Scott White asked:


When it comes to nutrition and our diet, there are good fats and there are bad fats. Artificially produced trans-fatty acids are bad in any amount and saturated fats from animal products should be kept to a minimum. The best fats are those that contain the essential fatty acids so named because we need them to live. Essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated and grouped into two families, the omega-6 EFAs and the omega-3 EFAs.

Minor differences in the makeup up the two groups make both the EFA families act very differently in the body. While the metabolic products of omega-6 acids promote inflammation, blood clotting, and tumor growth, while the omega-3 acids have an entirely opposite affect. Although we do need both omega-3s and omega-6s it is becoming increasingly clear that, an excess of omega-6 fatty acids can have grim consequences. Many scientists believe that a major reason for the high incidences of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, premature aging, and some forms of cancer are the profound imbalances between our intake of high amounts of omega-6 and lower amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

Sources and Recommended Daily Requirements

The main sources of omega-6 fatty acids are vegetable oils such as corn oil and soy oil that contain a high proportion of linoleic acid. Omega-3 acids are found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, and marine plankton and fatty fish. The main component of flaxseed and walnut oils is alpha-linolenic acid while the predominant fatty acids found in fatty fish and fish oils are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The most beneficial and active of these fatty acids are EPA and DHA.

Recent research has established that consuming fish oils (EPA and DHA) play a crucial role in the prevention and even the treatment of numerous diseases and conditions such as atherosclerosis, heart attack, depression, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, and Raynaud’s disease.

Recognizing the benefits of EPA and DHA and the serious consequences of a deficiency in our diets, the US National Institute of Health recently published Recommended Daily Intakes of fatty acids. They recommend a total daily intake of 650 mg of EPA and DHA, 2.22 g/day of alpha-linolenic acid and 4.44 g/day of linoleic acid. Your saturated fat intake should not exceed 8 percent of your total caloric intake or about 18 g/day.

Fish Oil Good For Our Brains

The human brain is one of the largest “consumers” of DHA. According to researchers, a normal adult human brain contains more than 20 grams of DHA. Low DHA levels have been linked to low brain serotonin levels, which are connected to an increased tendency of depression, suicide, and violence. A high intake of fish has been linked to a significant decrease in age-related memory loss and cognitive function impairment and a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, several studies have established a clear association between low levels of omega-3 fatty acids and depression.

An adequate intake of DHA and EPA is particularly important during pregnancy and lactation. During this time, the mother must supply all the baby’s needs for DHA and EPA because it is unable to synthesize these essential fatty acids itself. There is some evidence that an insufficient intake of omega-3 fatty acids may increase the risk of premature birth and an abnormally low birth weight.

The constant drain on a mother’s DHA reserves can easily lead to a deficiency and some research has concluded that preeclampsia (pregnancy-related high blood pressure) and postpartum depression could be linked to a DHA deficiency.

Researchers have found that children who regularly eat fresh, oily fish are four times less likely to develop asthma than do children who rarely eat such fish. Other research has found fish oil to be helpful in the treatment of other lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis and emphysema.

Fish Oil and the Heart

A vast amount of medical literature demonstrates that fish oils prevent and may help to ameliorate or reverse atherosclerosis, angina, heart attack, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Fish oils have also demonstrated an ability to help maintain the elasticity of artery walls, prevent blood clotting, reduce blood pressure and stabilize heart rhythm.

Various studies have concluded that fish oil supplementation may help prevent arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in healthy men. Another study of heart attack survivors found that patients supplementing with fish oils markedly reduced their risk of another heart attack, a stroke or death. Other researchers found that fish oil supplementation for 2 years caused regression of atherosclerotic deposits.

Still other researchers have found that supplementing with as little as 2 grams/day of fish oil (410 mg of EPA plus 285 mg of DHA) can lower diastolic pressure by 4.4 mm Hg and systolic pressure by 6.5 mm Hg in people with elevated blood pressure. These reductions were enough to have patients avoid taking drugs in some cases of borderline hypertension, especially when combined with a program of salt restriction.

Reduces Pain and Helps Prevent Cancer

Fish oils have been shown to be particularly effective in reducing inflammation and can be of great benefit to people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis or ulcerative colitis. Additionally, it is known that patients with ulcerative colitis have abnormally low blood levels of EPA. Clinical trials have shown that supplementation with fish oil (2.7 grams of EPA and 1.8 grams of DHA daily) can reduce the severity of the deficiency by more than 50% and enable many patients to discontinue anti-inflammatory medication and steroids, as well as cardiosteroids such as prednisone.

There is now also considerable evidence that fish oil consumption can delay or reduce tumor development in breast cancer. Studies have also shown that a high blood level of omega-3 fatty acids combined with a low level of omega-6 acids reduces the risk of developing breast cancer.

Safe Fish Oil Supplements That Are Easily Available

The processing and packaging of fish oil is important in helping determine its quality. Low quality oils may be quite unstable and contain significant amounts of mercury, cadmium, pesticides, and other undesirable trace components. High quality oils are stabilized with adequate amounts of vitamin E and are packaged in individual foil pouches or other packaging resistant to light and oxygen. Recent research indicates emulsified fish oils are much better absorbed than the straight oils in gelatin capsules.

Beware!!!

Cod liver oils and fish oils are not the same. Cod liver oil is extracted from cod liver and is an excellent source of vitamins A and D. Fish oils are extracted from the flesh of fatty fish like salmon and herring and are good sources of EPA and DHA. Fish oils contain very little vitamins A and D, but cod liver oil does contain EPA and DHA. However, you would probably exceed the recommended daily intake of vitamins A and D if you were to try to obtain therapeutic amounts of EPA and DHA from cod liver oil.

Of important note, research has shown that fish oil supplementation does lower blood concentrations of vitamin E, so it is a good idea to take extra vitamin E when adding fish oils to your diet.

Steven A Johnson asked:


Omega-3 oils are high in two types of essential fats that your body needs to maintain its good health. These two fats are DHA and EPA. DHA and EPA are very important in maintaining your health. Scientific research has indicated that these substances may also help prevent a variety of very significant and sometimes common but life threatening diseases.

If we lived in a perfect world where we were getting the optimal nutritional benefits that are needed from our diets we would be able to get all the Omega-3s we needed by simply eating fish. However, it is unfortunate that fish oil is weak in antioxidant content. Fish oil is not only weak in antioxidant content but as you try to increase your intake of Omega-3 essential fatty acids by eating more fish or taking oil, you are actually increasing your need for more antioxidant protection.

Besides that there are several other problems when taking fish oil to get the proper amount of Omega 3 fatty acids. For one, fish oil is extremely perishable. To make sure that the fish oil doesn’t become oxidized and rancid antioxidants are necessary. When the fish oils start to oxidize it leads to the formation of more unhealthy free radicals. Researchers and scientists believe that one of the main reasons we age is because of these free radicals.

So, you are left with a cycle that is hard to break. You not only need to get more antioxidants for your health in general, but your will need to increase your intake of antioxidants even more when you use fish oil to get the proper amount of Omega 3 fatty acids.

This cycle has been a problem for most people. However, there is a solution to this problem. The solution begins with a new discovery of Krill oil. Krill oil has not only given us a top-quality alternative to fish oil but it has given us an arsenal of important nutrients that help in fighting the aging process. Important nutrients that have been responsible for helping the Inuits in Greenland stay young and vibrant.

Krill oil is very special marine oil that is exceptionally high in DHA and EPA, a unique food from the sea some may say. Krill oil also has another property that has been know as a secret weapon that is not found in fish oils. This secret weapon explains why it has superior phospholipids, which help deliver the fatty acids directly to your body’s cells. Scientific evidence to date has shown that the safest and most effective carriers of EPA and DHA are these phospholipids.

Phospholipids are the building blocks for your cell membranes and are critical for protecting cell membranes from toxic injury and free radical attacks which allow more EPA and DHA to directly enter the cells and improve your Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio.

The most principal phospholipids in Krill oil is phosphatidyl chorine which make it a rich source of choline. Various studies have established the importance of choline in brain development especially learning and memory. Chorine is predominantly important for fetal and infant brain development in pregnant and nursing women.

Choline is the predecessor for the vital neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Acetylcholine sends nerve signals to the brain, and also for trimethylglycine which is a recognized liver protector. A shortage of acetylcholine has been associated with brain-related disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and autism.

A product such as Bio-Krill Oil is loaded with phospholipids-backed Omega-3s and it also includes a full complement of necessary antioxidants that are not in cod liver or fish oil.

James Philips asked:


Cod Liver Oil has long been recommended as part of a healthy diet and has been renowned for many years for its ability to help maintain a healthy cardiovascular system and supple joints.

Now research has found that a daily supplement of Cod Liver Oil can help to put a smile on our faces with its impressive properties that can help to fight and prevent depression.

What is Cod Liver Oil?

Cod Liver Oil is a beneficial fish oil which contains large amounts of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega 3 fatty acids. EPA and DHA can be found naturally in fish such as mackerel, salmon and tuna.  These particular omega 3 fatty acids are significantly different to those found in flaxseed and vegetable oils, as they keep the blood healthy whilst helping to prevent it from clotting too quickly.  It is these properties that promote a healthy cardiovascular system, good circulation and optimum joint mobility.

Although EPA and DHA essential fatty acids have more commonly been renowned for their significant role in the maintenance of a healthy heart, recent research has sparked new and extensive media attention surrounding the well-known supplement due to its potential anti-depressant properties. 

What does Research say?

The new results of the recent research have revealed that the levels of omega-3 fatty acids are significantly lower in people who suffer from depression in comparison to those who are not depressed.  These findings suggest that eating oily fish and taking a daily supplement of fish oil can result in considerably positive effects in helping to relieve depression. 

The latest claims uncovered the impressive anti-depressive properties of Cod Liver Oil, with a daily supplement of the fish oil potentially reducing the risk of depression by as much as 30%.  Alongside the many other general health benefits of taking a daily supplement of Cod Liver Oil, it may not come as a surprise that healthier people are also less depressed.  Nonetheless, the new research emphasizes the potential of natural dietary supplements in the prevention and treatment of everyday problems, including depression. 

High quality, high strength Cod Liver Oil 1000mg is available in a convenient 1-a-day capsule from Simply Supplements (www.simplysupplements.co.uk) (Buy One Get One Free, £9.93).