15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega 3
It is a well known fact that fish oil offers a lot in the way of benefits for health. Like many supplements, it is just a matter of knowing exactly what they do. The key chemical in fish oil that makes it so powerful are omega-3 fatty acids. These are essential vitamins that can help with a plethora of different things related to health. Every single organ in the body benefits from fish oil, and it can help with a variety of conditions. Fish oil is the fat or oil extracted from fish tissue. You should be sure to consume at least one to two servings of fish every week. If you do not, being sure to get enough fish oil through supplements is good enough. Anyway, these are the best 15 benefits of fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids.
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Around 30 percent of fish oil is comprised of omega-3 fatty acids. It should also be mentioned that fish oil also contains plenty of vitamin A and D. You can get it from any number of fish, including tuna, salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring. While it is always seen in the tissue of fish, some fish produce it from their liver, which is the case for cod liver oil. The main omega-3 fatty acids in fish are EPA, DHA, and ALA. Although ALA is an essential fatty acid, EPA and DHA have many more health benefits. It should be stated that the less necessary and healthy omega 6 fatty acids have replaced omega-3 acids. This is more common in the west and is consumed through things like corn oil.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega 3
1. It Can Help With Mental Disorders
Since your brain is up to 60 percent fat, feeding it with another kind of fat can help with it’s function. Much of the fat in the brain is omega-3 fatty acids, and they are essential to normal brain function. It is often suggested that people with mental disorders have lower levels of omega-3 in their blood. Omega 3 can help prevent the onset and help with the symptoms of certain psychiatric disorders. For those at risk, it can reduce the likelihood of someone developing a psychotic disorder like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It can also help with those dealing with anxiety because of nutritional deficiencies. While it can help with mental disorders, it is not to say that this is all it takes. Things like therapy are still needed, and permanently eliminating a mental disorder entirely is nearly impossible.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
2. It Can Help With Inflammation
Fish oils have been said to help your immune system by reducing inflammation. Your immune system is your body’s way of fighting off infections and treating injuries. Chronic inflammation is associated with serious illnesses like obesity, diabetes, cancer, depression, and heart disease. If you take omega-3 fatty acids, you can help fight inflammation, aiding in taking these inflammatory problems away. The anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil help with reducing risk of these chronic diseases. In stressed and obese individuals, fish oil can reduce the production and gene expression of inflammatory molecules called cytokines. Fish oil supplements can also significantly reduce joint pain, stiffness, and medication needs in people with rheumatoid arthritis. The help it can give inflammatory bowel disease is not as proven, as there is no proof that it helps with symptoms.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
3. It Can Help With Weight Loss
Obesity is a worldwide epidemic and is defined by a BMI of over 30 percent bodyfat. Globally, nearly 40 percent of adults are considered overweight, and 13 percent are obese. These numbers are even higher when looking at specific highly developed countries like the United States. Being overweight can cause problems with type 2 diabetes and even cancer Since fish oil is a fat, it can help reduce appetite in those struggling to lose weight. Studies claim that this supplement, along with diet and exercise, can greatly improve someone’s ability to burn fat. In addition, bodyfat composition is greatly improved when taking the supplement, fat or not. Not all studies came to this conclusion, as obese individuals still had problems with weight loss.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
4. It Can Help With Heart Health
Since heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, there are things we should look at for help. Fish oil supplements have been known to reduce the risk of heart disease, even in those most vulnerable. There are multiple factors that are reduced in the consumption of fish oil. These include increasing good cholesterol and lowering bad cholesterol, lowering triglycerides, and reducing blood pressure. Other benefits include reducing the plague surrounding the arteries leading to the heart and a reduction in fatal arrythmias. Even then, there is no proof of fish oil reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke overall.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
5. It Can Help With Eye Health
It has been proven study by study that fish oil positively affects your eye health. Since your eyes are a direct extension part of your brain, it only makes perfect sense. Your eyes rely on Omega-3 fatty acids, and if you do not consume them, you are at greater risk for eye diseases. Again, this is more about reducing the risk you contracting a disease more than improving your eyes. Your eyes begin to decline in old age, but the consumption of fish or fish oil is said to decrease risk of age-related macular degeneration. The studies on this have been small, as eating fish as a whole is proven to be more of a guarantee. Other studies on this have been done, saying that fish oil combined with other nutrients makes a positive difference. However, there are also some studies that displayed little impact at all.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
6. It Can Help Support Proper Pregnancy
If you are deciding on having a child, then taking fish oil supplements beforehand can help. Having children is a huge responsibility and requires the best care for the newborn. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to growth and development in children and unborn fetuses. This is why it is important for mothers to get enough omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The overall mental ability of an infant and toddler can improve. Some of these improvements can include hand-eye coordination, intelligence, and overall learning ability. Additional benefits can also include a reduction in infant allergies and visual development.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
7. It Can Help With Skin Health
It is said that the skin relies heavily on the consumption of fish oils to help keep it healthy. Your skin is the largest organ in, or in this case, on your body. It relies a lot on omega-3 fatty acids, and fats are also used to help with the production of healthy oils in your skin. This can help keep your skin moist, healthy, and young. Your skin declines with age, especially those who are struggling with excessive sun exposure. This can lead to skin cancer, known as melanoma, and other skin conditions or diseases. If you take fish oils, you can decrease your risk of these conditions, including psoriasis and dermatitis.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
8. It Can Specifically Help With Depression
Depression is a somewhat common mental condition where a person lacks motivation. There are mental disorders involving worse depression known as major depression. There is often stress and a lack of concern for one’s health when suffering from this mental illness. It is also expected that depression will be the second leading cause of illness in 2030. Fish oils can help this, as most people struggling with depression lack reasonable amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Studies have shown that the consumption of fish oil and specifically omega 3 acids are beneficial. These acids can help reduce the symptoms of depression, and this can be said even more so for EPA than DHA acids.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
9. It Can Help With ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a hyperactivity disorder involving a inattention, hyperactive behavior, and repetitive movements. Many children struggle with this, and they can even end up carrying similar issues over into adulthood. ADHD is a behavioral disorder, but things like fish oils containing omega-3 fatty acids can help with this. Considering that a significant portion of your brain is made of these acids, they can help prevent these disorders early on. Fish oil supplements may improve perceived hyperactivity, inattention, impulsiveness, and aggression in children. This may benefit early life learning and intelligence as well.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
10. It Can Help Reduce Fat in Liver
Your liver is considered a filter for fat and things like sugars in foods and alcohol. It is responsible for processing most of the fat in your body. Your liver can end up struggling with conditions known as fatty liver, which is the precursor to cirrhosis. Conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is another problem where fat accumulates in the liver. Fish oil supplements can improve liver function and inflammation. This may help reduce symptoms of NAFLD and the amount of fat in your liver.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
11. It Can Help Prevent Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are serious brain disorders that involve a loss of memory and inability to remember things over time. This means that both long-term and short-term memory are affected negatively. As you age, your brain functions slow down and your ability to remember things begins to reduce. Your brain functions begin to slow down slowly, and your risk of developing these diseases goes up. Not everyone is at risk of developing these, but various things like supplements, diet, puzzles, and exercise can help. Taking fish oil supplements reduces the speed of decline in those with old age. Studies have contradicting results, as some studies provide little evidence for this help. Other studies have shown that omega-3 supplements can help in older adults who are already healthy.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
12. It Can Help With Your Kidneys
Fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids can help those struggling with kidney diseases. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil prevent inflammation in the kidney to slow down progression of kidney disease. While fish oil capsules may be effective in many patients, some patients do not respond to it. This is why it is always more important to get your supplements through your diet. This is where your diet can come into play, as eating unhealthy foods can reduce the impact of fish oil. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation is associated with a significantly reduced risk of end-stage renal disease and delays the progression of it as well. Symptoms of these diseases are also greatly helped through the consumption of fish oil.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
13. It Can Help With Asthma and Allergies
Asthma and allergies are common, but they are becoming more common, especially in infants and young children. Asthma can cause swelling in the lungs and a shortness of breath, while allergies can cause severe reactions. Allergies to seasonal related pollen and daily things like certain food are becoming worse. A multitude of studies have shown that fish oil may reduce asthma symptoms in infants. It has also been shown that a mother’s intake of fish oil and omega-3 acids reduced the risk of asthma in children by 30 percent. The same can be said for the reduction in childhood allergies if a mother takes these supplements during pregnancy.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
14. It Can Help With Your Lungs
Your lungs are a very important organ in your body, and fish oil can have a positive impact on them. Again, this is because of the omega-3 acids in the fish oil. Your lungs are said to benefit from them by reducing the risk of lung infections. Specifically, increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids were associated with reduced respiratory symptom prevalence. This is mostly among individuals with lower omega-6 intake and current smokers with lower education/socioeconomic status. This is related to blood serum levels, which is just as important as lung function on it’s own. This, as well, as the aforementioned help you can get with asthma makes this clear.
15 Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega-3
15. It Can Help With Bone Health
Poor bone health is something that anyone can end up dealing with the older they become. During the process of aging, bones can begin to lose their essential minerals. This only gets worse with time, and trying to maintain these minerals becomes harder as well. These problems can lead to problems like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. While it is common sense that calcium and vitamin D can help, there is evidence that omega-3 can help, too. People who consume fish oil or other sources of omega-3 have higher bone mineral density. These higher levels in your blood can end up keeping your bones young and strong. It is still not a sure fact that it always helps, but evidence seems to lean this way. Those who consume fish oil supplements