Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Fish Oil

Health: Omega 3 Fatty Acids

You’ve heard it a lot over the past few years... “Eat your fish!” Although fish is a healthy, lean protein, good for you in many ways, it’s the omega-3’s in fish that are causing the big hype. What are omegas, what are their benefits, and where else can you find them?

Overlooked through the 80’s and 90’s, due in part to the low-fat/fat-free movement, healthy fats, such as omega 3’s, are proving more and more through scientific research to benefit our health. Besides helping to prevent against diseases like asthma and alzheimers, omegas-3 fatty acids benefit a number of systems in the body, including circulatory (the heart), skeletal (the joints), endocrine (the mood), respiratory (the lungs), and mental cognition.

Omegas benefit the heart by reducing tryglyceride levels (excess triglycerides lead to fat storage and cholesterol), counteracting inflammation, keeping arteries elastic so blood flows smoothly, and preventing the build-up of plaque deposits that block arteries. Most importantly, as Harvard researchers discovered in 2006, taking 250 milligrams of fish oil a day from fish supplements help reduce the risk of suffering a deadly heart attack by 36 percent. Heart muscle cells are stabilized by omegas, reducing risk of an arythmia that could impair the body’s ability to pump blood through the body.

Omega-3s help your joints’ health by encapsulating them with a layer of tissue and feeding them with nutrients. They decrease the production of inflammatory proteins, called cytokines. Although it has not been proven that omegas prevent or cure rheumatoid arthritis, those who take fish oil do seem to have less issues with joint tenderness and stiffness. Studies show that 60% of joint pain sufferers discontinue taking anti-inflammatory medicines after taking fish oil for one month.

Rates of clinical depression, bipolar disorder, and postpartum depression is found to be 30-50 times greater in countries of low fish consumption. Studies show more positive moods of healthy adults who take fish oil or consume fish. Brain cell walls are composed of DHA and EPA, the acids in omegas, so consuming more of these fats is believed to improve brain cell composition and neurotransmitter function, (which is dysfunctional in people suffering clinical depression).

Studies show that people who eat fish two to three times a week are half as likely to develop age related cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Experts believe that inflammation in the memory centers of the brain play a role in Alzheimer’s; excessive build-up of protein plaques in the brain cause cells to die. Reducing the inflammation may help prevent the disease.

Evidence shows that omega 3s may help decrease the severity of asthma. Harvard research indicates that subjects with the lowest omega intake had a 70 percent increased risk of asthma. It probably has a lot to do with omega’s anti-inflammatory properties, reducing the lungs’ inflammation.

It is important to note that omega 3’s and omega 6’s are not the same. Omega 6’s are found in seeds, nuts, and the oils extracted from them. Refined oils, especially soybean oil, are found in most snack foods and processed foods- which comprise about 20 percent of the average American diet. Omega 6 and omega 3 oils actually have opposite affects, and need to be balanced in a healthy body. Hormones derived from 6’s tend to increase inflammation (an important component of the immune response), blood clotting, and cell proliferation (both of which are healthy in moderation). As we consume more processed food and refined oils, it is increasingly important to counteract the effects of omega 6 acids with omega 3’s. The conclusion can be made that the rise of asthma, heart disease, many forms of cancer, autoimmunity and neurodegenerative disease are related to the fact that the omega 6’s are so prominent in our modern diet, and the omega 3’s grossly insufficient. The imbalanc is also believed to contribute to obesity, depression, dyslexia, hyperactivity, and a possible tendency toward violence.

It is also important to note that while wild salmon provides an exceptional amount of omega 3’s, typically, farm raised salmon does not. On the contrary, because of the way that Atlantic salmon or other farm raised varieties are raised, they can be higher in Omega 6’s, the opposite of what you are seeking. This is one of the many reasons to avoid farm raised salmon.

“Eat your fish!” Hopefully that suggestion makes more sense to you... and inspires you. If you don’t prefer fish, you can take supplements. Some, like Usana’s Biomegas, are triple refined and combined with lemon to prevent fishy aftertaste. (Ask me how to get a monthly shipment of them, if you are interested!) Other foods to eat more of: Olive oil, walnuts, flax seeds, and omega-3 fortified eggs. Cut down on processed foods and refined oils. “Your body and mind will thank you.” Information obtained from “Cooking Light”

Magazine, Jan-Feb 2008, and www.drweil.com.