Monday, October 18, 2010

Why Should You Take Omega 3 Supplements? Because of the Dead Fish. Huh ?

Just about everybody is heard of the benefits of Omega 3 supplements. The essential fatty acids known as Omega three fatty acids are extremely important to our health. There's a wide range of health conditions which are exacerbated by a deficiency of the essential fatty acids.
In fact research is showing that if you are very low in the Omega 3 essential fats it can even lead to premature death, commonly by heart attack. The American Heart Association recommends that we increase our intake of the Omega3 fats because doing so is extremely beneficial to our heart health.
This there's a wide range of other health conditions which can also be prevented, or if not prevented them positively impacted, by increasing our intake of the essential fatty acids. These include a reduction in the risk of allergies, high blood pressure, pancreatic cancer, periodontal disease, diabetes, postpartum depression, macular degeneration, mood disorders and much more.
And the list is even longer than that.
But whilst there are a range of health conditions which are benefited from increasing our intake of Omega three fatty acids what do the dead fish have to do with it?
Unfortunately over the last few decades we have managed to pollute many of our oceans. Industrial chemicals are now present in a range of our oceans, and in particular in the Atlantic between America and Europe. These toxins include such nasties as PCBs, Dioxine, Mercury and much more.
And of course fish live in the same places. So fish which are living in the Atlantic Ocean will also come into contact with these chemical contaminants. And in fact they do. Our government is now warning us that we should be avoiding eating too much fish because of the risk of toxic contamination from eating fish which are themselves contaminated.
The omega three essential fatty acids are most commonly found in fish and fish oil. The reason in fact that most of us are deficient in our intake of the Omega three fatty acids is that our intake of fish is dramatically declined over the last century.
But here is the conundrum. Increasing our intake of fish puts us at risk of increasing chemical contamination. But now the situation is even worse.
Remember the Gulf oil spill? It wasn't that long ago, and a chemical called Corexit was being used to disperse the spill.
It is now being found that there is an enormous fish kill in the Atlantic Ocean, and large numbers of dead fish are washing up on the beaches bordering the ocean.
Whilst it has not been clearly demonstrated that the Corexit, or for that matter the oil, is killing the fish it would seem pretty coincidental.
However by taking the highest quality fish oil supplements you will be avoiding the risk of chemical contamination including, if it exists, the risk of contamination by oil or Corexit. You see guys quality fish oil supplements are made from oil from fish caught way down in the southern ocean where it is cleaner. Not totally clean mind you however the best fish oil supplements are manufactured from oil which undergoes a rigorous decontamination process in the event that there are any contaminants present.
However the majority of Omega three supplements are made with oil sourced from fish caught somewhere between the Americas and Europe.
So as you can see dead fish have quite a bit to do with taking Omega three supplements. There is a substantial risk that fish which are processed for their oil to using fish oil supplements have contamination present, possibly from Corexit. And whilst a decontamination process may remove many of these toxins is unlikely that any decontamination process would be configured to remove Corexit.
So remember, don't eat too much fish as it may be contaminated, and don't take omega three supplements made from all oil from fish caught in the Atlantic.
Use high quality fish oil supplements from fish caught way down south of New Zealand out of the way of adding oil and Corexit.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Can You Use Omega 3 Fatty Acids To Combat Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is a severe cancer. It is estimated that almost 37,000 people will die from pancreatic cancer every year. Will using fish oil dietary supplements that contain daily fish oil supplements help prevent pancreatic cancer?
While cancers like prostate cancer and breast cancer are commonly in the news pancreatic cancer just isn't. But it is the 4th greatest killer in the US when it comes to cancers. Sadly the prognosis for people who experience cancer of the pancreas isn't great, and just like all cancers it is much better to prevent pancreatic cancer than it is to try to cure it.
There is a growing body of data that many cancers could well be positively benefited from a rise in the consumption of the mega 3 essential fatty acids DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid). These are known as important fatty acids because they are essential for good health, however they cannot be made in the body and must be taken in through the diet.
And during the last hundred years our consumption of Omega3 high foods has dropped considerably. The two most important of the fatty acids are EPA and DHA, and these are found mainly in seafood and in particular in oily fish, and our intakes of fish and seafood in general have dropped considerably. Other sources of the omega3 fatty acids have included grass fed beef and free range eggs, however our beef has become mainly grain fed, which decreases the Omega 3 content, and the same pertains to our eggs.
A new study done on inhabitants of the San Francisco Bay Area finds that improving the intake of omega 3 fatty acids, in conjunction with an increase in intake of vitamin E and vitamin C may lessen the risks of pancreatic cancer by up to 30 %.
Plus the study noted also that a high intake of saturated fat may in fact increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by anywhere up to 60 percent.
Obviously it is always difficult to say when this is sufficiently proved, and clearly more studies are needed, however this also lines up with other research suggesting that increasing the consumption of omega 3 fats could help prevent other cancers, in particular breast cancers and bowel cancer.
Even so the health benefits of taking high quality Omega 3 supplements are much more than just the chance of preventing pancreatic cancer. Lots of the health benefits of an increased intake of essential fatty acids are now accepted by mainstream medicine, and mainstream organizations such as the American Heart Association are suggesting that we should ımprove our intake of the essential fatty acids to avoid such health conditions as heart disease.
So whether you are worried about pancreatic cancer or you're not there's numerous benefits to be gained from increasing your intake of essential fatty acids. You do that if you take high quality fishoil dietary supplements containing Omega 3 daily.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

What Are DHA Supplements And Why Shoud YOU Be Taking Them?

The growth in sales of DHA supplements has been exponential over the last few years, and for very good reasons. Lets have a look at what DHA supplements are, what they can do for your health and why so many people have taken the step of adding an Omega 3 fish oil supplement to their diet.
We have always been told that fat is bad for us. To an extent this is true, particularly saturated fat, however there are also fats which are good for us and which are considered essential for optimum health. The omega 3 fats, and in particular DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid), are considered to be what is known as essential fatty acids.
They go by other names, for example long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, however the principal is that we ought to have a minimum level of intake of these fats, and in particular DHA, to maintain optimum health and to fight some health problems more successfully.
The most important source of DHA and EPA in the past has been fish in our diet. Fish, and in particular oily fish, are particularly high in Omega 3 essential fatty acids.
Sadly over the last century our intake of fish has declined dramatically, and this has coincided with an increase in the range of serious health concerns, and particularly in the rise in heart disease and deaths from heart disease related conditions such as heart attacks.
Scientists have discovered from over 30 years of research that there is a link between a reduction in intake of fish, being excellent sources of DHA and EPA, and an increase in heart related conditions as well as quite a number of other health problems.
And in societies where the intake of fish remains high such as in Japan, these health conditions are much less prevalent.
The evidence of the health benefits of DHA and EPA is now overwhelming and such mainstream organizations as the American Heart Association are recommending minimum levels of intake of these Omega 3 essential fatty acids.
This can be achieved by eating more fish, however for most people taking dietary supplements containing DHA and EPA, sourced from fish oil, is a much more cost-effective and easy solution.
The range of conditions which, it is considered, are benefited from increasing our intake of DHA and EPA is very wide. It is now well-known that DHA has an extremely important role in development of the brain and nervous system in the fetus and baby, and for this reason many health professionals recommend pregnant or nursing women take DHA supplements, both for their own health and for the health of their developing children.
For adults and the elderly Omega-3 fatty acids are important for maintaining brain function, and adequate Omega 3 fats help with both memory and concentration. People of any age can be helped by improved nutrition by increasing their intake of Omega3 fats. Adequate levels of Omega3 fats reduce your risk of a range of heart related health problems including fatal heart attacks, as well as the risk of stroke.
This alone would be sufficient reason for most of us to start taking the highest quality DHA supplements, however there is a much wider list of health conditions which are beneficially impacted by increasing our intake of essential fatty acids.
A reduction in the risk of macular degeneration, improvements in arthritis, a reduction in the risk of various cancers, reduced symptoms of diabetes, assistance for those suffering from depression and high blood pressure are just a few. There are many more.
Of course we can always eat more fish, and this is recommended, though there are some issues relating to toxic contamination of fish with industrial chemicals. However the reality is that for most of us our intake of fish has reduced dramatically over the last century, and fish is now a luxury item because of the price.
DHA supplements, or what can also be called Omega 3 capsules or fish oil capsules, are dietary supplements specifically designed to increase our intake of DHA and EPA in a cost-effective and simple manner. They can be taken by pregnant women, children, adults and the elderly and all will benefit.
It is arguable that discovery of the importance of DHA and EPA, those all-important essential fatty acids known as Omega 3 fatty acids, is one of the most significant discoveries to impact on the maintenance of good health of our citizens over the last half century. As more and more people begin to understand the importance of eating more fish, or taking high quality DHA supplements, the more we should be able to positively impact the health of our generation.