Fish Oil: Is it Really Good For You? Is it a Myth?
Do you remember when your grandma told you to take cod liver oil because it was good for you? You must have thought she was crazy and wondered how the bland-tasting slimy liquid could have any benefit at all.
Believe it or not…Grandma was right. Fish oil does the body a world of good. These days more and more research from around the world concludes that fish oil offers many benefits to your overall health.
Fish oil contains Omega 3 fatty acids, a certain type of unsaturated fat that the body needs but cannot produce on its own; therefore, it must be obtained from food. The three main types of Omega 3 fatty acids that are integral to the body’s metabolism are a-Linolenic Acid (ALA), Eicosapentaenoic Acid (ELA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA).
Rich sources of Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, tuna and bluefish. Other sources of Omega 3 can be found in marine life such as krill and algae. Some of the benefits of regular Omega 3 intake include:
- Prevention of heart disease
- Balancing blood sugar levels
- Lowering cholesterol
- Preventing certain types of cancer
- Lowering blood pressure
- Preventing depression
- Promoting healing from illness or injury
Why have we just started to pay attention to the importance of Omega 3 in fish oil? Well, believe it or not, Omega 3 fatty acids were a regular part of yesterday’s diet and we didn’t even realize it. In the past, American farms were rich in Omega 3 resources.
Omega 3s are made up of plant cells (including those from algae) sunlight, water and carbon dioxide. The cattle and poultry we consumed in the past contained ample amounts of Omega 3s since their diets consisted of grass that was loaded with these essential fatty acids. The farmers in the past would wait a few years for their animals to get healthy and grow before slaughtering them for our consumption while the cattle and poultry of today are fed with grain to make more “meat” in a shorter amount of time. Moreover, yesterday’s cattle and chickens had plenty of room to roam the farms and get exercise. This is definitely a far cry from today’s cattle and chicken that are raised in assembly line-type quarters where animals often become ill and as such are treated with antibiotics. In spite of their health condition, these animals are still slaughtered and they still make their way to our tables.
Over the years Omega 3 fatty acids have been removed from our diets because of our heavy reliance on meat – but it’s meat without the stuff that’s good for us.
Hence comes the need to include fish oil in our diet.
Experts from around the world have concluded that cultures with diets rich in fish had lower rates of heart disease, arthritis and infections. Research also suggests that children who consume Omega 3 regularly have improved brain function and development. Studies reveal that DHA plays an important role in a growing child’s cognitive functions. An Oxford-Durham study published in Britain in 2005, reported significant improvements in spelling and reading from children who took Omega 3 supplements compared to those who had not. A report published in Australia’s Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, found improvements in parents’ ratings of their children’s hyperactivity and inattention after they were given Omega 3 supplements.
While it may be beneficial to eat foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, there are a couple of things to consider: the first being that mercury levels in fish could pose a danger (especially to pregnant women and the unborn fetus), the second is that a person may not be able to consume enough of what the body needs.
Omega 3 supplements are highly recommended. Like all vitamins, the manufacturing processes of Omega 3 supplements involve refining, purification and testing to ensure that they are safe and free of toxins before they make it to the shelves. The most common types of fish oil supplements are available in capsule or liquid form.
The bottom line is that today’s North American diet is slowly killing us.
Putting Omega 3 fatty acids back into our diets can be our best line of defense. Listen to Grandma and take that fish oil.