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Omega-3 vs Omega-6
Lyon Diet Heart Study Why was this 4-year study suddenly paused after just 1 year? French scientists gathered 600 people who’d had heart attacks. Half of them were put on a ‘Mediterranean Diet’ low in Omega-6 and high in Omega-3. (Experimental Group) And the other half was put on a ‘prudent’ diet with no dietary advice from the scientists. (Control Group) What they found out was remarkable: There was NO DIFFERENCE in cholesterol levels between groups There was a 70% reduction in death in the Mediterranean Diet Group (Low Omega-6 + High Omega-3) Cardiovascular deaths were decreased by 76% in the Mediterranean Diet Group Stroke, pulmonary embolism and angina were also lower in the Mediterranean Diet group The study produced such stark differences in results that the scientists felt it was unfair to those in the Control Group! Here is a quote from the American Heart Association about the incident: "An intermediate analysis was performed after a minimum follow-up of one year for each patient. The study was stopped at that point because of significant beneficial effects noted in the original group. All patients were invited to the research unit for a final exam, where they were informed of the results." Why was there a reduction in deaths even though the cholesterol was the same? The Mediterranean Diet Group ate 3x as much Omega-3 The Mediterranean Diet Group ate 32% less Omega-6 than Control Group The Control Group ate a LOT MORE Omega-6 Mediterranean Diet Group ate a 4:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 The Control Group ate 20:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 (similar to the typical American diet) When you hear experts in the media discuss Mediterranean diet, they talk about eating fish, vegetables and olive oil. But no one talks about the LOW Omega-6 levels in this diet! Several other studies (MRFIT and WHI in particular) have shown that reducing total fat intakes does not reduce cardiovascular mortality. Same goes for reducing saturated fats. What makes the Lyon Diet study so special is that it is the first major study to REDUCE Omega-6 in the diet while increasing Omega-3. It’s time to take our eyes off shiny, easily-demonized cholesterol. And it’s time to focus on two things: Decreasing Omega-6 consumption Increasing Omega-3 consumption, along with vegetables, and seafood You already know how to increase Omega-3 – eat fish, fish oil supplements and green leafy vegetables. But how do you reduce Omega-6 consumption? Eliminate corn oil, vegetable oils (soy) and sunflower oils completely for cooking purposes – switch to olive, coconut or butter. Even lard (gasp!) is better than corn oil. Eliminate any processed and fast-foods that contain corn oil or vegetable oils – unfortunately, this includes most fast-food places and most things sold in boxes at the grocery store Doing these two things may be the most important thing you do. Not just for poor heart health, but breast health too - a new study with over 72,000 women found that it's not HOW MUCH but the RATIO of Omega-6 to Omega-3 that makes a difference. Dr. Artemis Simopoulos wrote a clear and easily understood paper on this subject. You owe it to yourself to read it: The Importance of the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio ARTEMIS P. SIMOPOULOS The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, Washington, DC Here is a table taken from that paper: Ethnic Differences in Omega-3 and Omega-6 (Fatty Acid Concentrations in Thrombocyte Phospholipids and Percentage of All Deaths from Cardiovascular Disease) US Japan Inuit EPA Omega-3 in Blood 0.5 1.6 8 Ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 50 12 1 Death Rate from Poor Heart Health 45 12 7 Here is a link to the published Lyon Diet Study: Mediterranean Diet, Traditional Risk Factors, and the Rate of Cardiovascular Complications After Myocardial Infarction: Final Report of the Lyon Diet Heart Study Digressing a tiny little bit here...another European Study called EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) had over 200,000 people keep track of what they ate for 4 years. Those who ate the most omega-6 fatty acids raised the risk of ulcerative colitis by 149%. Bottom-line: Taking fish oil supplements helps right your Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio. But fish oil pills alone will not fix the problem. You will have to drastically cut back on Omega-6 fats from seed oils like corn oil and vegetable (soy) oil, increase seafood, and vegetable consumption (follow a Mediterranean Diet), along with daily exercise if you wish to observe some of the benefits noticed in these population studies.* * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Research suggests that improving omega-3 fat intake from a concentrated source may help support a healthy mood. Some, but not all studies, indicate that 2,000 mg of omega-3 fats daily may offer benefit.
Fish Oil Weight Loss: Part 2
Who doesn’t love a rat story? I still watch ‘Ratatouille’ every time I see it on TV. So what do rats have to do with Fish Oil Weight Loss? This rat story is a little bit spookier. Fish Oil and Weight Loss: Study #1 Scientists fed rats a typical American diet. And waited to see which one got fat. Here’s what they did: Rat Group 1: A typical American diet, low in Omega-3 fats Rat Group 2: A healthy diet high in Omega-3 (ideal diet) Both groups got the same calories, carbs, protein and fat. The only difference was the difference in Omega-3. RESULT - Fish Oil and Weight Loss (in rats, not humans): The low-omega-3 diet rats were 38% heavier. This probably says more about what the standard American diet (SAD) contains than what Omega-3 does. Not only that, the low-omega-3 rats had enlarged hearts and fatty livers, both serious indicators of poor heart health. The nuts-and-bolts of the study are pretty gruesome. Check out the pictures of the rats yourself – it’s a bit too much for this blog. The study found that lack of Omega-3 actually turns off many genes responsible for maintaining metabolism.* Thin may be nice. But the paper says the ‘downstream events’ of a low-Omega-3 diet are dangerous. And by ‘downstream’, they didn’t mean a few years down the road…they meant a few generations down the road. If a few generations of rats ate low-Omega-3 diets, by the 3rd or 4th generation, there were permanent changes to the rats’ brains, anxiety levels and their social ability. Of course, the hint is that if this can happen to rats, it may to us. There is only a hint - that proof does not exist for humans. * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Results from animal studies may not be applicable for humans. Similar results, until proven, should not be expected in humans without a healthy diet and daily exercise plan. Fish Oil and Weight Loss: Study #2 In an Australian study, the scientists proved that combining fish oil supplements with exercise make you thinner than just exercise by itself. The scientists gathered 4 groups of people (no rats this time, sorry): Vegetable oil group Vegetable oil plus exercise (45 mins of cardio 3x per week) Fish oil Fish oil plus exercise (45 mins of cardio 3x per week) Vegetable oil was chosen because that’s what most of us use to cook. Unfortunately, most vegetable oils (corn, soy, safflower, sunflower) are high in Omega-6. Omega-6 fats are more likely to turn into belly fat. That’s not good. RESULT: Both the fish oil group and the fish oil plus exercise group lost weight.* The vegetable oil plus exercise group, surprisingly, did not lose weight. Why? Possibly because of the high Omega-6 content of vegetable oils.* * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Similar results, until proven, should not be expected without a healthy diet and daily exercise plan. OK – back to rats. Fish Oil Weight Loss: Study #3 This time a group of Japanese scientists found chubby mice. They prefer to be called ‘obesity-prone mice.’ Oops. That’s mice faux-paw. They then fed one group of them a high-fat diet. And another group got the same high-fat diet plus fish oil supplements. RESULTS: The fat, ahem, obesity-prone mice gained less weight when they ate fish oil supplements. Dr. Takuya Mori, the lead scientist says the study shows that there is an anti-obesity effect from fish oil. He calls it ‘upregulation of intestinal lipid metabolism.’ * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Results from animal studies may not be applicable for humans. Similar results, should not be expected in humans without a healthy diet and daily exercise plan. Fish Oil Weight Loss: Study #4 Our final rat study showed that DHA Omega-3 also has anti-obesity effects. The researchers claim that Omega-3 actually kills fat cells and dissolves fat. Again, to quote the researchers, ‘Omega-3 promotes pre-fat cell apoptosis and lipolysis.’ I couldn’t have said it better myself. * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Results from animal studies may not be applicable for humans. Similar results, should not be expected in humans without a healthy diet and daily exercise plan. * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Slimy Things Fish Oil Marketers Do
There are a lot of fish oil brands duking it out. But sometimes, competition brings out the weasel is fish oil marketers. Experts and smart shoppers are on to these weasels. But people just starting to take fish oil pills often get suckered. One of the most common slimy things is label puffery - making the product look better than it actually is. Sometimes they do it without breaking the law. That takes skill! Example 1: Confusing Fish Oil Pills Label Finest Natural Extra Strength Fish Oil 1760 mg Label says 1760 mg. But you get only 435 mg Omega-3 per pill. Hmmm. How is that possible? Well, 1760 mg is the amount of fish oil in 2 pills. So each pill has 880 mg of fish oil. That's neither here nor there. How much fish oil you take does not matter. What matters is how much Omega-3 is in the fish oil pill. If you look at the back, you will see that the serving size is 2 softgels. And you get 870 mg of Omega-3 if you take 2 softgels. So divide 870 by 2 and get 435 mg Omega-3 per pill. I've been sniffing out these tricks for a while and am pretty good at figuring out the Omega-3 content per pill. But I don't expect new fish oil users to reverse engineer the truth. It's like solving for 'x' in algebra class. No thanks. 1760 is a much bigger number than 435. And a lot of people in a hurry probably fall for this. Matter of fact, on the product's web page, a nurse, yes, nurse, left a comment that said "My dose is 3000 mg Omega-3. With this product, I only have to take it twice a day." Who wants to tell this person that they are only getting 870 mg and not 3000 mg? Example 2: Confusing Fish Oil Pills Label Inflated nutrition content info on the back How much Omega-3 per pill? It's not 1490 mg. That's for sure. The answer is: 745 mg per pill. But that's not anywhere on the label! Note that the serving size is 2 pills. Why can't they just make the damn serving size one pill? Just tell me what's in ONE pill! By the way, 745 mg of Omega-3 is not bad at all. That's better than 90% of fish oil pills out there. No need for label puffery. If you want to figure out how much EPA and DHA is in each pill, you'll have to do more math. It's not 745. 745 mg is TOTAL Omega-3. EPA + DHA = 670 mg. (894 + 446)/2 = 670 mg. Ugh! Dr. William Davis, a Milwaukee cardiologist, compares this to pulling into a gas station because the sign said $1.50...NICE BARGAIN, right? But then when you're filling up your tank, you read the fine print that $1.50 is for a half gallon of gas. Those bastards! Technically, the gas station was telling the truth. So are these fish oil labels. Unfortunately, the responsibility and time it takes to become informed is on YOU, my friend. But if I can help you out-think slimy marketers, email me. Bottom-line: look for the number of servings. And look for the amount of Omega-3 per pill. How much fish oil you take does not matter - what matters is how much Omega-3 you take every day.
Omega 3 Foods: Eggs
If you’re trying to eat more Omega-3, there are a couple of things you can do: Eat more seafood like salmon, sardines, mackerel etc. Take Omega-3 supplements If you don’t like seafood or don’t like popping pills, then you’re left with only one choice: eating Omega-3 foods - foods that are naturally rich in Omega-3 or have been supplemented with Omega-3. If you’re wondering why I did not mention Flax or Chia as a source of Omega-3, check out my earlier post on Flaxseed oil vs fish oil. They are almost useless as a source of EPA & DHA Omega-3, which are the two types of Omega-3 you need. In this series I’ll review foods that scream ‘Omega-3’ on their label. If I don’t get to some of your favorite foods, drop me a note or send me a sample – my grocery store doesn’t carry all the Omega-3 foods on the market. Some Omega-3 foods are totally useless marketing gimmicks. Others are worth the added cost. Omega-3 Foods Focus: Omega-3 Eggs All eggs used to be Omega-3 eggs a hundred years ago, when chickens were allowed to roam the yard, foraging and pecking at leaves and grubs. Those chickens didn’t lay eggs every day, but when they did, their eggs were full of Omega-3. Chickens put Omega-3 into their eggs for the same reason that human breast milk has DHA Omega-3 – to give the next generation an essential nutrient to grow and remain healthy. But those days are long gone. Now, eggs are mass-produced in giant factories where the chicken do nothing but eat feed made with corn and soy. Corn and Soy are calorie-dense but poor in Omega-3. Garbage in. Garbage out. Since the mass-production of eggs began, eggs have seen their Omega-3 levels plummet and Omega-6 levels rise dramatically. So today’s mass produced eggs have only about 35 mg of Omega-3 and about 700 mg of Omega-6. Ideally, you want equal parts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 in your diet. Eating 20 times more Omega-6 is not just dangerous, but deadly. Too much Omega-6 equals more heart attacks. Simple as that. Too much Omega-6 also causes several other serious health issues. So whatever you eat, make sure it does not contain Omega-6 rich oils like corn oil, vegetable oil (soy), sunflower oil or safflower oil. Use Olive or Coconut oil instead. By now, you’re probably thinking: is there a lot of cholesterol in eggs that I should be worrying about? Answer is, no. Despite the cholesterol, eating eggs has never been convincingly linked to poor heart health. What’s an Omega-3 egg? Omega-3 eggs are produced by hens fed a special vegetarian diet of plant material, grains, flaxseed and sometimes, even seaweed. While humans cannot efficiently convert the Omega-3 found in Flaxseed into usable forms, chickens surely can! Flaxseed is one of the richest plant sources of omega-3. Some new Omega-3 egg manufacturers have patented chicken feed that produces eggs with super high levels of Omega-3. Not just that, they have lower levels of Omega-6. It’s a win-win. Omega-3 eggs usually have 4 times more omega-3 than regular eggs. But patented chicken feed formulas like the one used by Christopher Eggs, have 20 varieties of vegetables. They say their feed mimics what chickens have chosen to eat for centuries. Back to basics! Whatever the secret sauce, their eggs have 18 times more Omega-3 than regular eggs. Each Christopher Egg has 660 mg of Omega-3! They claim to have the most Omega-3 per egg. Omega-3 eggs are also low in other saturated and trans fats, which makes the good news even better. Pasture, Free-range and Organic Eggs Pasture eggs are ideal. They’re better than Omega-3 eggs. With Pasture Eggs, chickens are allowed to wander about and eat what they want. This makes for great quality eggs with nice orangey yolks in the summer. But pasture eggs are very hard to find. Don’t confuse ‘Free range’ eggs with ‘Pasture.’ Free range eggs are the same unhealthy eggs as regular eggs, except these chickens have the freedom to wander about and may be get some sunshine. By USDA regulation, ‘allowed access to the outside’ is considered ‘free range.’ This usually means a tiny door is set open somewhere in the factory. The chickens may never see sunshine if they don’t figure out where this door is. Click here for a report on Organic Eggs from the Cornucopia Institute. Free range chickens are fed the same corn and soy feeds as regular chickens. So stay away from them even if they say ‘Organic Free Range.’ While that sounds healthy, it is not! The chickens doing the laying may be happier and freer but your health won’t be any better. Free range eggs are not pasture eggs. Omega-3 eggs are not pasture eggs. Pasture eggs are the best but Omega-3 eggs are the next best things. Additional Reading: The Baltimore Sun newspaper had an article worth reading: Enriched eggs, milk may not be best source for omega-3s Omega-3 Foods - Marketing Gimmicks Look for HOW MUCH Omega-3 is in each egg. This is very important. Some Omega-3 eggs have mostly ALA Omega-3. ALA makes for great window-dressing but does not provide the health benefits of EPA and DHA Omega-3 (the kind in fish.) Smart Balance is an example. Sure, it has Omega-3 blasted over its label. But it has only 32 mg of DHA Omega-3. You'd have to take 10 eggs to equal a regular fish oil pill. And you'd have to take 30 eggs to equal the Omega-3 in one Ultra-concentrated fish oil like OmegaVia.* There are many innocent consumers like this person or this person who think they've given their body enough Omega-3 for the day by eating a Smart Balance egg. Omega-3 eggs are a step in the right direction, but it is NOT a one-and-done quick fix. Your body needs a LOT more Omega-3 than what is found in one Smart Balance egg. Good, honest eggs manufacturers say how much DHA Omega-3 is in each egg. Higher the better. Even Christopher Eggs, who claim to have 660 mg of Omega-3 per egg has only 100 mg of EPA and DHA Omega-3. Those are the Omega-3s that make you healthier. How much is 100 mg of EPA + DHA? That's a third of a regular fish oil pill. Or a tenth of a pill like OmegaVia. So, which one to buy? My choices are: Christopher Eggs - these seem to have the highest amount of Omega-3 per egg but are not available everywhere. Skagit River Ranch - if you're lucky enough to live in the Seattle area, you can buy their eggs at a few places. They're worth looking for. Land O Lakes Omega-3 Eggs - sold nationwide. It has 350 mg of Omega-3 but they don't say what kind, so I feel luke warm about it. But the yolks are nice and orange! I also buy Trader Joes Omega-3 eggs, which have 75 mg of DHA Omega-3 per egg. That's higher than most Omega-3 eggs. At $3.99 a dozen, it's not too pricey either. They actually mention that they feed their chickens flaxseeds! Way to go, Trader Joes! Other Gimmicks to Watch out for: "Vegetarian fed" - Sounds nice but means nothing. Stuffing a chicken with corn and soy is not a good thing. Serving size = 2 eggs. Serving size should be for 1 egg. No DHA or EPA amount - brands with no mention of DHA levels on the package. My part in Egg History... I needed a job. The year was 1986 and I was a wet behind the ears freshman at Purdue University."What do you know about poultry?" asked Dr. William Stadelman, a Professor of Poultry Science, during the interview. Poultry?! Heck, I better make something up quickly! I need this job. What the heck am I doing in the Poultry Science building? I'm a Biomedical Engineering student. I don't care about poultry! "Sir, my grandma had a bunch of chickens on her farm. And I'd feed 'em in the morning and steal their eggs in the afternoon. I did that every day for an entire summer." All of that was true. Whew! Apparently, that was more experience than what the city kids from Chicago had. So I got the job. During the interview, I had no idea that my soon-to-be employer was the world authority on Eggs Science & Technology. He'd literally written the text book used by most universities. His students ran Tyson, Butterball and Jenny-O. He'd written over 230 scientific papers on eggs. Ok, so he could tell a rooster from a hen. My first project working with him was to conduct taste tests on something called "Omega-3 eggs." Sounded Star-trekky. He'd been working with the egg industry to increase the Omega-3 content of eggs by adding fish oil and fish meal into chicken feed. And he wanted to find out if these new, fancy Omega-3 eggs would taste funny. So it was my job to find hundreds of volunteers and give them three small plates of scrambled eggs. One plate had regular eggs and the other two were Omega-3 eggs. They had to pick the odd one. It's called a Triangle Test. I am a Biomedical Engineering student, dammit! What am I doing scrambling eggs for 4-bucks-an-hour? I'm a loser. By this time, I'd also realized that I was a math moron. I stunk at Calculus and Differential Equations. My dreams of designing an artificial heart with my biomedical engineering degree went poof. But I was really getting into this Omega-3 thing... And the rest is history. Dr. Stadelman passed away in 2007 at the age of 90. He was known as the 'Father of Poultry Science.' You are missed, Doc. Next Omega-3 Foods Review Coming up: JIF Omega-3 Peanut Butter. * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Omega 3 6 9: Why it's not Better?
You already know about Omega-3 if you’re reading this. But you’ve also heard a little bit about Omega-6 and Omega-9. They’re supposed to be good for you. Omega-3 is essential for survival. Omega-6 is also essential for survival. Omega-9 is NOT essential. You DO NOT need to eat Omega-9 fatty acids. Period. If anyone tells you Omega-9 must be consumed through foods, run, don’t walk, from them. And if they tell you Omega-9 must be taken as a supplement, run even faster! If you can roll up a newspaper and smack them upside the head before you start running, that'd be very nice. Thank you. Makes you wonder why so many supplements boast Omega 3 6 9 on the label. The human body is capable of making its own Omega-9 from other fats, so you don’t need to eat it. Besides, Olive oil is full of Omega-9. OK, how about Omega-6, then? Well, Omega-6 is essential. People have died from Omega-6 deficiency, but that was a century ago. In the last few decades, our diets have dramatically changed. Just about every food we eat has Omega-6 in it. Omega-6 is everywhere. French fries? Yes, they’re fried in vegetable oils full of Omega-6. Snacks & Chips? Yup, them too. Cookies? Check. Fried chicken? Oh yea, tons of Omega-6 in there. Milk and eggs? Yes, they’re even in there. Meats? There’s plenty of Omega-6 in meats. Why does just about everything have Omega-6 in it? Well, that’s because you need oils to cook and the cheapest oils are corn oil and soy oil. And these two oils are loaded with Omega-6. But more Omega-6 is a good thing, right? No. Not at all. A little bit of Omega-6 is good. But too much Omega-6 is a disaster for your health. We’ve gone from eating equal parts Omega-3 and Omega-6 to eating 20 times more Omega-6. Our body is used to equal parts of these two good fats. But when you skew the ratio of these fats, then the problems begin. If there is so much Omega-6 in our diet, why are there Omega-6 supplements? My point exactly! Why is Omega 3 6 9 bad for you? It’s bad because Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats compete. They compete for the same enzymes and they compete for position in your body’s tissues. Think about it like musical chairs. If you have 20 girls and 1 boy playing musical chairs, chances are the boy will lose. You have one cell. Twenty Omega-6 and one Omega-3. Who do you think is going to sit in that chair? Yes, Omega-6 wins almost all the time, even though your cells need BOTH Omega-3 and Omega-6 equally. The essential Omega-3 gets pushed out. This means you could be eating Omega-3 but your body is not feeling the benefits.* Then you begin to show symptoms of Omega-3 deficiency. By this time, your health has already been compromised.* Oh yea, belly fat. Omega-6 likes to get stored in the middle of your body. Omega-3 on the other hand, gets stored in the brain, eyes, heart etc. So how do you get the benefits of Omega-3? By reducing the amount of Omega-6 in your diet. Then why on earth do supplement companies sell you Omega-6 and 9? Because people buy it! It’s that simple. If you give someone just Omega-3. They’re happy. If you give them Omega 3 6, they are happier. Because it is more. If you give them Omega 3 6 9, they are thrilled. Because it is even more. Bigger and more is better. Omega 3 6 9 is seen as a better deal, a better value. Omega 3 6 9 Marketing Gimmicks I’ve seen Omega 3 6 9 marketed as: “Ideal Ratio” “More Complete” “Full Spectrum” "Triple Omega" "Vegetarian-friendly" Don’t fall for it! The next time someone tells you Omega 3 6 9 is better than just Omega-3, RUN! Run far and run fast! A dirty little corporate secret... A few years ago, I did focus group testing for a very large tuna company. They wanted to get into the fish oil business. They knew nothing about fish oil supplements. So I helped them. Focus groups are education for marketers. A bunch of ‘average joe’ consumers are put in a room and a moderator asks them questions, while the marketers watch from behind a one-way mirror. In this focus group, we learned that consumers preferred Omega 3 6 9 to just Omega-3 because Omega 3 6 9 was perceived as more complete. “I feel like I’m getting more for my money,” one person said.“ Isn’t Omega-6 and 9 good for me too? Why make me take 3 pills? Just combine it into one pill,” said another focus group consumer. The tuna executives listened intently and took all this in. And they asked me to reduce the amount of EPA and DHA Omega-3 in their product and asked me to formulate a drop of corn oil and olive oil for Omega-6 and Omega-9 respectively. They thought they could charge more for it! I couldn’t believe my ears! I explained, disagreed and explained some more. But their minds were made up. The consumer had spoken. Those two uninformed consumers, who had never touched a nutrition textbook, convinced a multi-billion dollar company to make an important nutrition decision that can seriously affect your health. Dangerous! I was disgusted. The tuna company then convinced the buyers at Walmart, Walgreens and CVS that this product would sell because it had been ‘focus-group-tested.’ So they made this lousy product and shipped it all over the country. But a surprise waited for them. Real consumers thought the tuna company was trying to rip them off by putting the left over oil from tuna cans into pills and reselling them! The product never sold. Sweet irony! * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
6 Surprising Benefits of Fish Oil
Yes, it's good for your heart. But you already knew that. But did you know that there are other PROVEN benefits of fish oil? Before we get into the benefits of fish oil, it is really important to remember that it’s not the fish oil that counts…it’s the amount of Omega-3 in the fish oil pills that makes a difference. What does that mean? Well, there are two main types of Omega-3 in fish oil. EPA and DHA. Regular fish oil pills from drug or grocery stores have about 300 mg of Omega-3. That’s not enough. To feel the real benefits of fish oil, you will need a lot more than 300 mg per day. Scientifically Proven Benefits of Fish Oil Benefits of Fish Oil #1: Mood Support* Fish oil may help you fight the blues.* Research suggests that improving omega-3 fat intake from a concentrated source may help support a healthy mood. Some, but not all studies, indicate that 2,000 mg of omega-3 fats daily may offer benefit. Research suggests that omega-3 supplements with a higher concentration of EPA may offer distinct support for mood health. Fish oil dosage needed to see benefit: 1200 mg high-EPA Omega-3 per day when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan. * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Benefits of Fish Oil #2: Joint Comfort* Omega-3 found in fish oil improves joint comfort and occasional aches. If you take Aspirin or Ibuprofen for your joints, talk to your doctor about adding fish oil to your regimen. Why? Because the newest research shows that fish oil combined with a healthy diet and exercise may work well in conjunction with many prescription medication. But scientists are just getting the hang of how this happens. Researchers Harvard Medical School showed that the body converts Omega-3 into joint-protective compounds. These compounds are called Resolvins and are 10,000 times stronger than the original Omega-3. Resolvins help stop occasional aches and pains. Resolvins work by naturally slowing the production of certain chemicals to your joints. Fish oil dosage needed to see benefit: 2000 mg Omega-3 per day when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan.* Scientific publications on: Resolvins, Omega-3 & Joint Health, Additional benefits of Omega-3, and More on Omega-3 * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Benefits of Fish Oil #3: Healthy Metabolism* Fish oil may help with the battle of the bulge. There are two types of Omega fats. Omega-3 and Omega-6. Omega-3 are unlikely to be stored as body fat. Omega-3 are put to work (oxidized) right away – they get burned as energy or they get built into our cell walls. So it is very difficult to gain weight by consuming recommended doses Omega-3. Omega-6 on the other hand, are “slow fats.” They are stored for a rainy day. Stored in your hips, thighs and love handles. Bears load up on Omega-6 fats to plump up before they go into hibernation because Omega-6 fats get stored as body fat. So if you’re cooking with Omega-6 rich corn oil, soy oil (misleadingly sold as ‘vegetable oil’), sunflower oil or safflower oil, exchange it for Canola oil. Toss out any foods and snacks made from these Omega-6 rich oils as well. Replace those foods with those made with Canola or Olive oils. And now add Omega-3 into your diet. This is one of the least known benefits of fish oil. Fish oil dosage needed to see benefit: 3000 mg Omega-3 per day, combined with a healthy diet and daily exercise plan.* * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Benefits of Fish Oil #4: Healthy Triglyceride Levels* Heart health is one of the most recognized benefits of fish oil. Most people focus on cholesterol. Fish oil does not reduce cholesterol. But where fish oil really helps is with maintaining healthy triglyceride levels when used as a part of a healthy diet and exercise plan. Everyone has triglycerides in their blood, but high amounts should be monitored by your doctor. 3000 mg Omega-3 per day when used in combination with a healthy diet and exercise plan can help maintain healthy triglyceride levels. Fish oil dosage needed to see benefit: 3000 mg Omega-3 per day when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan. * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Clinical research suggests the omega-3 dosage needed to help maintain healthy triglycerides is 2000-3000 mg per day when used as part of healthy diet and exercise regimen. Benefits of Fish Oil #5: Healthy Blood Pressure* Very few people take fish oil to maintain healthy blood pressure. But more should. One of the important benefits of fish oil is that the Omega-3 makes your blood vessels healthier. Several studies have shown Omega-3 when used together with a healthy diet and exercise plan can help maintain healthy blood pressure levels. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine reviewed 17 clinical studies that looked at fish oil & blood pressure. They found that 3000 mg Omega-3 per day when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan worked better than 2000 mg per day. This was back in 1993 when nobody was talking about benefits of fish oil! Those doctors were ahead of their time. Read the summary for yourself in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Fish oil dosage needed to see benefit: 3000 mg per day when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan. * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Clinical research suggests the omega-3 dosage needed to help maintain healthy blood pressure is 2000 mg per day when used as part of healthy diet and exercise regimen. Benefits of Fish Oil #6: Skin & Complexion Once again, it’s the Omega-3 to Omega-6 balance that provides the real benefit. Omega-3 is the healing fat of the skin. Too much Omega-6 fats may make your skin red, puffy and zitty. Here's the trick to beautiful skin that late-night infomercials never tell you: Reduce Omega-6 fats from your diet Increase Omega-3 fats in your diet Without these two ‘tricks’, no amount of Proactiv or other expensive treatments will really fix the problem. Just taking a fish oil pill will not get rid of zits - you need to cut out Omega-6 fats first - usual culprits are vegetable seed oils, dairy, fried foods, snacks any food that contains corn or soy oils. A new study published in Clinical Dermatology says that there are several skin-related benefits of fish oil: Maintaining skin permeability Reducing redness Reducing skin flaking And the list goes on. Fish oil dosage needed to see benefit: 3000 mg per day when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan. * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. So there you have it. Six surprising benefits of fish oil. But keep in mind, it’s the Omega-3 that makes the difference. Consumer Tip: Don’t buy Omega-3 with 20% or 30% Omega-3. If you do, you will have to pop a dozen of them every day to feel any of reported benefits of fish oil. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.