Years ago, many parents gave their kids a daily dosage of fish oil, usually cod liver oil, because it was good for their health. It stank and tasted nasty, but parents and kids alike put up with that. The health benefits that they knew about were mainly to the digestive system and the joints. Now, we know that there are many other health benefits, because of the omega 3 fatty acids found in the oils.
Cod liver oils are not the best choice for supplementation, anymore, because they are known to contain large quantities of vitamin A. Vitamin A is, of course, an essential vitamin. Deficiencies cause diseases like rickets. But, it is best to get your vitamin A from plant sources like carrots, because the kind found in fish and animal livers can be toxic.
The better supplements contain oils that are pressed from the flesh of small oily fish like anchovies, sardines or hoki. They do not contain vitamin A, but in most cases, vitamin E is added as a preservative. A 1000mg dosage of fish oil might contain 10mg of vitamin E. So, it’s not a very good dietary source of that vitamin. But, that’s okay. The most important part of the supplement is the omega 3 fat.
Not all of the oils are omega 3s. Some are omega 6s and 9s. In the better supplements, 50 of the oils are omega 3 fat, with 28 being Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA. DHA is essential for healthy brain development during childhood, but it is of continued importance, as life goes by.
Low intake of DHA is associated with depression and other emotional disorders. Researchers believe that a daily dosage of fish oil, rich in DHA, may protect the brain’s cells from Alzheimer’s. Research is currently ongoing concerning that benefit.
Low intake of total omega 3s is a risk factor for preventable causes of death, according to researchers in the US. They estimate that some 84,000 deaths were caused by low dietary intake of omega 3s during the year 2005.
You might think of omega 3 fat as “good” dietary fat. It reduces the risk of heart disease by increasing HDL (good) cholesterol levels and lowering total blood triglycerides. Other dietary fats, particularly trans fatty acids and saturated fats increase the risk of heart disease, increase the LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and increase total blood triglycerides.
That is just one of the reasons that a daily dosage of fish oil is recommended for heart health. The other is that omega 3s prevent blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots. If a clot gets to the heart, it causes a heart attack. If it gets to the brain, it causes a stroke.
So, how much should an adult take every day? Most doctors recommend 2000 to 3000mg per day. The higher amount is more beneficial for people with inflammatory conditions like arthritis.
Just be sure that your daily dosage of fish oil is rich in omega 3s, particularly DHA, is free of contaminants and as fresh as it can be.
Author Resource:
Valerie Rosenbaum knows that taking omega 3 fish oil supplements is the single most effective way to improve your health. Visit her site now to discover the pure, fish oil product she uses and recommends after extensive research: http://www.TakingFishOil.com
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