supplements for a very long time. Many of us have
childhood memories of being given a spoonful of
cod liver oil or halibut oil before bed, sometimes
stirred into hot milk. I certainly remember it, plus
all the other vitamins and minerals that were
nearly all we had in our medicine cabinet,
alongside a few sticking plasters, cough syrup and
antiseptic solution. Whether this was a pleasant
memory or not depends on the individual some
people liked the taste of plain cod liver oil, others
preferred it mixed in with something else to
disguise the fishy taste, and others couldn't stand
it at all. But our mothers and grandmothers all
agreed: cod liver oil and other fish oils were Good
For You. As good for you as eating up your greens
and going outside for some fresh air. And
grandmother was right fish oil is very good for
your health, and it hasn't stopped being good for
you now that you're grown up and old enough to
be a parent or grandparent yourself.
Research has borne out grandma's empirical
observation that fish oil is beneficial to your
health. This is because fish oil is a source of
essential fatty acids, especially the Omega-3 fatty
acids.
First of all, let's consider the essential fatty acids.
In spite of the bad rap that fats and oils have got
in recent decades and from some dieting gurus, the
body does need some fats in the diet. But before
you head off and down a bottle of cream with
whoops of joy, it pays to remember that not all
fats are created equal. Many of us already know
this often our doctors have told us that "animal
fats are to be avoided; vegetable fats are OK" or
that "saturated fat is bad, unsaturated fat is good.
But these simple rules of thumb disguise the
complex nature of fats. For example, our doctors
may have told us to avoid palm oil or coconut oil
(even though it is vegetable oil) because it contains
saturated fats. It does, but pure coconut oil does
not raise your levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol but
lowers them instead, while raising the levels of
"good" HDL cholesterol. Fish oil is another
exception to the rule - even though it is an animal
fat (as opposed to a vegetable fat), it is one of the
best oils that you can take.
The reason why fish oils are so good for you is
because they contain Omega 3 essential fatty acids
(in fact, they are the richest source of Omega-3
oils). Omega-3 fats have a strong link to improved
cardiovascular health (they reduce the risk of heart
disease/heart attack and strokes). Omega-3s are
able to significantly reduce the amount of
triglycerides in the blood. They also help with a
number of other blood-related disorders, including
varicose veins, high blood pressure, blood clots and
poor circulation. Omega-3 supplements can also
fight against certain forms of cancer. Some
evidence even suggests that Omega-3s can help
alleviate the symptoms of mental disorders such
as depression, excessive aggression and ADHD (ah
- so that's why our mothers made us take fish oil
when we were small!), and maybe even more
serious mental disorders like schizophrenia and
bipolar disorder. Once again, grandma was right:
fish is good for the brain (although research into
whether consuming fish during pregnancy leads to
a more intelligent baby is inconclusive).
Fish oil doesn't just contain Omega 3s. Fish oils
are also a good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin D
- in fact, they are about the only dietary source of
Vitamin D (direct sunlight on bare, unprotected skin
is the other source of Vitamin D).
As fish are living animals, vegans and vegetarians
will not find that fish oils fit into their dietary
preferences. A vegetarian substitute for fish oils
that contain Omega 3s is either flax oil or
hempseed oil. Some nuts, particularly walnuts,
pecans and hazelnuts are also a good source of
vegetarian Omega-3s.Click here for more fish oil supplement details: ,
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