Top 5 Reasons Why We Need to Supplement Our Diet With Fish Oil

Awareness of the health benefits of fish oil started since 1930’s but during the past few years, with the results of different clinical studies, there is a dramatic increase in the consumption of fish oil as a health supplement. Researchers studied the Greenland Eskimo population and were amazed to see decreased cases of heart attack, hypertension, dyslipedemia and atherosclerosis. Deep sea fishes contain the essential fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These essential fatty acids from fish are one step higher among food supplements because the FDA had given them the “qualified health claim” status compared to the usual “no approved therapeutic claim” status of other supplements.

Here now are the Top Five Reasons why we should supplement our Diet with Healthy Fish Oil.

1. For Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases based on the statistics are still the number one cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Numerous studies support that deep-sea fish oils really help manage cardiovascular diseases.

A study on the benefits of EPA was published in The Lancet in 2007. The study involved a large group of over 18,000 patients with unhealthy cholesterol levels. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either 1,800 mg a day of EPA with a statin drug or a statin drug alone. The trial went on for a total of five years. It was found at the end of the study those patients in the EPA group had superior cardiovascular function. Non-fatal coronary events were also significantly reduced in the E-EPA group. The authors concluded that EPA is a promising treatment for prevention of major coronary events, especially non-fatal coronary events.

Another study published in the American Journal of Health System Pharmacy March 2007, patients with high triglycerides and poor coronary artery health were given 4 grams a day of a combination of EPA and DHA along with some monounsaturated fatty acids. Those patients with very unhealthy triglyceride levels (above 500 mg/dl) reduced their triglycerides on average 45% and their VLDL cholesterol by more than 50%. VLDL is a bad type of cholesterol and elevated triglycerides can also be deleterious for cardiovascular health.

In 2006, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and JAMA concluded that there was a decrease in total mortality and cardiovascular incidents in patients who regularly consume fish oil supplements.

There are a lot more studies supporting the advantage of taking fish oil supplements in cardiovascular patients Anti-2. Anti-inflammatory Properties

In the early 1980’s, there was a study in Harvard that discovered the anti-inflammatory properties of the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA. They discovered the potent anti-inflammatory molecules called resolvins, maresins and omega-3-oxylipins.

The research in 2005 has suggested that the in-vitro anti-inflammatory activity of EPA and DHA translates into clinical benefits. Cohort studies of neck pain patients and of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers have demonstrated benefits comparable to those receiving standard pain relievers such as NSAIDs.

3. Anti-Cancer Properties

There are several studies reporting the possible anti-cancer effects of EPA and DHA particularly colon, breast prostate cancer. The essential fatty acids from fish oil slowed the progression of prostate tumors. One study reported that DHA is consistently associated with reduced risk of break cancer. In a a 2009 trial found that a supplement of EPA helped cancer patients retain muscle mass.

4. Improves the Immune System

Here’s another proof that fish oil is really one-step in advance compared to other supplements. A study regarding fish oil was published in the Journal of Nutrition in April 2007. Sixty four healthy Danish infants from nine to twelve months of age received either cow’s milk or infant formula alone or with fish oil. It was found that those infants supplemented with fish oil had improvement in immune function maturation with no apparent reduction in immune activation.

5. For Psychiatric Disorders

The essential fatty acids are thought. The explanation is that the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA play a role in the fortification of the myelin sheaths. In a six-month study involving people with schizophrenia and Huntington’s disease who were treated with.EPA or a placebo, the placebo group had clearly lost cerebral tissue, while the patients given the supplements had a significant increase of grey and white matter.

In 2006 the Omega-3 Fatty Acids Subcommittee, assembled by the Committee on Research on Psychiatric Treatments of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) stated the following: “The preponderance of epidemiologic and tissue compositional studies supports a protective effect of essential fatty acid intake, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in mood disorders.

Another meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry in 2007, based on 10 clinical trials, found that Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids significantly improved depression in patients with both unipolar and bipolar disorder. However, based upon the heterogeneity of the trials, the authors concluded that “more large-scale, well-controlled trials are needed to find out the favorable target subjects, therapeutic dose of EPA in treating depression”.

These are the Top Five reasons why we should take fish oil supplements. There are a lot more promising studies and evidences relating to the health benefits of taking fish oil supplements. We should invest on our health and taking fish oil supplements could really help

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