Researchers in the early 1980's noticed cultures that consumed a lot of deep cold water fish had very little occurrence of heart disease despite their high fat diet. After much research it was discovered that fish are rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. (1,2) In this article, we will discuss how fish oil is can fight heart disease and how it can help strengthen the heart. Furthermore, we will discuss other benefits of omega 3 fish oil may have on the body and how you can obtain Omega 3 with out eating fish. Also, determine weather the brand of fish oil you are consuming contains toxins or not.

Most of us think that all fats are bad for your health, but in fact there are actually good fats out there. All natural fats are mixed with various kinds of fatty acids. These fatty acids are made up of both short and long chain carbon atoms. These short and long chain atoms look like arms reaching out. If the carbon atoms are bound with hydrogen the fatty acid is considered saturated. (3,4) Long carbon chains that are double bonded to other carbon atom chains are considered unsaturated. Fatty acid chains have at least two or more double bonds are called polyunsaturated. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are classified as linoleic acid when there is a double bond at the sixth carbon atom from the omega end. When this happens the polyunsaturated fatty acid is called an omega-6 fatty acid. (4,5) Linolenic acid has a double bond at the third carbon atom from the omega end and this is called omega 3 fatty acid. Both linoleic and linolenic acid are needed to sustain life. Even though some fatty acids can be manufactured by the body, omega 3 and omega 6 can not be manufactured and must be consumed in our diets.

Linoleic acid is very abundant in American diets, found in commercial baked goods, prepared foods, vegetable oils, and margarine. What most Americans lack is omega 3.

Fish oil contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two components of fish oil derived from linolenic acid. Both EPA and DHA have impressive health benefits. For starters, fatty acids are important for healthy cell membranes. Cell membranes control what enters and exits the cells in our body and protect the cell from danger. Depending on our diets (American diets are high in saturated fats), our cells can be comprised of mostly fatty acids saturated with hydrogen. Saturated fatty acids membranes are usually packed closely together with other cell membranes and becomes rigid and stiff.

If your diet consists of a lot of polyunsaturated fatty acids, your cell membranes will be more flexible and curved in structure and have a more elastic nature. This is because polyunsaturated fatty acids have double bonds between carbon atoms and the carbon atom chains have lots of space between them. When a cell membrane is more flexible it is healthier than the stiff and rigid saturated fatty membrane.

Omega 3 fish oil has been studied in depth in the area of heart disease. With impressive results fish oil has shown to lower the risk of heart attack and reduce blood pressure. One recent study examined men who lived in Finland. These men consumed a fairly high level of EPA and DHA in there diet and experienced a 44% reduction in risk of acute heart attacks compared to men who consumed very little EPA and DHA.

Another study of blood pressure and omega 3 fish oil determined that supplementation with EPA and DHA helped individuals with hypertension. Blood pressure dropped by 6 points during the experiment. (6)

Omega 3 fish oil has shown to reduce other risk factors such as lowering serum triglyceride levels and total cholesterol levels which are both heart attack risk factors. A study showed that postmenopausal women can reduce there risk of heart attack by 27% when taking omega-3 fish oil. (7,8)

EPA and DHA in fish oil can also combat some diseases such as asthma, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and cancer. Studies have shown that omega 3 fatty acids can help improve asthma in children and increase survival rate in cancer patients. (9,10) Fish oil can also fill nutritional gaps and increase weight in cancer patients. Low levels of DHA have been linked to depression; people who have supplemented omega 3 fish oil have noticed an increase in mood and relief from symptoms of depression. Omega 3 fish oil may even help with mental illnesses like bipolar disorders. One study suggests that fish oil can help with rheumatoid arthritis. (11)

With all these benefits you might be considering fish at every meal. Not all species of fish have high levels of EPA and DHA. Anchovies, Herring, Mackerel, Salmon, Sardines, and Tuna have the highest levels of omega 3 fatty acids per ounce of meat out of any other sea bearing animal.

The people who were initially studied on fish oil were the native Inuit; they consumed more than 4 to 5 grams of EPA each day. That's equivalent to 1.5 - 3 pounds of fish each day. Even the most avid fish eater might find it hard to eat that much fish each day on a consistent basis.

With all the illegal dumping going in the ocean, one might be worried about the fish that is harvested for omega 3 fish oil could contain the toxic chemicals that are dumped into the ocean every year. Purity in a fish supplement is important. Because of the rising concern about toxins in fish oil, manufacturing companies have refined there fish oil processing plants and now distill the fish oil which removes all of the heavy metals like lead and mercury, and toxic insecticides such as DDT. Look for a supplement that claims its product is made from a 12 step distillation process to remove toxins, dioxins, and furans as well as PCB's and other contaminants.

A supplement rich in omega 3 fatty acids is the simplest way to attain the proper amounts of EPA and DHA we need in our diets. By taking 1000mgs of omega 3 fish oil one can ward off a wide rang of disease. Look for a fish oil supplement that blends a little vitamin e with the oil which is an antioxidant that preserves the fish oil and prevents it from going rancid. Fish oil supplements provides powerful health benefits and can help those with asthma, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, erythematosus, and cancer and is a good choice as a preventive supplement even if you don't suffer from these diseases. Omega 3 Fish Oil and other great supplements can be found at your local health food store or internet health food store.

References:

1. Kromhout D, Bosschieter EB, de Lezenne Coulander C., et al. The inverse relation between fish consumption and 20-year mortality from coronary heart disease. N Engl J Med. 1985 May 9;312(19):1205-9.

2. Kromann N, Green A. Epidemiological studies in the Upernavik district, Greenland. Incidence of some chronic diseases 1950-1974. Acta Med Scand. 1980;208(5):401-6.

3. Pleuss J. Fats. In: Porth CM. Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott; 1998:1249.

4. Galperin C, German BJ, Gershwin ME. Omega fatty acids. In: Shils ME, Olson JA, Shine M, Ross AC, Eds. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 9th ed. Baltimore, Md: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1999: 1346-1347.

5. Fats: saturated and unsaturated. In: Grodner M, Anderson SL, DeYoung S. Foundations and Clinical Applications of Nutrition: A Nursing Approach. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2000:118-122. 6. Prisco D, Paniccia R, Bandinelli B, et al. Effect of medium-term supplementation with a moderate dose of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on blood pressure in mild hypertensive patients. Thromb Res. 1998;91:105-112. 7. Torres IC, Mira L, Ornelas CP, Melim A. Study of the effects of dietary fish intake on serum lipids and lipoproteins in two populations with different dietary habits. Br J Nutr. 2000;83:371-379.

8. Stark KD, Park EJ, Maines VA, Holub BJ. Effect of a fish-oil concentrate on serum lipids in postmenopausal women receiving and not receiving hormone replacement therapy in a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;72:389-394. 9. Iso H, Rexrode KM, Stampfer MJ, et al. Intake of fish and omega-3 fatty acids and risk of stroke in women. JAMA. 2001;285:304-312. 10. Nagakura T, Matsuda S, Shichijyo H, Hata K. Dietary supplementation with fish oil rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in children with bronchial asthma. Eur Respir J. 2000;16:861-865.

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