What You Really Need To Know About Omega 3 Fish Oils…
In the 1970s, scientists began to study why Eskimos in Greenland had low rates of heart disease, and they eventually came to the conclusion that diets containing large amounts of omega 3 fish oils from seafood were responsible. In the forty years that have followed, the market for vitamins containing fish oils has grown into a sixty billion dollar industry.
Let’s start by learning what omega 3 fish oils are in the first place. Omega 3 fish oils are an essential fatty acid that is not produced by the human body, forcing us to get it from foods that we eat. These fatty acids are used by the body in order to help the walls of individual cells remain flexible, which aids in the flow of nutrients into the cells and wastes out of the cells. This is not the only function of the fish oils, however, as they also aid in reducing cholesterol and swelling. Finally, they help to control blood clotting and in the guidance and flow of signals from the brain.
Fish are not the only foods we can get beneficial fatty acids from, but fish and fish oils are the only ones that contain omega 3s. Other types of fatty acids are called ALA’s and can be found in certain vegetables and nuts, but they have a different purpose within the body. Omega3 fish oils have the most supporting evidence currently showing health benefits.
Omega 3 Fish Oils And Food Companies
Major food production companies have jumped into the market as well, touting different food products that are now bolstered with the omega 3 fish oils. Go to any grocery store in your area and you will see foods like eggs, cereal, and even orange juice that are enriched with omega 3 fatty acids and proudly display that fact on their product labels.
Americans tend to have a surplus of another fatty acid called the omega 6 fatty acid. This nutrient tends to have the opposite effect of the omega 3 fish oils, a nutrient that Americans don’t get enough of in their diets. The omega 6 occurs in sunflower, corn, and soybean oils as well as processed foods. Nutritionists recommend making a small change in your diet, lowering the amount of processed foods that you eat, and trying to incorporate 2 3.5 ounce servings of fatty fish that is cooked in canola oil. This will help to balance out the two nutrients.
Omega 3 fish oils have been in the news a lot in the last few weeks, especially since a research team at Penn State University in Pennsylvania found a compound contained within the omega 3 fish oils that actually targeted and destroyed leukemia cells in sick mice. According to Dr. Sandeep Prabhu, the “mice were completely cured of leukemia with no relapses.” While this study has not yet been extended to humans, it holds great hope for the future of omega3 fish oils in helping to fight off more diseases.
In April 2012, another study was released in the Fats of Life e-newsletter concerning research that was conducted with women aged fifty years and older. The study showed that women who were put on a regimen containing omega 3 fish oils actually had a seventy seven percent less chance of developed colorectal polyps. (Colorectal polyps lead to colon cancer, which has become the third largest source of cancer in the United States.)
Another study published in the same newsletter showed that women in the same age bracket, 50 and over, who took omega 3 fish oils and went on three month guided strength training routine gained more muscle mass and control than a similar group of women who were not given the omega 3 fish oils.
The April 2012 issues of this newsletter contained two more studies. These last two studies were conducted on animals instead humans, but they showed great promise in dealing with conditions that humans often suffer from. The first of these two studies showed that animals who were given omega 3 fish oils following corneal (eye) surgery were able to completely regenerate their corneal nerves. The second study showed a significantly lower loss of vision as the animals aged as compared to animals who were not given the fish oils as part of their diets.
What Reuters Had To Say About Omega 3 Fish Oils
In late March 2012, the international news organization Reuters reported that the Journal of Clinical Oncology had found that patients who suffered from fatigue after fighting and beating breast cancer often gained energy when they infused their diets with omega 3 fish oils. It goes without saying that incorporating exercise and daily physical activities also helped out the women in this study, but even factoring physical activity coupled with age, race, and weight, the omega 3 fish oils still were the over-riding factor in the loss of fatigue in these women.
In fact, the only detracting study that is readily available doesn’t concern the effects of the supplement; rather, it concerns the taste and smell of it! The pills are also rather large in most cases, making them harder to swallow than an average-sized vitamin.
Luckily in the times that we live in, manufacturers are quick to react to any complaints in the market. They are now beginning to release supplements that are free of the omega 3 fish oils, meaning that they no longer carry the “fishy” smell or the burps that some people experience after taking them. The “fishless fish oil” tablets are also safe for strict vegetarians as they contain only plant matter and no products produced from animals at all.
As you can see from reading this article, omega 3 fish oils are definitely worth adding to your daily diet. Whether you are a recovering cancer survivor or just a regular person who is looking to make his or her diet a little more completed, adding fish that is rich in omega3 fish oils is definitely something that should be done immediately.