Thursday, January 31, 2008

Omega Fatty Acids Benefits From Fish Oil Supplements

Fish OilFish is one of the healthiest foods nature has made available to mankind. It exists in abundance and is, therefore, affordable for everyone. The many health benefits of consuming cold-water oily fish (such as herring, tuna, halibut, salmon, cod) have been well established by scientific research. Fish is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids - a family of long-chain polyunsaturated essential fatty acids that play a crucial role in health maintenance and may provide protection against a host of diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease, inflammatory diseases like rheumatic arthritis, and even cancer. These nutrients are absolutely essential for normal growth and development and must necessarily be obtained from food because the body cannot synthesize them, just like vitamins and minerals.

Pharmaceutical Grade fish oil supplements can be taken as an alternative to eating fish. Though the vast majority considers fish as being delicious and appetizing, there is a substantial fraction of the population that cannot stand the smell of fish. And some people may not even find it all that stimulating for their taste buds. Then there are people who cannot consume fish because they are vegetarians or vegans. But all that does not imply that they should deprive themselves of the health benefits offered by fish.

Yes, there are a couple of rich plant-origin sources of these essential fatty acids like flaxseeds and soybeans, but they are not easy to include in a regular meal, are even less palatable, and maybe available only in special health stores. Moreover, for longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) in particular, which are the more valuable forms of omega-3 fatty acids for human body, fish is a far better source.

Fish oil supplements, extracted from the fatty portions of the fish by processing and available in capsule form or liquid form provide a perfect yet simple health solution for all. Simply taking fish oil capsules or consuming the liquid oil daily, and you may derive all the wonderful health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. Another advantage is that they are odorless and it is easy to control the dose and ensure that one is getting the daily-recommended amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

In fact, they may even prove to be superior to eating fish because in the polluted world of today, even fish can come contaminated with heavy metals like mercury, lead, arsenic and cadmium, as well as other pollutants. Since superior-quality fish oil is manufactured using a molecular distillation process in a highly controlled setup, the supplements contain pharmaceutical grade, ultra-refined and ultra-pure fish oil that is completely devoid of contaminants.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Fish Oil Benefits

Fish OilIn the quest to achieve better health and wellness, fish oil supplements have become an increasingly popular way to take advantage of many different medical benefits. Fish oil originates from the tissues of oily fish, such as carp, herring, salmon, and fresh tuna. Today, fish oil is recommended as part of a healthy diet because of the amount of omega-3 fatty acids contained, which is known to reduce inflammation throughout the body and lessen the threat of coronary heart disease (among other things).

There are two main ways to include fish oil as part of a healthy diet. The first involves the consumption of oily fish, including sardines and cod, which contain oils throughout their body and about their gut, unlike other species of fish. Depending on the species, oily fish fillets may offer up to 30% oil. Besides omega-3 fatty acids, oily fish also provides a good source of vitamins A and D.

The second approach towards increasing the amount of fish oils in a diet is to purchase fish oil capsules or supplements. Many people are said to prefer the consumption of fish oil capsules because they are easy to follow and do not require laborious measurements in making sure recommended daily values are satisfied. To explore some of the many benefits associated with fish oil supplements and consumption, a few examples can be found below:

Decreased Pain Levels and Inflammation
Omega-3 fatty acids may posses the power to lessen inflammation in the body, as well as ease the pain associated with arthritis and cystitis. Rheumatoid arthritis patients often report an improvement in joint pains and inflammation when taking fish oil supplements.