Omega 3 Oils Are Essential For the Heart and Brainelpt
Omega 3 oils are truly
superhero heart health nutrients.
Hardly a day goes by without reports of another
health benefit. A short list follows:
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keep cholesterol levels low,
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reduce high blood pressure
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stabilize irregular heart beat
(arrhythmia)
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reduce the "stickiness" of blood cells (called platelet
aggregation)
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omega3s can improve insulin sensitivity
in persons with type 2 diabetes.
Different types of omega-3
oils. Key omega-3
fatty acids include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic
acid (DHA), both found primarily in oily cold-water fish such as tuna,
salmon, and mackerel. Aside from fresh seaweed, a staple of many
cultures, plant foods rarely contain EPA or DHA.
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) A third omega-3, called
alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is found primarily in flaxseed oils,
dark green leafy vegetables and certain vegetable oils. Although ALA
has different effects on the body than EPA and DHA do, the body has
enzymes that can convert ALA to EPA. All three are important to human
health.
Researchers believe that alpha-linolenic
acid (ALA) is particularly
beneficial for protecting against heart and vessel disease, and for
lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. An excellent source of ALA
is flaxseed oil, sold as both a liquid oil and
in gel caps.
History of discovery of omega 3 oils.
Scientists made one of the first
associations between omega-3s and human health while studying the
Inuit (Eskimo) people of Greenland in the 1970s. As a group, the Inuit
suffered far less from certain diseases (coronary heart disease,
rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, psoriasis) than their
European counterparts. Yet their diet was very high in fat from eating
whale, seal, and salmon. Eventually researchers realized that these
foods were all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which provided real
disease-countering benefits.
What if we don't
get enough omega 3 oils?
Researchers have found that
without a sufficient supply of
polyunsaturated omega-3s, the body will use saturated fat to construct
cell membranes. The resulting cell membranes, however, are less
elastic, a situation that can have a negative effect on the heart
because it makes it harder to return to a resting state.
Omega 3 or Omega 6 Although the body needs both omega-3s and
omega-6s to thrive, most people consume far more 6s than 3s. For this reason, many experts recommend
consuming a better balance these two EFAs.
Balancing omega-3 fatty acids with omega-6
fatty acids Because most people on a typical Western diet
consume far more omega-6-rich foods (including cereals, whole-grain
bread, baked goods, fried foods, margarine, and others), the ratio is
out of balance for almost everyone. Udo
Erasmus recommends that the ratio of omega 3s to omega 65 oils should
be
Omega 3 oils reduce
high blood pressure Studies of large
groups of people have found that the more omega-3 fatty acids people
consume, the lower their overall blood pressure level is.
This was the
case with the Greenland Eskimos who ate a lot of oily, cold-water
fish.
Omega 3's improve immune system
health
Omega 3 oils have been shown to improve:
Diets high in
omega-3 fatty acids (such as fish oils) have been shown to increase
survival in people with autoimmune diseases. This is probably because
the omega-3s help the arteries--as well as many other parts of the
body--stay inflammation free. EPA and DHA are successful at this because
they can be converted into natural anti-inflammatory substances that help decrease
inflammation and pain.
Arthritis sufferers
benefit from omega 3s In numerous studies over the years,
participants with inflammatory diseases have reported less joint
stiffness, swelling, tenderness, and overall fatigue when taking
omega 3 oils. Supplement authority Will Brink reports particularly
impressive results with flax oil but fish oil should do as well or
better.
Rheumatoid arthritis
In 1998 randomized clinical trials reported that
omega 3 oils were more successful than a placebo in improving
the condition of people with rheumatoid arthritis. The research also
showed that getting more omega-3 fatty acids enabled some participants
to reduce their use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NASAIDs).
Depression
and symptoms of mental health problems. The
human brain is made up of 60% fat and needs omega 3 oils to function properly.
Researchers have discovered a link between mood disorders and the
presence of low concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids in the body.
The omega 3s are believed to help keep the
brain's entire traffic pattern of thoughts, reactions, and reflexes
running smoothly and efficiently.
Omega 3 oils and
psychiatric problems Clinical trials are underway to further
investigate whether supplementing the diet with omega 3 essential
fatty acids will reduce
the severity of such psychiatric problems as mild to moderate
depression, dementia, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
Interestingly, the oil used to help the child with a degenerative
nerve disorder in the popular film Lorenzo's Oil was an omega 3 oil.
Cancer prevention and support.
Preliminary research from the University of California, Los Angeles,
suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may help maintain healthy breast
tissue and prevent breast cancer. Also, in a recent study,
participants who supplemented their diet with fish oils produced fewer
quantities of a carcinogen associated with colon cancer than did a
placebo group. More research into this exciting use for omega-3s is
underway.
Dosage
recommendations Although the FDA has no established recommended daily
intake for omega-3s, but a healthy diet containing significant amounts
of foods rich in this essential fatty acid is clearly wise. By
increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, you will naturally
bring the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids back into a
healthier, 2-1 or (optimally) 1-1 balance.
Try to reduce your consumption of
omega-6-rich foods at the same time that you increase your intake of
omega-3-rich foods in the following categories:
Omega 3 oils benefit women and children
Pregnant women and infants need plenty of
omega-3s to nourish the developing brain of the fetus and young child.
If a pregnant woman gets too few omega-3s, the growing fetus will take
all that's available. This could set the stage for depression in the
mother. Talk to your obstetrician and pediatrician about specific
requirements.
Nutrient Interactions
Whole Health M.D. advises that there are no known drug or nutrient
interactions associated with increased consumption of omega-3 fatty
acids through foods. However, if you decide to take omega-3s through
supplements (especially those containing fish oils), be sure to check
with your doctor first if you are taking a blood-thinner such as
warfarin or heparin.
Side Effects of omega 3 oils There are no known side effects associated
with increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids through foods,
although fish oil capsules do pose the risk of a "burp" factor. This
is a harmless, although not exactly pleasant, fish-y aftertaste that
occurs with some brands of fish oil capsules.
Plant sources of omega 3 oils
Flaxseed, flaxseed oil,
walnuts, and leafy green vegetables are
all good sources of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based
omega 3 oil. A quarter-cup (1 ounce) of walnuts supplies about 2 grams of
plant-based omega- 3 fatty acids, slightly more than is found in 3
ounces of salmon
Fish Oil
Cold-water fish, including salmon, sardines, halibut, bluefish, tuna,
and mackerel have the highest levels of omega 3 oils. The American
Heart Association recommends that people eat tuna or salmon at least
twice a week.
Be sure to choose
pharmaceutical grade fish oil. It's important to get
your fish oil from a source that has been molecularly distilled to
remove dangerous heavy metals and contaminants. I personally reject
the idea of consuming a dose of toxic waste materials that an
environmental polluter dumps into the ocean
Bernie and I use and recommend the Ultimate Omega Complex by
Vital Life Nutritionals. The fish oil comes from fish
harvested off the cold clean waters of Northern Norway and
processed in a GMP pharmaceutical facility. Borage and flax
seed oils are organic and cold pressed. I'm convinced that
Ultimate Omega is the best
omega 3 oil complex on the market.
There are some good reasons why I use and
recommend Vital Life Nutritionals omega 3 oils. Here are a few of them:
-
Vital Life
Nutritionals are manufactured by Vitamer Labs, a
pharmaceutically registered facility that has been a leader in the
manufacturing of natural supplements since the early 1970’s.
-
These all-natural supplements meet
stringent FDA regulations. This is noteworthy as the FDA does not
regulate nutritional supplements and there are a lot of shysters in
the vitamin business.
-
All Vital
Life Nutritional products have received the highest
rating in the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) program and the GMP
seal is displayed on the label.
-
All supplements are tested to
insure proper dissolution and absorption. You can rest assured that
Vital Life Nutritionals won’t end up in your urine.
-
You are guaranteed that what you see on
the label is inside the bottle.
Click here to
check out omega 3 oils from Vital Life Nutritionals.
Women who eat foods high in oils containing alpha-linolenic acid
appear to have a lower risk of dying from heart disease and of sudden
cardiac death than women whose diets are low in the substance,
according to research presented at the American Heart Association's
scientific sessions in New Orleans in November 2025.
The findings were only ‘observational’, meaning they don't necessarily
indicate any cause-and-effect relationship, the researchers said.
‘ It looks like eating this type of food might be helpful, but you
can't prove it or make mandates,’ said study author Dr Christine
Albert, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School
in Boston.
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) belongs to the family of omega-3 fatty
acids. Overall, ‘the evidence is very compelling for omega-3 fatty
acids conferring a cardio protective effect,’ said Samantha Heller,
senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in
New York City.
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