What is Fish Oil?
Fish oil is the oil that derives from the flesh of many types of fish, including salmon, mackerel and tuna. It carries a host of health benefits to humans and may be sourced simply through the diet or via supplementation.
The Nutritional Properties of Fish Oil
The beneficial properties of fish oil are felt through its Omega-3 fatty acid content, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
What Can Fish Oil be Used to Treat?
Fish oil can be used to prevent and treat a variety of chronic conditions and disease. Some of these include:
- Depression
- Bipolarism
- Psychosis
- Arthritis
- Crohns disease
- Heart disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Alzeimers disease
- Kidney problems
- High cholesterol
- Thyroid disease
- Chronic skin conditions
Fish Oil for the Brain
Fish oil supplementation has been shown to:
- Improve brain function
- Memory
- Recall
- Reasoning
- Focus
Recent studies also linked increased levels of intelligence and happiness in babies born to mothers who had taken fish oil throughout the pregnancy.
Fish Oil Beats the Blues Away
The Omega-3s of fish oil have been proven to relieve symptoms of depression and help regulate the mood swings of bipolar disorder.
Fish Oil for Heart Health
Omega 3 fatty acids have been linked to:
- Reducing your LDL (bad) cholesterol
- Raising your HDL (good) cholesterol
- Reducing blood tryglicerides
- Reducing blood pressure
All of which keep the arteries and veins clear to run efficiently, working wonders for your cardiovascular health.
Fish Oil May Prevent Stroke and Heart Attacks
Arterial wall plaque can build up and occasionally break away and may cause a thrombosis (blood clot). When the clot becomes stuck in an artery, it may cause a heart attack. When it becomes lodged in the brain, it may cause the individual to stroke out. Recent scientific studies have demonstrated that the Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil have the ability to break up these clots, greatly reducing the person's risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Fish Oil May Protect From Cancer
The Omega-3s of fish oil have been shown by science to assist in the prevention of colon, breast and prostate cancer. It is proposed it does so by:
- Preventing a normal cell from transforming into a cancerous tumor.
- Preventing unwanted cellular growth
- Stimulating apoptosis of cancer cells (causing them to die)
Fish Oil Helps You See Better
The DPA fatty acid found in fish oil forms a major structural component of the retinal membranes, nerves and brain that are needed for vision and brain activity. Fish oil may also protect against age-related macular degeneration (that causes a loss of vision) and symptoms of dry eye syndrome.
Fish Oil for Pain and Inflammation
The fatty acid EPA found in fish oil has been shown to positively regulate the body’s inflammatory response. This reduces the pain often felt in chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, cystitis and prostatitis.
Originally published on Apr 08, 2010
