The Benefits of Fish Oil on Brain Function

We’ve all heard the saying that fish is brain food but can fish oil benefits really improve your brain function? The latest research says, you bet!

In fact one of the components of Omega-3 fatty acids (of which fish oil is a rich source), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), also is a chief component of nerve cells in the brain. The membranes of these nerve cells are comprised of DHA. So if someone calls you a “fat head,” then that is actually partially true! Consider it a complement.

After all, in people with Alzheimer’s disease, researchers have found that levels of DHA are actually reduced and that is associated with decreased reasoning ability and the ability of the nerve cells to communicate with one another.

The benefits of Omega-3 supplementation was illustrated in dramatic fashion during its use for the treatment of the sole survivor of the Sago mine disaster in 2006. The miner, who was trapped underground for more than 40 hours, was exposed to toxic levels of carbon monoxide. In addition to impaired heart and liver function, he also suffered brain hemorrhaging and edema. One of the treatments he received was high doses of fish oil to help reduce the inflammation from the oxygen deprivation he suffered and also to support the growth of new nerve cells.

In part due to this treatment, he was able to go home from the hospital within four months. Truly a miracle! Fish oil is also now being investigated as a supplemental treatment for people with schizophrenia and also depression.

Even though research is ongoing, the potential of fish oil in helping to improve your brain function and possibly prevent some form mental deterioration is yet another reason to supplement a nutritious diet with a quality source of fish oil!

In addition, another supplement worth investigating is said to help improve the function of an aging brain and it is derived from another source from the sea – jellyfish! Nature is amazing, isn’t it?

How Do Fish Oil Benefits Lower Blood Pressure?

I am keenly interested in fish oil benefits for blood pressure since I have a strong history of hypertension in my family. In fact, my grandmother died of a stroke at the age of 47. I’m not far from that age myself now and I want to do everything I can to ensure that my blood pressure remains normal and I have a strong, healthy, energetic, active lifestyle right through to old age. I’m sure you want the same thing. So how can the benefits of fish oil help you maintain a normal blood pressure?

Well, before I get to the benefits of fish oil, let me explain why having high blood pressure is such a bad thing. One of the causes of high blood pressure is narrowing of the arteries, which are one of the pathways through which blood travels through your body. When your arteries are narrow, the heart has to pump harder to transport blood through them. This raises the pressure placed upon the artery walls. So, the heart eventually becomes strained from the increased work and the increased pressure within the arteries can cause damage to them.

However, fish oils benefits your blood pressure because the docohexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in the oils are Omega-3 fatty acids, which lowers blood triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are simply fats and too many of them can clog up your blood vessels, causing narrowing of the arteries and making you susceptible to high blood pressure.

Along those lines, fish oil supplements can also help raise your levels of high-density liproprotein, the “good cholesterol”. It is thought that this type of liproprotein can help clear the arteries, removing cholesterol from them back to the liver where it can be excreted or re-used in a less harmful form.

In addition, the benefits of fish oil are even more pronounced when paired with a regular exercise program as both have been shown to increase the flexibility of your arteries. Rigid arteries also force the heart to work harder, but if the arteries are more flexible then blood is able to pass through them more easily.

The American Heart Association recommends taking 2-4 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids per day with physician approval for those who want to lower blood triglyceride levels. This also may be a useful prescription for those who want to lower their blood pressure naturally.

Fish Oil Benefits for Fat Loss

Benefits of fish oil and exercise on fat loss

For years, you’ve heard that eating fat makes you fat. But recent research has shown that eating certain types of fat can actually help you lose weight. Australian researchers have found that fish oil benefits those who want to lose excess fat, especially when combined with an aerobic exercise program.

Participants in the Australian study were asked to consume 6 grams of tuna (the equivalent of 1.9 grams of fish oil) a day and exercise aerobically for 3 times a week for 45 minutes each session. While both of these decreased body fat by themselves, the results were magnified when combined. The combination of fish oil and exercise not only lowered the participants’ body fat levels, it also increased levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and improved circulation.

A British study published in the March 2002 issue of Diabetologia found that substituting a diet rich in saturated fats (like those found in red meat) with diets rich in polyunsaturated fats (like those found in fish and fish oil) not only improved insulin sensitivity but also decreased abdominal fat levels. This should be especially encouraging for those who have increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, since abdominal fat interferes with insulin function, which in turn leads to increases in blood sugar levels.

Finally, the last benefit of fish oil in weight loss is that healthy fats increase your food satisfaction level because fats take longer to digest and makes you feel fuller longer. So you may consider taking a high quality supplement that supplies fish oil benefits just before your meals to take advantage of this fact, and include it as part of a healthy diet and regular exercise program.

Fish Oil Benefits for Your Heart

Fish Oil Benefits

The benefits of fish oil on heart health have received extensive news coverage and for good reason: heart disease continues to be the #1 killer in the U.S. and the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are a proven way to protect your heart against the cell damage inflammation can cause.

Fish oil benefits are derived from two omega-3 fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). According to the American Heart Association, research has shown that these omega-3 fatty acids benefits the heart by:

• decreasing the risk of heart irregularities, which can lead to cardiac arrest

• decreasing rates of the plaques that can clog heart arteries

• decreasing triglyceride levels (fatty acids in your blood)

In 2007, 18,000 patients with high cholesterol were studied in Japan and the results showed that when 1.8 grams of EPA was added to their standard heart medications each day, the five-year risk of heart attacks and other heart irregularities were reduced by about 20%.

And a recent study by Italian researchers of 6,975 chronic heart failure patients showed that those given 1 gram of fish oil daily saw their death risk fall by 14% compared to no change in those given a placebo.

Compelling evidence exists to show that high quality fish oil supplementation should be a part of a solid nutritional plan. In fact, the American Heart Association has specific recommendations for people with heart disease. For those who have been diagnosed with heart disease, it is recommended that 1 gram of fish oil be taken every day with the approval of your health care provider. For those who need to lower their triglycerides, then a higher dose is recommended: 2-4 grams of fish oil every day.

Take control of your health by harnessing fish oil benefits to keep your heart healthy and strong!

Benefits of Fish Oil on Inflammation

Inflammation has been implicated in a variety of diseases, from heart disease to osteoarthritis. But fish oil benefits you by “cooling” inflammation in the body. Why is inflammation such a bad thing? Well, it isn’t always bad. When you cut or injury yourself, the inflammatory process releases chemicals in the body , which increase blood flow to the injured area. White blood cells rush to the area to clean up the damaged tissue and start the repair process. The good kind of inflammation is temporary and specific.

But the bad kind of inflammation is chronic and general. The body is constantly assaulted from stressors in our modern lifestyle – smoking, stress, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol intake, and eating foods rich in sugar, fats and refined (white) starches. Many modern food ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and trans fat (partially hydrogenated oils) also cause an inflammatory response in the body. Chemicals associated with chronic inflammation like eicosanoids and cytokines damage cells and lead to disease. But fish oil benefits can help you combat these effects.

A group of hormones called prostagladins regulate the inflammatory response in the body: some of these hormones increase the inflammatory response and some decrease it. These hormones are actually made of fatty acids and the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil benefits you by increasing the production of the prostagladins that inhibit inflammation.

In addition to receiving the benefits of fish oil through taking high quality omega-3 supplements that contain DHA and EPA, you can also increase the production of inhibitory prostagladins through a diet rich in fruits and vegetables like blueberries, squash, broccoli, apples, and carrots. You can also manage stress, take an excellent multivitamin and start a regular exercise program.

While inflammation can take a toll on your body if left unchecked, the good news is that you have the power to stop it in its tracks. Harness the power of fish oil benefits in your own wellness program and reap the rewards.

Fish Oil Benefits for Your Joints

You might have heard that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil benefits your heart. But you may not have heard about how they can also improve your joint health. The benefits of fish oil on joints include decreasing joint pain, lessening morning stiffness, and even increasing hand grip strength!

As you grow older, joints tend to lose their elasticity and flexibility. So taking quality fish oil supplements should be a part of your regular nutritional plan to help you maintain your mobility as you age.

Fish oil benefits you because it combats the effects of inflammation in the body. With diseases like arthritis, the body’s defense system releases chemicals that protect it from injury or infection into the joint, thinking that foreign invaders are present even when they’re not. Because of the increased chemicals and blood flow into the joint, white blood cells are attracted to the area much like police are when they suspect a disturbance is going on.

The presence of the white blood cells, increased blood flow, and inflammatory chemicals cause the joint to become swollen, irritated, and painful. Over time, this process can cause cartilage within the joint to wear down with use, decreasing the cushion the cartilage provides to the end of your bones. As the cushion wears down, bone grinds against bone causing even more pain.

But the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil benefits you by decreasing the activity of the chemicals that destroy cartilage. It also inhibits the release of chemicals that cause inflammation. So it sends the equivalent of a “calm down” message to the body.

According to a USA today article, fish oil benefits occur with taking high doses of the supplement. The recommended amounts are 3000mg of fish oil (EPA and DHA types) along with 2 tsp. of olive oil every day. Consult your health care provider before implementing a nutritional supplementation program.