If you wanted to list all the health problems of the West, it would not use much of your time. You know most of them already - cardiovascular disease, arthritis, various cancers plus ones not so well known such as skin, nail and hair issues. What they all have in common is a deficiency in omega 3 fatty acids. The two best and quickest ways to solve this is by eating more fatty fish or by using fish oil supplements. This article will discuss the difference.
The terminology can be a little confusing but in basic terms, the fish oil that has the health benefits come from cold water fatty fish. These would include salmon, mackerel, tuna and others. Other sources are either inefficient or impractical.
What are omega 3s?
They are the essential fatty acids found in fatty fish or from their extracted oil. Every cell membrane of the human body contains them. They are called essential because we get them either at the dinner table or by supplement, not by synthesis in the body.
A recent Harvard University comprehensive study found that omega 3 deficiencies are the biggest killer in the U.S. Tobacco, high cholesterol and obesity were first, second and third.
How does this happen?
We get more than enough of other essential fats in our diets. These come from vegetable oils, processed foods, certain dairy products etc. When we have too little omega 3s, the fatty acids in our immune systems get out of balance. This causes the body to over react to disease or some other stimulus.
For example, you fall down and scrape your knee. Large numbers of white blood cells, platelets and various chemicals are rushed to the scene - in fact, too many of them. Over time, the excess platelets start coating artery walls causing "hardening." This inflexibility can cause all sorts of cardiovascular problems eventually including to strokes and heart attacks.
Whole books have been written on the benefits of consuming fatty fish but here is the problem. Most of these species are predators. They get omega 3s by eating other seafood. By the time they get this far up the food chain they are loaded with omega 3s. They are also loaded with ocean pollutants and toxins. Other options like anchovies and sardines have high sodium content.
The FDA recommends eating a maximum of two servings of fatty fish per week. Other experts think that is too much. The FDA and the AHA believe that 2-to-3 grams per day of omega 3s are needed just for health maintenance. Other experts think that this too little.
A few grams per week of omega 3s will give you limited benefits. The only way to get these levels higher without poisoning yourself is with help. This is why the fish oil supplement market has grown so rapidly.
It is a big mistake to think that all supplements are the same. Actually, with a bad product, the cure may be worse than the disease. Keep your fatty fish consumption low and the quality of your supplementation high. My website can help in this area.
Author Resource:
Get my free five-part mini course on the benefits of omega 3, including critical information on why you should take omega3 fish oil .
To sign up for the course and get more tips on the importance of omega 3, visit my website: http://www.omega-3-guide.com/
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