Eat More Sardines. There's Lots Of Reasons To Eat Them

Sardines are fish that are small. That's just small in size, not small in nutrition. In fact the health benefits of sardines are greater than their size.
Sardines are a small school fish which live in many of our oceans, and they are caught in their millions. Most people eat canned sardines, and in fact sardines were the first fish ever to be canned. However many people also eat sardines fresh.
Of course eating sardines is just wonderful for the taste. Sardines are extremely yummy, however sardines are nutritious too.
You've probably heard of the health benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids. The Omega 3 fatty acids are essential fats, meaning that they are essential to the proper functioning of your body. Sardines are extremely high in the Omega 3 fatty acids.
The health benefits of the Omega 3 fats are numerous, and include a reduction in your risk of dying from heart attack as well as many other cardiovascular benefits, and improvement to mental function, just to mention a few.
In fact sardines have more Omega 3, pound for pound, than just about any other fish in the ocean.
But the health benefits of sardines just start with the Omega 3 fatty acids. Sardines are also packed with a wide range of other nutrients.
Calcium for example, which is extremely important for your bones, good nerve function and more. Or how about potassium, or phosphorus. Sardines are high in protein too.
And then there's the vitamins. These include vitamins D and E as well as vitamin B-12, in which they are very high. Vitamin B-12 is very important to the proper functioning of your immune system and central nervous system.
Then there's your skin. Sardines are high in antioxidants, which benefit the health of your skin, and the Omega 3 essential fatty acids are also extremely good for your skin, particularly for maintaining skin moisture.
Overall the most important health benefit of eating sardines is for the Omega 3 fatty acids. Science is discovering that most of us are deficient in these important fats, and increasing your intake can do wonders for your health.
So eat lots of sardines, canned or fresh, for all those good nutrients in sardines.
But to get the maximum amount of benefit from increasing your intake of Omega 3 fats take high quality Omega 3 supplements every day. That is unless you're likely to be eating a can of sardines every day.
Note that not all Omega 3 supplements are high quality. Visit my website to find out which are.

If You Take Omega 3 Supplements You Must Read This

Omega 3 supplements are big business, and it is now estimated that sales of various Omega 3 products run into the billions of dollars. And for extremely powerful reasons. Taking high quality fish oil supplements containing DHA and EPA may well be one of the best things that you can do for your health.
Many health conditions can benefit from increasing your intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids, from birth, or even before, right through into older age. That's why a whole range of Omega 3 products have now, over the last decade or so, become available.
And that's why the sales of products which have DHA and EPA, the major Omega 3 essential fatty acids, have exploded.
Many people, including me, have taken fish oil supplements for many years, and intend to do so for the rest of their life.
But they may not be able to.
Yes, there is a powerful reason why you, myself and everyone else may not be able to take Omega 3 fish oil supplements for the rest of our lives.
The reason is this. The pharmaceutical industry is an immensely powerful and profitable industry. It has been both powerful and profitable for many decades, and its tentacles reach right into government.
And the tentacles of the pharmaceutical industry also reach into the FDA.
The FDA, with the support of the pharmaceutical industry, now proposes a range of actions which, if they are allowed to take them, will make virtually all nutritional supplements, including Omega 3 supplements, illegal.
Yes that's right. Most nutritional supplements will no longer be marketed to anyone in the US if the FDA is allowed to get its way. You will no longer be able to buy your Omega 3 supplements.
Of course the pharmaceutical industry will be able to produce similar products, and in fact they already do. At about 10 times the price.
This is an outrage. This is an assault on the right of people to choose how they manage their health. It is an attempt by the pharmaceutical industry to drive their competitors out of business.
Whilst you may only be an individual, and you do not have the power of the pharmaceutical industry, if enough individuals protest their voice will be heard.
To find out more about this visit my website and add your voice to the growing protest.

Fish Is Contaminated. So Should You Eat Fish?

It is becoming common knowledge that most of the fish in our oceans are contaminated to some degree with Mercury, PCBs and more. Given this, is fish good for you?
There are some important nutrients in fish, probably the most important is what I call the Omega 3 essential fatty acids. These are important fats which your body cannot produce itself, which must come from your diet, and which are essential to good health. The evidence is now showing that most of us are lacking in the Omega 3 fats.
But the nutrients in fish aren't just limited to the Omega 3 fats. Fish is extremely nutritious for a number of other reasons.
Protein is essential for good health. A large part of our body is made up of protein, it exists in every cell in our body. Protein is essential for the repair of damaged muscles, makes up a large percentage of our nails and hair as well as our bones and skin.
Fish is very high in protein, around 15 to 20 percent protein in fact.
It is also well-known that red meat is high in protein. However red meat comes with saturated fat, which clogs your arteries whereas the fat in fish is unsaturated.
There are more nutrients in fish than just protein and the Omega 3 fats. Micronutrients include iodine, phosphorus and calcium and there are also good supplies of vitamins A and D.
And in a world obsessed with losing weight it's good to know that fish has no carbohydrate. It's easy to digest too. On top of that it's yummy.
Reading all that you would think that fish was the perfect food. Apart from one tiny thing. According to various sources including our own government fish is contaminated with toxins like Mercury and PCBs. And we are warned, particularly if we are a pregnant woman, not to eat too much and to only eat certain types.
Yuk. Surely then we should all be avoiding fish. Given all this, is fish good for you or should it be avoided altogether?
There's no doubt contamination is a concern, however if you're prudent, choose the right fish and don't eat lots there is no reason why you shouldn't take advantage of all of the good nutrients found in fish. Our government tells us that two fish meals a week is healthy, and there is no reason to think this isn't true.
In fact research has shown over the last couple of decades that eating too little fish has exposed most of us to a wide range of lifestyle diseases such as heart disease. Not eating fish may be far more dangerous than eating it.
Don't eat fish every night. Be careful with the type you eat, some fish is more contaminated than others. And cook it the right way. You can find out more about all of these on my website.
But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Don't stop eating fish, it's good for you.
But do make sure that you take clean high quality Omega 3 capsules every single day. To find out more about these visit my website all about the health benefits of Omega 3 fish oil.

There's A Range Of Sources Of Omega 3 Fats. Which Ones Suit You?|

There's a range of sources of Omega 3 essential fatty acids available for anyone who is interested in increasing their intake of the Omega 3 fats. For anyone not yet familiar with the Omega 3 essential fatty acids these are important fats that your body cannot do without.
Over the last few decades research has shown that most of us in the US eat too little of the Omega 3 fats, and this is having a negative health impacts, and many scientists consider that this is contributing to the rise of some lifestyle diseases, particularly heart disease.
And unfortunately your body is unable to produce Omega 3 fatty acids itself, and so your only source is found in your diet.
The principal source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids is fish. Fish, and in particular the oil from fish, is very high in the Omega 3 fats and is in fact the best source of Omega 3. But not the only one.
There's a range of other Omega 3 sources available, and vegetarians and vegans who do not eat fish may well need to find another source.
It's perfectly possible to find a range of Omega 3 food sources. Unfortunately most of them are relatively low in those all-important essential fatty acids.
50 or more years ago beef and eggs in particular were higher in Omega3, however modern farming practices, and in particular the trend towards feeding our cattle and chickens with grain and corn has led to a significant reduction in the amount of the Omega 3 fats found in beef and eggs.
There's a range of other Omega 3 sources as well, mainly plant-based. Flax, chia and some other seeds contain these fatty acids, as well as various nuts and vegetables. However many people are less aware that there are different types of Omega 3 fats, and one of the less important types, called ALA, is the type found in plant based sources.
DHA and EPA are the most important Omega 3 fats, it is these which are found in beef and eggs as well as fish.
Of course the best Omega 3 source is fish oil supplements. These are small capsules containing fish oil, and do not have any of the downsides of eating fish. Unfortunately fish is very expensive, and it is difficult to get children to eat fish, and so taking fish oil capsules is cost-effective and simpler.
So if you're looking for different sources of Omega 3 fatty acids we hope that this has enlightened you a little more on what to look for. Don't rely on beef and eggs for significant amounts of DHA and EPA, don't rely on plant based sources for any DHA and EPA and choose a high quality brand of fish oil supplements to take daily.
Note that not all fish oil supplements are high quality. To find out which are visit my website.

Take Omega 3 Supplements For Better Brain Health. Your Brain Will Thank You

Many people are aware of the health benefits of increasing your intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids DHA and EPA. But fewer people are aware of the strong links between Omega 3 and brain function, or in other words how to improve brain function and memory, combat ADD or ADHD or improve emotional disorders like depression.
Many scientists consider that the crucial link between early human beings like the Neanderthal, and modern human beings was the point at which we began to eat seafood.
Seafood, and particularly oily fish, contains the Omega 3 essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, DHA being the most important of these.
Your brain is about 60 percent fat, and DHA is the most important of those fats. An adequate supply of DHA is one of the most crucial factors in facilitating the transmission of brain signals. But if your brain doesn't have enough DHA it won't work as well.
When the early human beings began eating seafood their brains began to develop because of the increase in intake of DHA. Neanderthals, for example, primarily ate red meat, which supplied very little DHA. But when the early humans began eating seafood their brains began to develop, according to hypotheses, as a result of this intake of DHA from fish.
But if plenty of DHA is important for brain development surely a lack of DHA will inhibit brain function? And evidence showing that this is the case.
Scientific evidence showing that an ample supply of DHA to the brain improves cognitive ability, improves memory, improves mental development in children, helps improve learning difficulties such as ADD and ADHD and can also help improve outcomes with emotional problems such as depression.
In fact many medical professionals are now suggesting that one of the most important things a pregnant woman can do is to maintain an adequate supply of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids in her diet because of the strong links between Omega 3 and brain development in the infant.
(Not to mention the benefits for the mothers own health).
So whilst many people focus on the general health benefits of taking Omega 3 supplements, for example the reduction in your risk of dying from heart attack, the health benefits to your brain may be as significant or even more so.
And it doesn't just apply to the young. There is also increasing evidence that plenty of Omega 3 in the diet can help the brain function of the elderly by reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
So next time you're wondering where you put the car keys, try and remember to write a simple notation on your next shopping list.
Buy Omega 3 supplements. And of course remember to take them every day. Your brain will thank you for it.
And to view two fascinating videos about the role of Omega 3 in brain development for children with learning difficulties visit my main website.

Could A Postpartum Depression Strategy Include Omega 3 Supplementation?

Postpartum depression, and for that matter depression during pregnancy, is relatively common. It's difficult to get reliable statistics for postpartum depression as it is often not reported.
Estimates are however that anywhere up to 25% of women have suffered some form of major depressive symptoms during or after pregnancy.
Treatments for postpartum depression often include antidepressant drugs, and these can have nasty side-effects, possibly even on the fetus when taken during pregnancy.
Studies have suggested that a deficiency of DHA, one of the most important of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids, may well lead to the onset of major depressive disorders during pregnancy and after pregnancy.
Studies have also suggested that taking Omega 3 supplements during and after pregnancy may well have an ameliorating effect on postpartum depression.
There is also emerging and significant evidence that taking Omega 3 supplements, or increasing the Omega 3 intake in other ways, for example by eating Omega 3 rich fish, may well help reduce the symptoms of depression generally.
Could Omega 3 supplementation therefore become one of the important elements in treatments for postpartum depression?
A new study begun in June 2011 is to examine this very question, namely the role of Omega 3 essential fatty acids in depression during pregnancy and postpartum depression, or what is sometimes called postnatal depression.
This study is to examine the role of both DHA and EPA, the 2 most important of the essential fatty acids known as the Omega 3 fats, on depression during and after pregnancy. 126 women from Michigan, up to 20 weeks pregnant, shall take part in the study. Some shall take supplements high in DHA, some shall take supplements high in EPA, and some will take a placebo.
And all of these women shall be assessed for symptoms of depression 6 weeks after delivery.
If this study confirms the results of other studies, namely that treatment for postpartum depression should include Omega 3 supplementation, then this is good news. There are very little if any side-effects of Omega 3 supplementation, and if the Omega 3 fats help reduce symptoms of postpartum depression then it is very easy and safe to supplement effectively.
Not only that but there are other powerful health reasons, both for the mother and baby, to take Omega 3 supplements or to ensure an adequate intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids through pregnancy and thereafter, and right through life.
To find out more about studies about using Omega 3 as a treatment for postpartum depression visit my website.

Eat More Fish. Have Less Diabetes

Did you know that diabetes was reaching epidemic proportions? The number of people contracting type 2 diabetes is dramatically rising, and some experts are predicting that diabetes will become the most serious health issue of our generation. While some people take diabetes lightly there is no reason to.
As anyone who has serious type 2 diabetes will tell you it's no laughing matter. Diabetes can have serious implications for your overall lifestyle and your health.
Unfortunately, although the incidence of diabetes is rising dramatically the risk factors are well known. It is firmly understood that amongst other causes, common lifestyle choices have a big effect.
There's a range of risk factors for diabetes including genetic risk factors, and of course if you have a genetic background which makes you predisposed to contracting type 2 diabetes then there's very little that you can do about your genetics.
However there are other risk factors which are not genetic and which you have a lot of control over. Lifestyle factors which are dramatic indications of your likelihood of contracting diabetes include obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise.
Does that sound familiar? These are the same lifestyle factors that contribute to so many other lifestyle diseases. Along with smoking and excessive alcohol intake obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise are amongst the biggest killers in our Western society.
And they are major risk factors to contracting diabetes. Yet despite all of this the incidence of obesity in particular is rising fast in our society.
If you don't have diabetes there's a lot you can do to help reduce your risk of contracting it. Pay more attention to your diet, include more fruit and vegetables in your diet and reduce or eliminate foods high in salt, sugar and bad fats, and in particular processed foods.
Get more exercise. Exercise is one of the single most important things you can do to improve your health generally, and science is recognising the value of exercise to your health more and more every day.
Keep your weight under control or lose weight if you need to. The steps indicated in the previous paragraph will get you a long way towards that end. Atrocious diet and lack of exercise will inevitably lead to weight gain and in many people to obesity, and thereafter to diabetes.
If you have diabetes than your doctor has probably already told you to do all these things, namely exercise more and eat better and lose weight. These are the major controlling factors in any regime to help manage diabetes and people who pay attention to this advice can even reduce their symptoms of diabetes to zero.
And there's something else you can do. Studies are now beginning to show that increasing your intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish can help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. The essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, known as the Omega 3 fatty acids, are extremely important to good health overall and almost all of us are deficient in our intake of the Omega 3 fats. And you can remedy this by taking high quality Omega 3 supplements.
A new study just published last month in China, where 110,000 people were studied for up to 9 years, concluded that those with the highest intake of fish, in other words the highest intake of the Omega 3 fats, had the lowest prevalence of type 2 diabetes.
And reducing your risk of diabetes is only one of the health benefits that you should attract to yourself from increasing your intake of Omega 3 fatty acids. One of the other health benefits is reducing your risk of dying from heart attack and that has to be worthwhile just on its own.
This advice applies to everybody. All of us should be paying more attention to our health by paying more attention to our diet, exercising more and keeping our weight under control. And there are powerful reasons, including reducing your risk of type II diabetes, for increasing your intake of Omega 3.

There's Omega 3 In Fish, Without Doubt, But What Else Is There?

Most people now know that there is plenty of Omega 3 fat in fish and that more of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids in your diet is extremely good for you.
The Omega 3 essential fatty acids are known as "essential" because they are extremely important for the proper function of your body, and also because your body is unable to produce them itself and therefore your diet is the only source of these fats.
And research has demonstrated clearly that over the last century our intake of fish, the primary source of the Omega 3 fats in our diet, has declined dramatically. And science is now showing that this decline has repercussions in a wide range of health areas.
Omega 3 levels in fish vary according to the type of fish. Some fish are relatively low in Omega 3 essential fatty acids whilst others are relatively high. Oily fish in particular have high levels of DHA and EPA, the 2 most important of the essential fatty acids, as these are found in the oil.
And so it would seem, if our diets are low in the Omega 3 fats, and there is plenty of Omega 3 in fish, that we should all be eating lots of fish. And whilst this is true to a degree it also has its own problems.
The American Heart Association tells us that we should all be eating a couple of meals of fish per week. However they also recognize a problem, namely that much fish is contaminated with Mercury, PCBs and other nasty toxins. Whilst these are present are in low levels they should not be there at all, and we should not be eating them.
And for this reason the AHA also repeats various warnings made by the FDA, particularly concerning children and pregnant women, warning that they should not eat too much of certain fish, and that they should vary the types eaten because of this particular problem.
And with the price of fish rising all the time providing 2 fish meals per week can become prohibitive for many families.
There is no doubt about the Omega 3 levels in fish, however there are also reasons why we should be extremely careful in choosing which ones we eat, and we should also look for other alternatives to improve our intake of the essential fatty acids.
There are many brands of fish oil supplements available, however there are also brands of supplements which have been found to be contaminated as well, and so you should be extremely careful if looking to get your essential fatty acids from capsules.
But there are excellent Omega 3 supplements available with high levels of DHA and EPA and no contamination.
There is plenty of Omega 3 in fish, but some powerful reasons not to eat too much. Fortunately, through the use of high quality fish oil supplements, it is both cost-effective and safe to increase your intake of DHA and EPA every day.

Are You Eating PCBs And Mercury With Your Omega 3 Capsules?

It's now becoming common knowledge that DHA and EPA, the 2 most important of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids, are extremely good for your health, and that most of us get too little in our diet. It is not so well-known that many Omega 3 fish oil supplements intended to deliver these important essential nutrients can be contaminated with PCBs, Mercury and other industrial contaminants.
Unfortunately it's true. The US government tells its citizens not to eat too much fish because of industrial contamination. Obviously fish oil comes from fish, and therefore there is a likelihood that if oil is used from contaminated fish then that oil will also be contaminated.
And sadly that's now been confirmed, with a significant number of Omega 3 fish oil supplements tested by an independent laboratory being found to be contaminated with industrial toxins which can include PCBs.
PCBs are a class of particularly pernicious industrial chemical that have been banned in the US since the 1970s, many of which are known to cause cancer. In California Proposition 65 requires manufacturers of various products to warn consumers if they are at risk of ingesting various toxic chemicals at certain levels from their products.
And it's not just some fringe brands of Omega 3 supplements that were found to be at fault. Some big names in the fish oil supplements industry have been caught in the net.
And as a result legal action has been launched against these companies for failing to warn consumers of the risks of using their products as required by Proposition 65.
There's no doubt that virtually all of us need to increase our intake of DHA and EPA, the essential fatty acids known as the Omega 3 fats found primarily in fish. But none of us need do so at any risk to our health from contamination from chemicals such as PCBs and more.
There's an easy way to tell if the fish oil supplements that you eat are clean. The manufacturer of these supplements should publish on their website a Certificate of Analysis of the oil used in the supplements, updated for each batch of oil used, by an independent laboratory, certifying that the oil has been tested to contamination and found to be clean, with the results there for everyone to see.
If you're currently taking Omega 3 fish oil supplements head to the website of the manufacturer and see if you can find such a Certificate of Analysis. If you can't consider a change of brands.
The best fish oil supplements are marketed transparently, and you are perfectly able to view the entire Certificate of Analysis for each batch of oil used in their manufacture. Unfortunately you'll find that this is quite rare.
So if you're convinced of the health benefits of Omega 3 supplementation choose your brand of capsules wisely. There are risks that you may not have thought of before.

Source

Is Age Related Memory Loss Inevitable, Or Can You Help Prevent It?

It's commonly assumed that aging and memory loss go together, that as you get older it's inevitable that your memory will get poorer. But loss of memory with aging isn't necessarily a given. Whilst you certainly can't prevent ageing it is incorrect to assume that a poor memory should go with it.
New studies are now delving deeper into the causes of memory loss with aging and coming up with strategies to help prevent or reduce it.
Recent studies are now showing that inflammation in the body and in the brain can be one of the causes of declining memory. In fact science is now beginning to understand that inflammation in the body is an underlying factor for a whole range of lifestyle diseases.
A new study discussed at the American Academy of Neurology's most recent meeting has established that the more elderly who are suffering from inflammation in the brain are more likely to exhibit symptoms of cognitive decline and memory loss than those who do not.
As a result there are new strategies which may well help you to improve your memory as you age, because aging and memory loss do not necessarily go together.
There are of course many strategies, including brain exercises, to help reduce age related memory loss, however today we specifically wanted to look at strategies to reduce inflammation and in turn, hopefully, to improve your memory.
One of the most powerful anti-inflammatories, or in other words substances that helps reduce inflammation, is what are known as the Omega 3 essential fatty acids. These are found primarily in fish oil, though it can also be found in smaller amounts in other foods. In the past our diets were high in fish, and therefore we all had a higher intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids.
But our intake of fish has declined and for this reason science is demonstrating that many of us are deficient in our intake of the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, which help to fight inflammation in our bodies.
Helping reduce your risk of memory loss with age is just one of the many health benefits you will attract to yourself if you improve your intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids. One of the major benefits of more Omega 3 fats in the diet is reducing your risk of dying from heart attack.
But increasing your intake may also help prevent or reduce age-related memory loss.
Of course more study is being undertaken in these areas, but it is very clear from current research that all of us, for a wide range of health reasons, should seriously consider increasing our intake of the essential fatty acids found in fish. Sadly fish is very expensive and eating too much is not recommended because of Mercury contamination.
The good news is that it is entirely possible to buy high-quality fish oil supplements containing high levels of DHA and EPA, and that these are both cost-effective to take daily and quite clean. Sadly not all fish oil supplements are high quality.
So if you're worried about ageing and memory loss then you should seriously consider a daily dose of the Omega 3 supplements, both for your brain as well as for your general health.

The European Parliament Confirms the Role of DHA in the Development of Baby Vision

It is now pretty well known that there are substantial health benefits, including to the very young, from increasing the amount of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids in our diet. This has now, in the last couple of days, been confirmed by a decision of the European Parliament.
The Omega 3 essential fatty acids are important fats that our body needs to good health but which it is unable to produce itself. For this reason all of our Omega 3 fatty acids must of necessity come from what we eat. And unfortunately the primary source of these essential fats is seafood, and particularly oily fish, and our consumption of seafood has declined dramatically over the last century.
This has had substantial health ramifications, and in particular has contributed to an increase in a range of lifestyle diseases that were rare a century ago. Researchers started to uncover the reasons why when they began to study communities which had very low levels of the lifestyle diseases such as the Japanese, and discovered a link between the amount of seafood consumed and diseases such as heart disease.
Whilst the initial evidence was building up there was some scepticism about the health benefits of the Omega 3 fats, however it is now generally recognised by mainstream medical organisations that a deficiency in the Omega 3 essential fatty acids contributes to heart disease and may even contribute to a heart attack causing death. The American Heart Association now tells us to eat more fatty acids for this reason.
But it's not just for our heart health. There's a wide range of other health problems which are impacted by a deficiency in our intake of the essential fatty acids, including our eyesight, and the development of baby vision
It is not commonly known but there is more DHA in the retinal rods in the eye than in any other cells in our body. An adequate supply of DHA ensures better vision in the very young and in the very old, because it is also now understood that low levels of DHA can be a contributing factor to macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older people.
During the first 3 years of life your baby's vision develops dramatically. In the first 3 years of life the size of a baby's eyes increases threefold from birth. Retinal tissue in the eye is mature by the age of 3, although the development of vision continues throughout childhood affecting such things as hand eye coordination.
The development of baby vision affects every aspect of an infant's life.
It has been recognized for some time that breastfed infants have better developed visual functions than those who are fed formula. Traditional infant formulas does not contain any of the Omega 3 fats, particularly DHA, whereas breastmilk does, provided the mother has these important fats in her diet. If she does they are passed to the infant through breastfeeding.
For this reason it is now possible to buy DHA fortified infant formula, and the European Parliament has now confirmed the benefits to the eyesight of babies and infants of this DHA fortification.
Through a narrow vote it was confirmed that infant formulas can include claims about the benefits of DHA in the formula on infant visual development. There were voices of objection raised of course on the grounds that this may lead mothers to think that formula is as good for babies as breastmilk.
This is a valid objection and it is generally accepted that breastmilk is always better for babies than formula, however for various reasons mothers will still continue to use formula for their babies, and if they do it is always better that they use formula fortified with the Omega 3 fats.
There's no doubt breastmilk is better for babies, however it is important that any mother also understands that for her baby to get an adequate supply of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids the mother must have an adequate supply of these fats in her own diet. This is important both for her own health as well as for the health, and visual development, of her baby.
Gradually we are seeing acceptance by the mainstream, including medical organisations such as the American Heart Association, and now by the European Parliament, of the fact that a sufficient intake of DHA and EPA is essential to the good health of all of us, as well as to the development of baby vision.
Of course eating fish is the traditional way of ensuring an adequate intake, however fish is now generally considered to be contaminated with toxins such as Mercury, and we shouldn't eat too much fish that this reason. Fortunately there are high quality fish oil supplements available which are both cost-effective to take daily and which are completely clean and free of contamination.

Find Out About The Link, If Any, Between Omega 3 Fatty Acids And Lowering Blood Pressure

There is little doubt about the heart health benefits of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Many of the benefits to our heart health of increasing our intake of these 2 of the most important essential fatty acids are now mainstream, and for this reason mainstream organisations such as the American Heart Association are telling us we should all be eating more Omega 3 fats.
But do these health benefits extended to lowering your blood pressure?
In fact it's not just heart health benefits that are attracted to us by eating more of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids. There's a wide range of health benefits, some of which are now firmly established and some of which are still in the process of being investigated.
Unfortunately over the last century our intake of seafood has dropped dramatically. Instead of having a fish on our plate we are more likely now to have fries or burgers for dinner. And this is having an impact on our health.
Fish is the biggest source of DHA and EPA, the 2 most important essential fatty acids known as the Omega 3 fats. Our body is unable to manufacture either of these fatty acids itself and so needs to rely on our intake of these fats through our diet.
When we were eating a lot more fish we were getting plenty of the Omega 3 fats in our diet because fish, and in particular oily fish, are very high in these fats. Unfortunately burgers and fries are not high in the Omega 3 fats and are high in unhealthy fats.
The resultant effect has been that our intake of the good Omega 3 fats has declined dramatically over the last century and at the same time our intake of bad Omega 6 fats has increased just as dramatically, and it is considered by medical professionals that this may well be a substantial factor in the increase in the incidence of a wide range of lifestyle diseases including heart diseases, cancers and much more.
There is now some suggestion that those who are prone to high blood pressure may also benefit from increasing their intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids by lowering their blood pressure. In a study referred by the American Heart Association a large group of men were split into smaller groups and given a range of different dietary intakes, some higher in fat and some lower in fat, some with Omega 3 supplementation by way of fish oil capsules, some eating more fish and some taking placebo capsules.
The object was to examine the link, if any, between Omega 3 and lower blood pressure.
The result was interesting and encouraging, and the conclusion drawn was that in subjects who took either the fish or the fish oil, particularly those in the low-fat groups, diastolic and systolic blood pressures dropped.
It is always difficult to say at what point something is sufficiently proven. Of course these questions will continue to be studied, and as seems to be the case with all these things some studies will confirm this conclusion and some will reject it.
However whether it is sufficiently proven that taking fish oil capsules reduces your blood pressure, there is now no doubt that all that all of us should be taking fish oil capsules every day, or eating more fish, to attract a wide range of well recognised health benefits to ourselves, including reducing the risk of dying from heart attack.
The evidence supporting the conclusion that our reduction in intake of the Omega 3 fatty acids is severely affecting our health is mounting. And the evidence that increasing our intake now will attract significant health benefits to us is also mounting.
There are excellent high quality Omega 3 fish oil supplements available on the market which are both cost-effective to take every day, and, provided you buy quality supplements, are free of the Mercury contamination commonly found in fish.

Omega 3 Fortified Eggs Are Very Expensive. But Are They Worth the Extra Cost to You?

Just about every food you buy now seems to be fortified with Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Eggs are no exception, and it is now quite common to see Omega 3 fortified eggs in your supermarket, and they are usually quite a bit more expensive. Is the extra cost of Omega 3 eggs worth it?
First of all let me say that all eggs should have Omega 3 essential fatty acids already. The fact that our mofern eggs are devoid of the Omega 3 essential fats owes as much to modern farming practices as it does to anything else.
The Omega 3 fatty acids commonly found in a range of natural foods such as fish start life out in grass. In the ocean the Omega 3 fats are found in seagrass. When small fish eat the seagrass they ingest the fats, and when in turn these small fish are eaten by bigger fish the essential fatty acids work their way up the food chain.
That's why fish oil is such a good source of the Omega 3 fats, because of the seagrass.
And ordinary grass is no exception, it too has plenty of Omega 3 fats.
And in the past our chickens used to free range around the farm, and spend their day eating, amongst other things, plenty of grass.
Yes surprising though it may seem chickens love to eat grass. Just watch one for a while and you'll see it breaking off grass stems and eating them.
So of course if the chickens were getting grass in their diet they were getting Omega 3 fats in their diet and these were therefore found in their eggs.
But modern farming practices have ensured that chickens no longer eat grass, rather they eat such foods as chicken pellets, grains and soy products. These don't have Omega 3 fats, and therefore neither do our chickens or their eggs, and therefore if we want Omega 3 fats in our eggs we need to buy Omega 3 fortified eggs.
The problem is that there are a number of essential fatty acids known as the Omega 3 fats, not just one. DHA and EPA are the 2 most important, and these are the fatty acids found in fish.
However there is another form of fatty acid known as ALA, which is not nearly as healthy for our body. It is really a precursor to DHA and EPA because it is only worthwhile for our health once our body has converted it into DHA and EPA.
And sadly it is now recognized that our body is very inefficient at converting ALA, and in fact very little of it is converted at all.
Meaning that eating Omega 3 fortified eggs with ALA in them rather than DHA and EPA gives you little health benefit.
If you're interested in finding out more read the label on the eggs, we have seen eggs with DHA and EPA, but this is rare. Generally ALA is found in the eggs because it is cheaper.
So in my view you're wasting your money spending more for Omega 3 eggs.
You're much better off spending your money on high quality fish oil supplements which have stacks more DHA and EPA in them and which are convenient and cost-effective to take daily.
Of course the perfect solution is to keep your own chickens, allow them to free range around your garden and provide you with beautiful Omega 3 fortified eggs.

Will More Fish On The Dining Table Cure Your Depression? Huh?

That probably sounds a little silly, asking if eating fish will cure your depression. But even if you're a little sceptical stay with me here.
You see there is evidence that that is in fact the case.
You see fish, and a particularly oily fish, is packed with the Omega 3 essential fatty acids DHA and EPA. And there is substantial evidence that increasing our intake of the Omega 3 fatty acids known as DHA and EPA could improve our health. And there is now evidence that this may include depression.
It was observed almost 20 years ago that there has been a reduction in our intake of seafood over the last century together with an increase in the rate of depression. It was also observed that societies where fish formed a large part of the diet had lower rates of depression.
There are now studies showing that there may well be a link between the 2. There are encouraging results suggesting that increasing your intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids may well have a role in helping treat depression.
Of course like all these things there are also studies suggesting the opposite. It is always extremely difficult to say when something is proven and when it is not. But there is clearly now evidence to suggest that Omega 3 supplementation, or eating more fish, may affect your depression.
There is no doubt about the health benefits of eating more fish. There is solid scientific evidence which is now accepted by the mainstream medical community that there are worthwhile health benefits to eating more of the Omega 3 fats, including reducing your risk of dying from a heart attack.
And whilst it is not yet sufficiently proven that eating more fish will improve your depression there is no doubt that it will certainly help other areas of your health.
However there is a problem. Fish is getting increasingly expensive and out of the reach of many families. Not only that but it is commonly recognised that many fish are contaminated with Mercury and other industrial toxins, and we shouldn't eat too much for this reason.
So there is a conundrum. Eating more fish will help your health and may well help your depression, but exposes you to other problems, namely the cost and the risk of toxic contamination.
Fortunately there are high quality fish oil supplements available which are safe to take and cost-effective to use daily.
Note however that not all fish oil supplements are high quality.
Interested in seeing some of the evidence? Click here and here

Why Are Your Flax Based Omega 3 Supplements Not As Healthy As You May Think?

There's no doubt now about the health benefits of fish oil. Fish oil contains DHA and EPA which are the 2 most important of the essential fatty acids known as the omega 3 fats. But this reason sales of fish oil supplements have exploded over the last decade or 2.
However many people are unaware that there are different forms of Omega 3 essential fatty acids, and that the omega 3 fats found in plant based sources are quite different from those found in fish.
The 2 most important Omega 3 fats for our health are DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid). DHA in particular is extremely important for the development and proper functioning of our brain.
Our brain is made up of somewhere around 60 percent fat, and a large proportion of that is DHA. It is now established that an adequate supply of DHA during gestation of the foetus is important for proper development of the brain as well as development of mental function during childhood and in fact through life.
Fish, and particularly oily fish, are the best source of DHA and EPA. In fact these 2 omega 3 fats come from the seagrass eaten by fish, and those important fatty acids work their way up the fish food chain.
Many people look to get their omega 3 fats from other sources, and in particular plant based sources such as flax.
However many people are also unaware that they are not getting DHA and EPA from flax seeds, they are actually getting a different form of Omega 3 fat called ALA.
ALA is not nearly as beneficial to the health as either DHA or EPA. It is in fact a precursor to DHA and EPA and can be converted in the body into these 2 fats, hence its benefits.
However research has shown that the rate at which ALA is converted is very low, some estimates are that only around 5 percent of ALA is converted in the body.
And for this reason ALA, which is the plant-based form of Omega 3 fats, is not nearly as effective for promoting good health.
This of course presenta a conundrum for anyone who, for philosophical reasons, does not wish to eat fish. Unfortunately the fact remains that fish is by far the best source of the important omega 3 fats.
And eating fish has it's own problems. Fish has become very expensive, and is now commonly contaminated with Mercury and other toxins, and in fact we are advised not to eat too much because of this contamination.
There are high quality fish oil supplements available which overcome this problem. They are free of contamination and they are also cost-effective to take every single day.
So if you're looking to add the health benefits of the omega 3 essential fatty acids to your diet remember that it is the fish-based form of the omega 3 fats that is healthy, the plant-based form is much less so.
And remember that the best alternative to eating lots of fish is to take high quality fish oil supplements. Note however that not all fish oil supplements on the market are high quality.

Could the Benefits of Fish Oil Supplementation Include Reducing Your Risk of Hearing Loss?

The health benefits of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids are now firmly established by mainstream science. Amongst other benefits you may even help save your life from taking Omega 3 supplements every day, because science has shown that overcoming your deficiency in the Omega 3 fats may prevent a heart attack.
But it is less well-known that adding more of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids to your diet may also help protect your hearing. The benefits of fish oil supplementation grow bigger and bigger.
Yes you heard right. Adding more Omega3 fats to your diet has been shown in at least 2 studies to reduce the likelihood or amount of hearing loss that people may suffer over time.
The 2 studies were conducted independently, one in Holland and one in Australia. The Dutch study examined both the level of hearing of a group of people over a period of 3 years as well is what they ate. Each of the participants in the study was tested for hearing including high-frequency and low frequency sounds, and the reduction, if any, over the period of the study was measured.
And it was found that those who have the highest intake of fish in their diet were roughly 10 percent less likely to suffer from hearing reduction compared to those who had the lowest intake of fish.
And of course fish is the primary source of the most important of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids, namely DHA and EPA.
Another study in Australia undertaken for 5 years found that people who ate fish at least twice a week had roughly half the rate of hearing loss compared to other people who rarely or never ate fish.
It is not fully understood why increasing your intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids could help reduce hearing loss. But the fact that the mechanism is not well understood does not alter the fact that this seems to be the case, as borne out by 2 solid scientific studies.
And of course it's not just hearing loss that can be protected by increasing the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids in your diet, there is an extremely wide range of health conditions which can be positively impacted by eating more fish.
Sadly though much fish is heavily contaminated with Mercury, and in fact we are told not to eat too much for this reason, and this combined with the fact that fish is becoming extremely expensive presents a conundrum. How do we get more of the Omega3 fats in our diet without going broke doing so, and without eating Mercury?
Fortunately it's quite possible to get high quality Omega3 supplements which contain oil from fish, and which are not contaminated with Mercury or any of the other contaminants present in fish, and which are also cost-effective to take daily.
Sadly however not all Omega 3 supplements are high quality.

Do Learning Difficulties In Children Respond To Omega 3 Supplementation?

Learning difficulties amongst children seem to be on the rise. Whether it's autism or ADD, or dyspraxia or ADHD or dyslexia or any one of a number of other learning difficulties, the incidence of these problems seems to be on the rise. So why could Omega 3 supplementation have anything to do with the solution?
It's a good question. Omega 3 essential fatty acids and in particular DHA and EPA are found primarily in seafoods and in particular in oily fish. A century or more ago seafood was high in our list of important and much consumed foods. Virtually everyone ate fish at some stage during the week.
And because they ate fish regularly, and because fish, and in particular oily fish, is extremely high in the essential fatty acids, our forebears got an adequate amount of the essential fatty acids in their diet.
However fish has now been supplanted in our diets with such foods as burgers and coke. And as a result most of us if not all of us are nutritionally deficient in a range of the important nutrients, and this has a range of implications for all of us.
Study after study has shown that increasing our intake of the essential fatty acids, most commonly by taking quality Omega 3 fish oil supplements, will help prevent a wide range of health conditions, including reducing our risk of dying.
A study undertaken in the UK on more than 100 children with learning difficulties has shown that increasing the amount of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids in the diet of these children helped a percentage of them, though not all, to function better and to achieve more at school.
All of these children were selected on the basis that they had average ability but were performing badly at school. They were given Omega 3 supplements every day for 6 months and tested on their performance amongst other things.
Of course you cannot conclude from this study that giving Omega 3 supplements to your children will cure their learning difficulties, there is certainly much more to it than that. However it does seem that adding more Omega 3 essential fatty acids to their diet, commonly by way of Omega 3 supplementation, is one tactic that ought be considered by parents and medical professionals.
And there is solid scientific evidence to support the conclusion that our children will perform better with adequate amounts of essential fatty acids and their diet. The omega 3 fats, and in particular DHA, make up a large percentage of the brain and a higher supply of DHA during the early years has been shown to improve cognitive performance.
So if you're a parent of a child with learning difficulties, along with consulting the appropriate medical professionals, it may well also be worth considering Omega 3 supplementation. It's not just learning difficulties that may benefit, is a wide range of other health benefits from adding more of the essential fatty acids to the diet, both to yourself and your children.
And the best way to do this is by taking high quality Omega3 capsules, though not all fish oil supplements are high quality

Are You Getting Much Omega 3 In Fish That You've Fried? And If Not What Should You Do?

So you're eating fish tonight. Is there much Omega 3 in fish that might be served up to you tonight? Surely there is because everyone now knows that fish is the best source of those all-important Omega 3 essential fatty acids.
Not necessarily. The amount of Omega 3 in fish varies greatly depending on the type of fish and a number of other factors, including, if it's salmon that you're having, whether it's wild or farmed.
But a new factor that seems to affect the amount of Omega 3 in fish that we are eating has also been uncovered in a recent study. It would seem that how you cook your fish affects how much of those all-important essential fatty acids you'll be eating tonight.
A recent study undertaken and published in Neurology journal seems to be showing that how you cook your fish determines whether or not you're getting the maximum benefit from those Omega 3 fats.
The study was undertaken on residents of what is sometimes called the "stroke belt", a string of southern States which includes Mississippi, Alabama, North and South Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia and more. In these States the rate of death from stroke and the rate of stroke in general is much higher than the rest of the country, and in particular much higher amongst African-Americans.
And the study established that people living in these States ate much higher than levels of fried fish than in other states.
In other words there was a correlation between the amount of fried fish consumed by those residents and their rate of stroke. And in particular it was found that African-Americans in those states have extremely high rates of consumption of fried fish.
Now of course this doesn't establish that all these people are getting strokes from eating fried fish, it would require much more study to firmly establish this. However it is certainly worrying and offers a powerful suggestion to those amongst us who understand the health benefits of more Omega 3 fatty acids in the diet that they should be baking or steaming their fish rather than frying it.
Of course there are problems with getting your Omega3 fats by eating fish, regardless of how you cook it. Fish is becoming extremely expensive and we are now warned by our government not to eat too much due to contamination with Mercury and other toxic contaminants.
And for this reason, in my view, the most cost-effective way to get a regular daily intake of the Omega3 fats is through the use of high quality Omega 3 supplements.
However there is no doubt that fish is good to eat, provided you don't eat too much. But if you're eating your fish confident in in the knowledge that you're getting all those good fats in your diet you may be fooling yourself, there may not be so much Omega 3 in fish that youv'e fried.

Omega 3 Oils Are Now Essential in Everyone's Diet, Including Yours

In many cases claims about the health benefits of various alternative and nutritional supplements are little short of voodoo. However it is now clear that this is not the case when it comes to the health benefits of Omega 3 oils.
Many of the alternative and health supplements available on the market are backed up with very little solid scientific evidence to support the health claims made about them. Often mainstream science and medicine is extremely sceptical about any of the health claims made for so many alternative products.
But there is one nutrient that must be in your diet. It's the Omega 3 oils, and there is now solid scientific and medical agreement worldwide about the health benefits of these essential nutrients.
These can sometimes be known as the essential fatty acids, and the 2 most important of these are DHA and EPA, which are primarily found in seafood and in particular in oily fish.
The recognition of the health benefits of the Omega 3 oils has just received a substantial boost. On the 3rd and 4th of March 2011 there was an Omega 3 summit held in Bruges in Belgium. This summit was addressed by some eminent experts in the health care field, and the intentions of the summit were to examine the evidence of the health benefits of the Omega oils and to "start the turnaround" in the consumption of the long chain essential fatty acids worldwide.
In its press release the summit made a very significant statement about the health benefits of the essential fats, known as the long chain Omega 3 fats. This press release observed that disorders of the brain and heart resulting from a deficiency of the long chain Omega 3 fats called DHA and EPA are "the biggest challenges to the future of humanity".
This is about as mainstream as you can get. This is a significant recognition by mainstream medicine and science that many of the lifestyle diseases that afflict so many of us may be prevented by an increase in the intake of the Omega 3 oils. The best way to do this is by taking high quality Omega 3 supplements.
Not only that but the summit recognized the financial burden placed on health care systems worldwide of the costs of dealing with what are, in many cases, diseases preventable by some simple measures such as Omega 3 supplementation.
There is now no doubt at all that everyone should be sustaining a minimum level of intake of the long chain essential fatty acids. It is not difficult to do. There are excellent fish oil supplements available which contain high levels of DHA and EPA, and they are entirely accessible to everyone, and are cost effective to take.
For a collection of mainstream experts such as this to recognize that health and lifestyle diseases resulting from deficiencies in the Omega 3 oils can be this serious is a very powerful message to us all, and everyone should hear the message.

What Is Fish Oil Good For? Your Health Of Course

What is fish oil good for is a question asked from time to time by people who are interested in improving their health. The question is usually asked because they have started reading about the health benefits of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish oil, and their interested in finding out more about what fish oil is good for.
Increasing your intake of fish oil, or more specifically the Omega 3 essential fatty acids DHA and EPA found in fish oil, benefits your health in a wide range of areas.
The first of these is your heart health. There is significant evidence that increasing your intake of the essential fatty acids known as the Omega 3 fats has significant benefits to your heart including reducing your risk of dying from heart attack. That's a very significant health benefit indeed.
In fact the amount of scientific evidence in support of the fact that the Omega 3 essential fatty acids have significant heart health benefits is so overwhelming that the American Heart Association now recommends that all of us have a minimum intake of the Omega 3 fats for the sake of our heart.
However it doesn't just stop at heart health. Fish oil is good for a wide range of other health problems. That's because it's one of the most powerful anti-inflammatories that we know of.
An anti-inflammatory is something which reduces inflammation in our body. Given that inflammation is a significant factor in a wide range of health problems, reducing inflammation must be good, and it is.
The health benefits of increasing the amount of fish oil in your diet are widespread. They include reducing your risks of allergies, a range of cancers, reducing blood pressure, improving vision, helping improve a weight loss outcome, helping improve diabetes, helping improve depression and lots more.
It would almost seem from that list that fish oil is the new wonder drug. And the good news is that it's not even a drug, it just comes from fish.
So if the Omega 3 essential fatty acids DHA and EPA found in fish oil are so good for you should and should be getting more fish oil in your diet?
Probably, because the evidence is that almost all of us now are deficient in our intake of the Omega3 fats, and this is due to the fact that almost all of us are now eating much less fish then we did 100 years ago.
Yes the evidence is that this decline in our intake of fish, and with it our intake of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids, is responsible for increasing our risk of a wide range of health problems.
Of course you can always eat more fish, but fish is very expensive. The good news is that there are excellent high quality Omega3 supplements made from fish oil, and they are much more cost-effective to add to your diet every day. It's a simple matter to pop a simple Omega 3 capsule every day than it is to eat fish.
So if you're asking yourself what fish oil is good for then there's the answer. It's good for your health. It's extremely good for your health, and you should be getting more fish oil in your diet, by taking high quality essential fatty acid supplements, every single day of your life.