Posts tagged ‘diseases’

Discover the Benefits of Increasing Omega 3 Fish Oil in your Diet

If you pay any attention at all to the scientific or medical news, then you have more than likely heard about some of the benefits that can come from increasing the amount of omega3 fish oil you consume.  Omega-3 fatty acids can be a boon to your health in many ways, as it is now known for its effectiveness in treating and preventing a variety of ailments.  You have to be careful where these omega-3s are coming from though.

The consumption of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, albacore tuna, flounder, sardines, and lake trout was for years considered the best way to increase the level of DHA and EPA fatty acids, but this is no longer the case.  We have filled the waters that these fish swim in with toxins and carcinogens, so it has come to the point now that the consumption of large amounts of fish could be more hazardous to us then beneficial.

DHA and EPA omega3 fish oil has been proven in many clinical studies conducted over the last few decades to greatly benefit heart health.  It has been shown that no matter what the fat content of your diet these essential fatty acids lower your triglyceride levels, and lowers your blood pressure.  They will also slow your heart rate, reduce heartbeat irregularities, and promote circulation.

It has been discovered that omega-3 fatty acids help you to avoid thrombosis by preventing blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots.  They help prevent atherosclerosis, which is where an artery wall thickens as a result of a build-up of fatty materials.  These essential nutrients have also been found to have a positive effect on your mental health as well.

Both DHA and EPA omega3 fish oil have been proven to be highly instrumental in both the cognitive development of an individual, and in the maintenance of normal brain function.  They are very effective in the treatment of mood disorders such as depression, and there is evidence that they are powerful preventatives of diseases like Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.

Studies conducted on pregnant women have shown that those that maintain high blood levels of DHA throughout the pregnancy give birth to more intelligent children.  Peak supplementation levels are especially important during the third trimester, when the most dramatic cognitive development takes place.  These children have an advantage early in life that their peers born with low levels of DHA don’t enjoy.

The best source of DHA rich omega3 fish oil is high quality molecularly distilled dietary fish oil supplements.  The reason that you require a formula that has undergone molecular distillation is because the levels of toxins such as arsenic, mercury, lead, dioxins, PCBs, and chlordane is high in natural fish oil.  This particular form of vacuum distillation is the most effective way to separate the DHA and EPA from the toxins.

Make no mistake about it, purity is the most important factor when considering an omega3 fish oil supplement.  If you are dealing with a company that will not discuss the purity level measurements on the independent party Certificate of Analysis, then you need to buy from someone more reputable.  Your ensured health depends on it.

Laurel Cohen is a strong advocate of natural health in all its forms: skin care, supplementation, and farm fresh foods. She enjoys introducing people to the best natural products she can find and uses herself daily. Visit her site http://www.omega-3-for-health.com to learn about the omega 3 fish oils Laurel uses daily for optimal health.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/discover-the-benefits-of-increasing-omega-3-fish-oil-in-your-diet-1412572.html

A Safe Alternative for Fish Omega- 3

In some types of fish omega-3 fatty acids are abundant, and for years medical professionals were recommending that everyone consume more fish in order to take advantage of the health benefits that these essential fatty acids displayed.  However, I was shocked to hear it is now not customarily advised that a person increase the amount of oil rich fish in their diet, because their consumption may actually do you more harm than good.

It has been revealed to us over the last few decades, that DHA and EPA omega fatty acids have a truly remarkable affect on our health.  These essential nutrients are involved in the treatment and prevention of a great number of diseases that are rooted in inflammation, and it would be a good idea for everyone to significantly increase the levels of these nutrients in our blood.

In fish omega-3 fatty acids are built up over time through either the consumption of microalgae, as is the case with sardines and herring or they are accumulated in predatory fish through the consumption of prey that feed on this substance.  Either way the levels EPA and DHA fatty acids that these fish attain can be startlingly high, but so can the levels of toxins present.

Our waters have become so polluted that it is little wonder that the food that we depend on has become tainted.  A certain measure of the contamination is naturally occurring such as in the case of lead and mercury.  The vast majority of the toxins in the water however are a direct effect on the technological advances that we have made, and the chemical fallout from our innovation.

When eating large numbers of servings of fish omega-3 fatty acid benefits may be completely wasted.  While fish oil benefits help you in some areas, the effect of the toxins will break you down in others.  In order to prevent this from happening the manufacturers of DHA and EPA rich omega-3 dietary supplements have developed special measures for removing these toxic agents from the oil.

What it is that they do in order to ensure that the essential fatty acids you receive are as pure as is humanly possible, is put the toxin ridden fish oil through a process of molecular distillation and concentration.  What this purification process does is it separates the volatile chemical agents and the ethyl esters in the oil.  When the process is completed all of the vaporized toxins will have been vacuumed away, leaving only pure ethyl ester oil behind.

Unlike the triglyceride form of oil typically extracted from fish omega-3 ethyl ester oil is highly bio-available, and it is concentrated to a degree where it has two to three times the normal amounts of DHA and EPA omega fatty acids present.  Ideally, your formula will utilize a split between the concentrated ethyl ester oil, and the natural triglyceride form.

Also, in fish omega-3 DHA and EPA balances cannot be manipulated in such a way as to give you as much DHA as you need, and so you typically end up receiving low levels of DHA to EPA.  With pure, concentrated omega-3 fish oil supplements, your levels of DHA will be guaranteed.  This will help you get the most out of the omega fatty acid supplements you use.

Laurel Cohen is a strong advocate of natural health in all its forms: skin care, supplementation, and farm fresh foods. She enjoys introducing people to the best natural products she can find and uses herself daily. Visit her site http://www.omega-3-for-health.com to learn about the omega 3 fish oils Laurel uses daily for optimal health.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/a-safe-alternative-for-fish-omega-3-1406197.html

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Discover an Effective Fish Oil Concentrate

Let’s face it.  In order for you to achieve an optimum level of health, you are going to have to start supplementing your diet with a DHA rich high quality fish oil concentrate.  Over the last few decades we have been discovering the amazing benefits of increasing the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in our diets.  Once you find out exactly how much they can do for you, it will be easy to see why it is imperative that you get these essential fatty acids in your diet.

We have known that omega-3s produced some health benefits for us since the 1930’s, but it wasn’t until 40 years later that we began to recognize the extent of what these essential fatty acids could do.  Since then, we have found that omega-3 fatty acids provide a wealth of benefits towards the treatment of certain diseases, and the prevention of many others.

The daily consumption of a high quality DHA rich fish oil concentrate can virtually wipe out any incidence of heart disease.  It has been proven that you can have lower triglyceride levels, lower blood pressure, slow your heart rate, decrease the incidence of potentially life threatening arrhythmia, stimulate blood circulation, increase the breakdown of clot and scar producing fibrin, prevent atherosclerosis, and prevents blood platelets from sticking together and causing clots to form.

Cardiovascular health is not all that is improved by an increase in EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids in the diet.  They are also important for the cognitive development, and the maintenance of normal brain function of humans.  It has been proven that incidences of depression, aggressive behavior, and suicidal thought and tendencies can be reduced through an increase in dietary fish oil.

It has also been shown that a DHA and EPA fish oil concentrate reduces the odds of the development of age related memory loss.  These essential nutrients aid in preventing the formation of the amyloid plaque that forms in the neuro-pathway’s of the brain.  These two omega fatty acids have also shown some promise in the prevention and treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

The main reason that it is recommended that you supplement your diet with a DHA and EPA rich omega fatty acid supplement instead of simply increasing the amount of fish that you eat is simple.  Our waters have become so polluted that the fish are becoming more and more toxic to humans.  In order to lower the risk that these toxins pose, fish oil supplements are the delivery method of choice.

This is because a high quality fish oil concentrate has gone through a purifying procedure known as molecular distillation.  This is where the toxins in the fish oil become separated from the ethyl esters by way of lowering the pressure above the fish oil to below the level which results in the vaporization of the volatile compounds present.  This leaves you with pure, highly concentrated ethyl ester oil.

By taking advantage of a DHA rich bio-available ethyl ester fish oil concentrate, you can expect significant improvements to your health.

Laurel Cohen is a strong advocate of natural health in all its forms: skin care, supplementation, and farm fresh foods. She enjoys introducing people to the best natural products she can find and uses herself daily. Visit her site http://www.omega-3-for-health.com to learn about the omega 3 fish oils Laurel uses daily for optimal health.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/discover-an-effective-fish-oil-concentrate-1406209.html

Discover the Benefits of Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Face it.  Clinical tests conducted over the last 40 years have proven the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids for a variety of ailments.  Inflammation in the body is necessary in order for the immune system to effectively ward off diseases, and to heal wounds.  If there is too much inflammation constantly present in the body it can have the opposite affect than intended, and this chronic inflammation leads to disease.

The reason that we now suffer from so many of the ailments that we have simply come to accept, is because we have allowed the ratio of our omega-6 fatty acids to overwhelm the body’s content of omega-3s.  Both of these fatty acids are necessary in order to maintain good health, but an overabundance of omega-6 fatty acids is responsible for the prevalence of many preventable diseases.

One of the primary benefits of omega 3 fatty acid is that unlike omega-6s, which are never able to turn themselves off, omega-3s are able to discern when inflammation is necessary and when it is not.  This ability is what makes DHA and EPA omega fatty acids such a force in the prevention and treatment of the various “inflammatory” diseases.  We need to raise the level of the omega3s in our bodies.

The reason that things have gotten so out of balance has to do with how much our diets have changes over the last century.  Instead of the omega-3 rich substances that used to be staples in our diets, we have turned to eating processed foods substances and significantly increased our intake of soy, palm, and corn oils.  Something has got to drastically change.

Some of the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids include the prevention of cardiovascular disease, and proper cognitive development and cognitive function.  You can also count on a positive effect from the consumption of DHA and EPA rich omega fatty acids when it comes to allergies and asthma, arthritis and gout, and diabetes.  These fatty acids offer you the possible prevention of breast and prostate cancer as well.

So, in order to get things in balance and back on the right track, should you begin by eating more oil rich fish?  This was the recommendation years ago, but increasing the amount of fish that you eat is not advisable now.  This is because we have allowed entirely too many toxins to contaminate the earth’s water, and these toxins are becoming a part of the fish that we eat.

The best way to enjoy the benefits of omega 3 fatty acid is to take DHA omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplement capsules, every day as directed.  This way you will be able to control what it is that is entering your body, because the manufacturers of fish oil supplements distill all of the toxins out of the oil they are giving you.  They also concentrate the DHA and EPA present, in order that you get the maximum possible dosage.

So now that you know this, get your omega fatty acid levels back to normal and you can enjoy all of the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids.

Laurel Cohen is a strong advocate of natural health in all its forms: skin care, supplementation, and farm fresh foods. She enjoys introducing people to the best natural products she can find and uses herself daily. Visit her site http://www.omega-3-for-health.com to learn about the omega 3 fish oils Laurel uses daily for optimal health.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/discover-the-benefits-of-omega-3-fatty-acids-1398567.html

Discover the Benefits Associated with Fish Oils and Depression

I was concerned when I heard that many doctors are missing the boat by not advising their patient as to the proven benefits associated with fish oils and depression.  It seems as though whenever you visit the doctor for any reason, they are quick to want to prescribe some sort of chemically based drug to you in order to treat the problem.  None of the formulas designed to treat ailments such as depression are without their side effects though.

It seems as though no medical professional is willing to even discuss the findings of thousands of clinical studies that point out that a high level of DHA omega-3 fatty acid is just as effective at treating depression and other mood disorders as the medication currently being prescribed.  The only difference between fatty acids and those prescription medications is that fatty acids do not present any risk.

The connection between fish oils and depression is cemented in the fact that so many studies have proven that the cause of depression and other mood disorder stem from a deficiency in DHA omega-3 fatty acids.  It has been shown that low levels of DHA in the frontal cortex of the brain can cause a lot of things to happen, with depression, aggressive behavior, hostility, and suicidal tendencies topping the list.

Why is it that so many people nowadays suffer from lowered levels of DHA, and omega-3s in general?  A lot of it has to do with what is in our diet.  DHA is an essential fatty acid, and although the body can produce some DHA by deriving it from EPA, it is much more efficient for us to obtain our DHA through the foods that we eat.  This is where we run into problems.

The connection between fish oils and depression may have come to the forefront specifically because of our diets.  We have moved away from the healthy, natural, omega-3 rich foods that we used to eat, and instead now subsist on vast amounts of foods containing soy, corn, palm, and cottonseed oils.  The consumption of soy oil alone has increased a thousand-fold over the last 100 years.

What this has done is totally throw the balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids out of whack.  We are consuming far more omega-6 fatty acids now than omega-3s, and this is very bad.  While we need both types of omega fatty acids and the inflammation that they cause in order to have a strong immune system, omega-6s produce far more inflammation than the body needs, which can be harmful.

Omega-3 fatty acids balance out the harmful effect that can be caused by unchecked levels of omega-6s.  Your levels of omega-3 fatty acids will ideally be higher than those of omega-6 in order to prevent the diseases caused by chronic inflammation.  Low levels of DHA omega-3 fish oils and depression will be remedied once a DHA rich omega-3 dietary supplement is added to your diet.

Make no mistake about it, the connection between fish oils and depression has been made and omega-3 fatty acid fish oil supplements are the answer to all of your problems.

Laurel Cohen is a strong advocate of natural health in all its forms: skin care, supplementation, and farm fresh foods. She enjoys introducing people to the best natural products she can find and uses herself daily. Visit her site http://www.omega-3-for-health.com to learn about the omega 3 fish oils Laurel uses daily for optimal health.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/discover-the-benefits-associated-with-fish-oils-and-depression-1398572.html

Supplements that Cleanse and Revitalize the Body

When we talk about cleansing the body, we can be referring to a number of different things. There are so many ways to clean out and flush the body of toxins, pollutants and junk. One of the best ways to do this, of course, is to alter your diet. A diet that is heavy in saturated fats, white, nutrient-robbing flours and sugars will leave you feeling sluggish, tired and irritable. This is the body’s way of telling you that it is not clean. It’s important to listen to your body and heed its warnings. If you’re experiencing a noticeable lack of energy and aren’t feeling like yourself, it’s time to take action and regain your body’s natural, balanced state. Luckily, there are several all natural supplements that can cleanse the body from the inside out.

Toxins and harmful contaminants are typically ingested by way of fast food, junk food or exposure to environmental pollutants. You can start to rid the body of these toxins by eliminating these foods from your diet, and eating a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. And to bolster your dietary efforts and cleanse your body faster, you can take certain supplements.

Green Tea Supplements

One such supplement is green tea. Green tea is a superb antioxidant that has been used for centuries. This antioxidant powerhouse has only recently gained mainstream attention in the United States. Some experts even estimate that green tea has ten times the antioxidant properties of fruits and vegetables! Drinking just one or two cups of green tea per day can help your body fight off infections and diseases naturally. It works by modifying the body’s metabolism, so that it’s able to ward off and detoxify chemicals that would otherwise remain harmful inside the body. The polyphenols found in green tea literally scour the body internally for any cell-damaging free radicals, and when they are found, they destroy them. Green tea is a natural, easy way to cleanse your body of cancer-causing agents and other harmful contaminants.

Milk Thistle Supplements

Another great cleansing supplement that can help revitalize the body is an herb called milk thistle. It is a flowering herb that is related to the daisy and ragweed, believe it or not. Milk thistle is best known for its use as an all natural liver cleanser, and can be a good alternative for treatment of cirrhosis, gall bladder disorders, jaundice and hepatitis.

The main ingredient found in milk thistle is silymarin, which acts as both an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. Therefore, milk thistle is quite useful in cleansing the body (and particularly the liver) even if you do not have any of the conditions listed above. It has even been suggested that milk thistle can cleanse and help to restore the liver of people who have a history of alcohol abuse. Because alcohol and sugar are very closely related, there has also been some discussion as to whether milk thistle might be useful in diabetes treatment. Regardless, it is quite beneficial for the average person who wants to cleanse their body of everyday toxins. You can take this herb in capsule form or in a tincture, and supplement with it daily.

Dandelion Supplements

Another herb that works along the same lines as milk thistle is dandelion. Dandelion is also notable for its natural liver cleansing properties, and has been used in liver treatment as well as preliminary diabetes treatment and gall bladder cleansing. This herb also acts as an anti-inflammatory. It can further be used as a diuretic, and tends to help people eliminate greater amounts of toxins through the loss of urine. If you supplement with dandelion, be sure to drink plenty of water to flush out toxins even faster and to make up for the water loss you may experience.

Burdock Root Supplements

One last herbal supplement that can complete your cleanse is burdock or burdock root. Burdock is actually one of four ingredients in a popular herbal tea mixture called Essiac that is sold to as an alternative treatment for cancer patients. It is also used to treat diabetes and other gastrointestinal diseases. Even if you do not suffer from any of these maladies, burdock is a wonderful additional herb to add to your cleansing routine.

Before you start cleansing your blood and organs with these teas and herbs, be sure to check with your doctor, especially if you take other medications that may interact with these herbs. After all, these supplements work because they are potent. So long as he or she gives it the thumbs up, here’s to a cleaner, healthier and revitalized you!

Megan Hazel is a freelance writer who writes about health and wellbeing, often discussing specific items such as liver support formulas.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/supplements-that-cleanse-and-revitalize-the-body-1385098.html

Facts About Vitamins

Science concurs with the practice of taking a daily multi-vitamin. The American Medical Association (AMA) says that “sub-optimal levels of vitamins are associated with increased risk of chronic diseases”, and that “all adults should take daily vitamin supplements.” Harvard University refers to daily vitamins as “micronutrient insurance”. It’s obvious that we can all benefit from vitamins but how do you choose the best multi-vitamin?

The first and best thing to do is check for pharmaceutical grade standards. The overwhelming majority of vitamins are not regulated properly. With the majority of vitamin companies, you really don’t know what you’re getting or if your body will even be able to absorb and use the vitamins. Pharmaceutical grade vitamins are held to the same strict standards as pharmaceutical medications. It ensures you that your body is actually getting what it advertises.

The next thing to do is check for completeness. Does your multiple vitamin go above and beyond the recommended daily allowance (RDA) and deliver optimal amounts of vitamins and minerals that act synergistically to give you the most benefit? The only way to answer these questions without spending hours on the internet researching vitamin companies is to ask the experts.

Nutrisearch is the authority on nutritional supplements. It’s their job to subjectively rate the quality of all supplements. It reveals the quality of every vitamin brand using very strict guidelines by an unbiased panel of physicians. They deliver the facts about vitamins like you’ve never seen before. Your search is over. The Superfood-Guru has done the research for you.

Get the Facts About Vitamins backed by scientific research. The Superfood-Guru reveals the best multi-vitamin with the highest rating by nutrisearch.

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Omega 3 Fatty Acids – Find Out Why They Are Important And Where To Find Them

More and more people have now begun to realize how important and beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids are for our health. In fact, this is one of the very few areas where traditional medicine and alternative medicine actually agree. Let’s take a look at how you can best take advantage of these nutrients.

Of all the Omega 3 fatty acids, the following four are the most beneficial:

- Docosahexanoic Acid – DHA

- Eicosapentaenoic Acid – EPA

- Docosapentaenoic Acid – DPA

- Alpha Linolenic Acid – ALA

Let’s talk about each of them, one by one.

ALA – This fatty acid is found most abundantly in Flax seed oil and other vegetable oils. While like other omega 3 fats, this fat also helps in reducing the risk of heart diseases, studies have shown that ALA can lead to increased risk of Macular degeneration. Flax seed oil also oxidizes easily and quickly becomes rancid. So it’s best to stick to the other omega 3 fats instead of this one.

DPA – This fatty acid is an intermediary between EPA and DHA. Its best source is from certain kinds of fish like Salmon, Mackerel, Trout and the Hoki (a New Zealand fish). It is beneficial for the heart, brain, eyes and also reduces inflammation in the body, which helps in reducing the risk of cancer. Still all in all, it plays more of a supportive role to the other two fats we will discuss now.

EPA – This has been the favorite of omega 3 enthusiasts for long. Many major fish oil brands still swear by it and use it as the primary ingredient in their oil. Latest research, however, has shown that the belief on this fat may have been a little misplaced. It’s actually DHA that is the most beneficial of all the omega 3 fatty acids.

DHA – This nutrient has finally begun to get the attention and respect it deserves. The most beneficial of all, it’s also necessary for proper brain development. In fact, almost 30% of the human brain is made up of DHA omega 3 fats only.

All said and done, no single omega 3 fat is sufficient by itself to keep us healthy. What you need is a proper mix of these fats. Your daily dosage of around 500 mg of omega 3 fats should ideally consist of about 50% DHA, 25% EPA and the rest 25% in DPA.

This is the best mix of omega 3 fatty acids that you should look for in any oil you buy.

For more information on how to select the best oil to get all the omega 3 fatty acids in the right proportion, visit my website now.

Michael Holman is a dedicated researcher and reviewer of fish oil supplements. He shares his research on his website – Omega3 Information.To discover the highest Omega 3 fish oil supplements our editors personally use and recommend, visit – http://www.omega3information.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/omega-3-fatty-acids-find-out-why-they-are-important-and-where-to-find-them-1376458.html

Discover Fish Oil Health Benefits

Have you read about this recently?  In a recent article written by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, scientist discuss the fish oil health benefits for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and whether it is wiser to eat seafood or take a supplement.  Some research groups recommend eating more seafood.  Others recommend taking a supplement.  A few recommend both.

For example, if you happen to be a pregnant woman, researchers have recommended that you eat two servings of low-mercury seafood per week and take a supplement that provides at least 500mg of DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) every day, as well as your regular pre-natal vitamin.  That recommendation is made, because DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found only in seafood and some types of marine algae, is essential for normal brain and eye development in the fetus.

If you do enjoy seafood, you should check out the consumption advisories published by the Environmental Defense Fund, the CDC and the EPA.  Some species should be eaten no more than once per month.  Some should be avoided entirely.

Women and children are most susceptible to the mercury and PCB content.  But, men should be careful, too.  Too many PCBs can increase the risk of cancer.

The fish oil health benefits cannot counteract the negative effects of consuming mercury or PCBs, but supplement manufacturers can have each batch of oils tested for those contaminants, insuring that none are present.  It is not possible to test every piece of seafood for contaminants, because testing destroys the food.

So, when advisories are made, it is just a “guesstimate”.  There is no way to be certain which species are safe and which are not.  One serving could have two or three times the contaminants present in another.

The North Carolina researchers concluded that more research is needed to investigate the fish oil health benefits, the potential adverse effects of certain species and how cooking affects the nutritional value.  If you read much of the scientific research, you will see that one of the most common conclusions is that more research is needed.

Continuing research is important in order to arrive at specific dosage recommendations.  It will also be necessary if US residents are ever to be aware of all of the fish oil health benefits.  The FDA will not sign off on health claims associated with nutritional supplements, unless there is more research.

Preventing over-stated and unverifiable claims that could be misleading is an important job for the FDA.  But, sometimes, they seem to overdo it.  For example, the company that makes Nyquil added vitamin C to their cold relief formula, without first receiving approval from the FDA.

The FDA told them to change the formula, because there is no “proof” that vitamin C helps people recover from a cold more quickly.  There is no proof that alcohol, which is the main ingredient in Nyquil, helps people recover from a cold, either.  It just helps them sleep.

Laurel Cohen is a strong advocate of natural health in all its forms: skin care, supplementation, and farm fresh foods. She enjoys introducing people to the best natural products she can find and uses herself daily. Visit her site http://www.omega-3-for-health.com to learn about the omega 3 fish oils Laurel uses daily for optimal health.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/discover-fish-oil-health-benefits-1370242.html

Discover Refined Fish Oil

Did you know refined fish oil has been used since the days of the Vikings as a food supplement and for medicinal purposes?  The oils were primarily recommended, at that time, to increase bowel motility and to reduce joint pain.

Just 50 years ago, the supplements were recommended for those same purposes.  Moms also gave it to their children to help reduce the risk of rickets and vitamin A deficiency, because those nutrients were present in the oils, as well.

Many brands are no longer sources of vitamin A or D.  The concern is that too much vitamin A can be toxic, especially to children.  Oils that are derived from the liver (cod liver oil, for example) contain too much vitamin A for children and for pregnant women.  Too much vitamin A causes birth defects.

Vitamin D is only found in some species of fish.  If the brand you are thinking about buying is a good source of vitamin D, it should be listed on the nutrient facts label, located on the back of the bottle.

Research indicates that vitamin D deficiency is on the rise, among people of all ages, regardless of whether they are underweight or obese.  So, it’s a good idea to be sure to get enough of that nutrient, but refined fish oil is not your best choice for increasing your vitamin D intake.  Cholecalciferol or D3 is the most readily absorbable form of the nutrient, other than the type that you skin makes when you are exposed to UV rays from the sun.

The nutrients that are provided by refined fish oil are two that are largely absent in the modern-day diet.  They are Docosahexaenoic acid and Eicosapentaenoic acid; DHA and EPA.

DHA and EPA are long-chained polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids.  They are not found in vegetable oils or plant foods.  At one time, they may have been present in the wild game that people ate.  But, today, they are found only in fish.

DHA is found in some types of marine algae, but the algae supplements do not contain EPA.  Both are important, according to research.

One of the benefits of increased omega-3 intake is a reduced risk of depression.  In different studies DHA alone, EPA alone and a combination of the two fatty acids were used.  The best results were seen when volunteers were given both EPA and DHA.

So, other than eating oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel or sardines, the only way to get EPA and DHA in the diet is by taking a refine fish oil supplement.  Of course, all supplements are not the same and you need to shop with care.  But, if you choose a good brand, you could reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and a variety of seemingly age-related diseases.

From what we have learned, it isn’t about age, itself.  People get older without suffering from disease.  It’s about small amounts of damage that occur on a molecular level, every day of a person’s life.  We can’t stop the damage completely.  But, with refined fish oil and a healthy lifestyle, we should be able to keep it to a minimum.

Laurel Cohen is a strong advocate of natural health in all its forms: skin care, supplementation, and farm fresh foods. She enjoys introducing people to the best natural products she can find and uses herself daily. Visit her site http://www.omega-3-for-health.com to learn about the omega 3 fish oils Laurel uses daily for optimal health.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/discover-refined-fish-oil-1370244.html