Fish Oil Explained
How Fish Oil Affects Your Body & Fitness.
Are you looking for a safe, scientifically tested supplement that can help combat inflammation in your body? Fish oil might be your friend.
Fish oils are some of the most popular supplements among athletes and regular people because of the powerful over-the-counter benefits they present.
This article will break down what fish oils are, and how they can help you.
What are Fish Oils?
Fish oils are oils that are taken from the tissues of fatty fish such as sardines, salmon, or mackerel. The oil is taken from the liver of the fish and then cooked and pressed.
The fatty fish oil contains two main chemicals:
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
These two fatty acids are found in the cell membranes within the body and can otherwise only be found in fatty fish and fish oil.
Fish oils are dispersed throughout the body with the help of the lymphatic system where they are delivered to your tissues for processing, oxidation, and storage.
How Do Fish Oils Benefit Me?
Fish oils improve your cardiovascular health.
The EPA and DHA in fish oil protect against heart disease and can help reverse heart disease.
Fish oil can
- Reduce triglycerides
- Lower blood pressure
- Slow the progression of atherosclerosis
- Reduce arrhythmia and other abnormal heart conditions
- Increase HDL cholesterol
There are specific prescription fish oils such as Lovaza which contain a highly purified form of oil that is safer than other over-the-counter fish oil supplements.
Fish oils are especially powerful when combined with statin medication to reduce inflammation in the heart than when using medication alone.
Fish oil improves mental health.
Studies suggest that a lack of omega 3 fatty acids, or an imbalance of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids, can give rise to symptoms of depression.
The EPA and DHA in fish oil help preserve the cell membrane of the brain and also help in the communication between brain cells.
Fish oil doesn’t just reduce depressive symptoms because of their anti-inflammation properties. Fish oil has a positive effect on your serotonin and serotonin receptors in particular.
Fish oil can be used together with anti-depressants to treat depression, and can also help with conditions such as ADHD, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and premenstrual syndrome.
Fish oil protects against auto-immune diseases.
Fish oil supplementation can help in acute and chronic conditions where inappropriate activation of the immune system occurs.
Regularly consuming fish oils suppresses hyper reactive T cells and might help in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and Systemic lupus erythematosus.
In particular, fish oil helps to reduce stiffness, tenderness, and swelling in the joints along with helping in the regulation of the immune system.
Arthritis patients need to consume fairly large amounts of omega 3 fatty acids to gain its positive effects, in which case eating whole fish isn’t possible and capsules become very convenient instead.
Cod Liver Oil vs. Fish Oil: Is there a Difference? with Dr. Berg
