What is fish oil?

Most of us have been led to believe that all fat consumption is bad. And there certainly are some bad fats out there. Saturated fats (from animal products) and Trans fats (“partially hydrogenated vegetable oil”) are particularly bad for you. But, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are actually good for you. Consumption of fat does not make you fat (eating excess carbohydrates makes you fat – but that’s another issue). Fat signals the brain that you’re full, and acts as a brake on insulin production by slowing down carbohydrate entry into the bloodstream.

The best fats are those that contain essential fatty acids (or EFAs). There are two groups of EFAs: the Omega-6s and the Omega-3s. The most beneficial of the EFAs are EPA and DHA. Scientists believe many diseases result from the imbalance in the amount of Omega-6s and the Omega-3s we consume. Our ancestors’ diet had a ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 of 1:1. The average American has a ratio of over 20:1, and 85% of Americans are deficient in Omega-3s. Such imbalances are related to a number of diseases, including heart disease and stroke, cancer, eczema, allergies, irritable bowel disease, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, lung disorders, and psychiatric conditions (like ADHD, depression and bipolar disorders).

The Benefits of Omega-3 Fish Oil

Extensive scientific research has concluded that Omega 3 fish oil health benefits include:

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, triglycerides, 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.