The evidence that Omega fish has huge benefits for health is overwhelming. One area that has received a lot of publicity in particular is the role that Omega fish oil can have in helping to prevent heart disease as well as reduce the risk of sudden death from heart attacks in patients who have already experienced a heart attack.
How interest in Omega 3 all began
The discovery that Omega 3 fish oil could be beneficial in treating and preventing heart disease is a relatively recent one. It all started when Danish researchers wondered why the Inuit Eskimos didn't have the same problems with heart disease and arthritis that would be expected considering they ate a diet that was very rich in fat.
Subsequent studies then revealed that it was the type of fat they were consuming that was proving to be so beneficial to their health. This type of fat was Omega 3.
Now there have been countless clinical trials into the benefits of Omega 3 so we know what is in it and what it does, we just don't know the exact mechanisms involved in how it works. However, what the studies do indicate is that each and every one of us can benefit from a daily dose of fish oil
What is in fish oil?
Fish oil contains an Omega 3 fatty acid known as Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA as well as Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA and these fatty acids are known to have powerful anti inflammatory properties, particularly EPA, and as inflammation is linked to heart disease, taking a daily dose of Omega 3 fish oil with a high concentration of EPA can help to prevent heart disease as well as numerous other health problems.
The problem we have as far as health is concerned is that although the body needs Omega 3 in order to maintain health, we cannot produce Omega 3 ourselves and therefore have to source it from our diet. That sounds simple enough apart from the fact that the only reliable source of EPA and DHA happens to be in fatty fish which are also contaminated by industrial pollution.
This means that we can no longer rely on fresh fish alone as a viable source of Omega 3 in order to promote and maintain a healthy heart and health in general as although we are encouraged to still include it in our diets, we are also advised not to eat too much of it.
There is another solution and that is fish oil. Quality fish oil will have been through sophisticated molecular distillation processes in order to remove these harmful toxins making it a safe and effective way of getting enough Omega 3 in our diet. Taking fish oil supplements on a daily basis can help prevent depression and alleviate the pain and inflammation of arthritis as well as offer many other health benefits, but much of the positive information on Omega 3 concerns the heart.
How fish oil can benefit the heart
The combined positive effects of a daily dose of fish oil can have a beneficial effect on the whole cardiovascular system. For example:
It helps to reduce inflammation by encouraging the production of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids
It can reduce high levels of triglycerides, a known factor in heart disease
It helps to thin the blood and therefore reduce the risk of blood clots
It helps to stabilise irregular heart beats (arrhythmias)
It helps to lower blood pressure
It helps to increase the level of good cholesterol and lower the level of bad cholesterol
It helps maintain elasticity of the arteries and therefore reduce the risk of hardening of the arteries
When choosing a fish oil for you and your family go for the best you can afford. Many of the cheaper fish oils on the supermarket shelves are too weak to do much if anything at all.
