Fish Oil Benefits


Fish oil is, as its name implies, taken from the tissues of oily fish. It contains many important vitamins for the body with one of the most popular being omega 3 which is an essential fatty acid that contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fish oil benefits have been constantly researched over the past years and many studies constantly appear on the benefits of omega 3 consumption.

benefits-of-fish-oilFish oil has been shown to help support a healthy heart, a healthy brain, a healthy immune system, healthy joint movement, healthy kidneys and much more.

The brain in particular is known to consume large amounts of omage-3. Several studies have established a clear association between low levels of omega-3 fatty acids and depression. Other studies have shown that countries with a high level of fish consumption have fewer cases of depression. British researchers report encouraging results in the treatment of schizophrenia using fish oil supplements to patients. According to a study at UCLA, the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil can also help the brain produce plaque-fighting proteins which is useful in preventing Alzheimer’s. While research on the benefits of fish oil are still new and are subject to change, their definitely seems to be a common positive pattern in having a regular amount of fish oil intake in a diet and mental health.

Another one of the benefits of fish oil that was recently discovered is that it has been shown that it might help burn fat, though very small amounts, as part of a diet/training program. Don’t expect to lose 20 pounds just because you started taking fish oil, but according to the study published by the International Journal of Obesity, researchers from Reykjavik Iceland did find that those with a fish oil diet were losing pounds more quickly than those who were taking non oily fish or other diets.fish-oil-benefits

Good fish to get fish oil from as part of your healthy diet are salmon, trout, sardines and mackerel. You should consume these fish at least twice a week bare minimum. Also, the first 3 fishes are probably the healthiest due to their low or nonexistent levels of reported mercury contamination, especially sardines because they are very small and usually do not have many pollutants in their body. On the opposite end of the spectrum sword fish and sharks usually have a lot of mercury because they can live for years while eating small fish and accumulating large amounts of mercury. This is especially important because this is one of the biggest of all  fish oil side effects since it’s a toxic heavy metal that most fish in the deep sea accumulate over time. One can obtain around one gram of these acids from 3.5 ounces of fish. Though these acids are only mostly available in fish or flax seed they can also be obtained from Omega3 supplements but make sure to keep in mind some of the most important thing when looking for the best fish oil supplement.

Or you can of course take some fish oil supplements which is probably a very good idea if you’re a vegetarian or simply dislike fish because you definitely want to take advantage of the fish oil health benefits!

Additionally, vegetarians usually have more omega 6 fatty acid since they eat a lot of vegetables and might have a high intake of corn oil and soy oil. While omega 6 is needed for the body, if it’s taken at high levels without a similar intake of omega 3 (ideally 1 : 1)  it will basically lead to a reverse of all the benefits of omega 3 which means a list of scary of things such as higher incidence of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Don’t overstress yourself on this ratio, as long as you take some fish oil supplements or include fish in your weekly diet you will be fine. Additionally for any vegetarians who refuse to eat fish or take fish oil supplements you might want to consider adding flax seed to your diet, it’s a good replacement to fish as a omega 3 source. You can read more about flax seed benefits and flaxseed oil vs fish oil on this website.

Related posts:

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  2. Flaxseed Oil vs Fish Oil
  3. Best Fish Oil Supplements
  4. Fish Oil Side Effects
  5. Cod Liver Oil Benefits And Side Effects

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