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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Fish oil supplements are an important dietary supplement, because they provide essential omega-3 fatty acids, which the majority of people in the Western world are deficient in.

Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for the maintenance and function of the brain. They may help prevent heart disease and may ensure a normal heart rate and coronary blood flow. A daily fish oil supplement may also have a beneficial effect on blood pressure and can lower blood triglyceride levels. High levels of triglyceride and cholesterol in the blood stream may lead to the development of atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke.

Studies by the National Institutes of Health concluded that daily fish oil supplements can reduce joint tenderness in arthritis patients.

The body uses omega-3 fatty acids to produce eicosanoids. Eicosanoids regulate cell division and growth. They regulate muscle activity and blood clotting. They allow the cells to absorb calcium and other needed substances. A daily fish oil supplement, which provides omega-3s, is important to many bodily functions. Years ago, cod liver oil was taken in liquid form as a dietary supplement. Cod liver oil tastes and smells awfu;, today’s fish oil supplements are generally in capsule form and are odorless and tasteless.

Fish oil supplements are particularly important to the average American diet, because most Americans do not eat enough fish. Even when a person eats fish three to five times per week, many doctors still recommend a fish oil supplement. The body does not produce omega-3 fatty acids and so they must be obtained from a food source. Leafy green vegetables and flaxseed oil, other sources of omega-3s, do not compose a large portion of the American diet either, so a fish oil supplement is the best option.

It is still advisable to try to eat more fish and leafy greens, but busy people do not always eat what they should. Fish oil supplements provide a small safety net, especially since eating fish can introduce mercury, PCB’s, and other toxins into the system because most fish is tainted due to pollution. A high quality fish oil should be molecularly distilled to remove contaminants, leaving you with the benefits of fish without the drawbacks.

A fish oil supplement may also relieve constipation without using a laxative, which can have unwanted side effects. The only known side effect associated with fish oil supplements is diarrhea, which can be relieved by reducing the dosage. However, since fish oil is a blood thinner, you should consult with your doctor if you are already taking any blood thinners like aspirin, etc.

Consumers should look for pharmaceutical grade fish oil or another indication that the fish oil is purified when purchasing a fish oil supplement. We absorb enough impurities through our skin, the food we eat and the air we breathe. We do not need them in our fish oil supplements.

Find out the fish oil supplements we take ourselves after doing extensive research on products. A pharmaceutical grade, molecularly distilled fish oil naturally high in DHA and EPA can be found at: http://www.omega-3-fish-oil-guide.com

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