approximately 650mg per day. That figure is even higher for pregnant women who should consume 1000mg of EPA and DHA per day. Because of the high amounts of mercury found in fish, however, it can be dangerous to consume the amount of seafood you would need in order to reach the optimal intake. That’s why fish oil supplements are a great way to obtain your essential fats.

Personally, I use Carlson’s Fish and Cod Liver Oil. I receive no payment for endorsing this brand, I recommend it simply because I believe it’s the best on the market. This is due to the optimal amounts of EPA and DHA, the strict guidelines they follow for purity (keeping their oil free of chemical modification and contaminants like mercury or lead) and the addition of extra vitamin E to protect the freshness and potency of the oil.

Carlson’s test their fish oil regularly for potency and purity by an independent, FDA registered laboratory and found them to be free of detectable levels of mercury, cadmium, lead, PCB’s and 28 other contaminants. These are all important considerations because there is no doubt that all brands of fish oil are not the same and you really do get what you pay for.

What about flaxseed oil? You may have heard that flaxseed is a rich source of omega 3 fats. This is true. However, flaxseed oil supplements may be less effective than fish oil and here’s why: Flaxseed has high amounts of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which your body must convert into EPA and DHA. However, the EPA and DHA found in fish oils are broken down more rapidly and far more effectively than ALA. Furthermore, because the average American already consumes high amounts of ALA already, supplementing with more ALA isn’t always optimal.

Bottom line: It’s not often that a nutritional supplement comes along that gets unanimous thumbs up from the scientific community as well as the natural health community, but fish oil is certainly one supplement you cannot go wrong with in your quest to improve your health and protect yourself from heart disease naturally.

Frank Mangano is a natural health expert and best selling author who teaches you how to dramatically improve your health naturally, without expensive and potentially dangerous prescription drugs. To learn more, visit one of the most comprehensive and reliable sources for natural health information on the web: http://www.naturalhealthontheweb.com

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A common disorder which is a result of aging is called Alzheimer’s disease, which, unfortunately, causes the loss of brain cells.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, some four and a half million people in the U.S. alone are suffering from this disorder. In many respects it is a mystery disease. It has more than one type of manifestation and there is no known cure for it.
Nonetheless, research is aiding us in understanding Alzheimer’s more in depth and even in discovering superior treatments.

The worst manifestations of Alzheimer’s Disease can be extraordinarily heartbreaking to those who are around a loved one.

Alzheimer’s Disease often starts out very subtly in the beginning and finally worsens as more and more brain cells are lost.

If you find yourself being resentful of your parent for being sick or the rest of your family for not helping to shoulder this problem, do not feel guilty; these feelings are completely normal. The primary caregiver generally feels the most manipulated, hated, and abused. If you feel yourself about to become abusive, step back and then seek help immediately to help manage your anger.

You might very well feel that the constant lectures you give are in vain and the verbal abuses are beginning to taint the faith with which you had begun the situation. You must simply change your mind and alter your perspective. Take the high road and then urge your compassion’s return. Imagine how you would react if you were in your parent’s situation. Try to remember that it is the sickness which you despise and not the individual.

When your ill parent finally passes on, you would not want to feel guilty about how you treated them. This could be one of the greatest tests of character you will ever have to face in your life.

When aging parents start to get sick, it is very important to provide them with frequent trips to the doctor as well as the proper dietary supplements. Although a daily multivitamin was once thought to be the only supplement one needed to stay healthy, medical wisdom is now shifting somewhat. Specialists in a number of fields including neurology, oncology, and internal medicine are now including the use of Omega-3 Fatty Acids from fish oil into some of their medical protocols.

Fish Oil is very rich in the long chain omega-3 fatty acids known as DHA and EPA, which are known to support the brain, heart, immune system, joint movement and overall sense of well-being.

For additional information go to Fish Oil Research and find out about the possible effect of fish oil on Alzheimers Disease.

Ryan Joseph is a writer researcher. For more info go to http://www.omega3fishoil.org/

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While health experts argue the benefits of some health supplements, the evidence continues to mount in favor of fish oil. Fish and fish oil supplements supply us with the Omega 3 fatty acids that are needed for heart and brain health. Even the American Heart Association strongly endorses the use of fish oil for cardiovascular health. Why? Because those with diets rich in Omega 3 fats are less likely to have high blood pressure or irregular heart rhythms, and are less likely to die from heart attacks or strokes.

Omega 3 fatty acids are also beneficial for brain health. The human brain is more than sixty percent structural fat. But, the type of fat needed for the brain to function properly is Omega 3 fatty acids. According to recent research, decreasing your intake of Omega 6 fats (primarily vegetable oils) along with increasing Omega 3 fatty acids, reduces the risk of depression, aggressive behavior, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia and lowers your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Other current studies with Omega 3 fats have shown benefits with regards to cancer, inflammatory diseases, diabetes and other health related conditions.

Of course we all know that there are good fats and bad fats. Any artificially produced fat, called transfats, are not good for us and saturated fats should always be kept at a minimum.

But there is a type of fat called EFA’s (Essential Fatty Acids) that are not only good for you but essential for normal growth and development. Furthermore, your body can’t manufacture them, so you must get them from your diet. Essential Fatty Acids are polyunsaturated and are grouped into Omega 6 and Omega 3’s.

Although both types of Omegas are essential for health, experts agree that our diet ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids is greatly unbalanced. While our ancestor’s diets consisted of a diet ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 of about 1:1, our modern dietary habits now reflect a ratio closer to 20:1 to 50:1.

According to Dr. Donald Rudin, author of Omega 3 Oils, fatty acids are the main structural components of every cell membrane in the body, and therefore influence every process in the cell. He concludes that a balanced intake of essential fatty acids is necessary for both healthy cell function and a sense of well-being.

The permeability of the cell depends on the essential fatty acids. This allows nutrients into the cell and toxins to escape. When we rely on other fats to do the job required of Omegas 3 fats the structure of the membrane of each cell becomes stiff and unable to remain healthy enough to do its job.

The primary sources of Omega 6 fats are canola, soy, corn, safflower and sunflower oil. These oils are overabundant in the typical diet, which explains our excess Omega 6 levels. Omega 3 fats are typically found in flaxseed, walnuts and fish.

The Omega 3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish, such as tuna, salmon, trout and mackerel consists of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Omega 3’s in the form of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) can be found in flaxseed and walnut oils, and seaweed. However, the body must convert ALA to DHA and EPA to derive the heart & brain healthy benefit. This conversion however, is often difficult for some people to make. Therefore getting your Omega 3 fat acids directly from cold water fish or fish oil supplements may be your best bet.

Omega 3 fatty acidsAn important addition to True Healthy Living Now!

Due to personal health issues we have been researching health & fitness for the last five years. The information we have obtained has helped us and our family members get off pharmaceutical drugs and regain a level of health we had never known. Please visit us at http://www.truehealthylivingnow.blogspot.com.

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