Fish Oil: The Most Important Supplement a Person Can Take
If you are like me, you don't have the discipline or time to live a 100% perfect and healthy lifestyle.
I mean, let's face it: unless you have the discipline of a NAVY seal, you probably don't eat a diet consisting only of raw, organic vegetables, nuts, sprouted grains, lean organic meats and unrefined oils on a daily basis.
Neither do you run three miles every day, practice yoga and have group therapy lessons.
In today's world, taking nutrition to an extreme can make life extremely impractical and complicated.
But that's okay.
You don't have to be a rogue warrior and take nutrition to an extreme to enjoy a healthy life.
You don't have to survive on raw nuts and twigs to avoid serious health issues down the road.
You don't have to make nutrition your religion.
After all, what good is it to take your health to an extreme and not be able to enjoy an Oreo every so often? What we are after is damage control.
Damage to our bodies is a fact of life.
Stress, environmental toxins, lack of exercise, junk food, lack of sleep, lack of healthy food all put a damaging toll on our bodies.
To some degree or another, most of these things are unavoidable at times.
It's just life.
But there is something that we can do to shield our bodies from some of the damage it takes.
And its very simple: supplement with fish oil.
Entire books have been written on the benefits of supplementing with omega 3 fatty acids.
In fact, doctors, nutritionists, and dietitians universally agree that supplementing with omega 3 fatty acids is probably a good idea.
Why? Because Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to the function of our body.
The word essential is not to be taken loosely.
They are essential like vitamins are essential.
They are essential like protein is essential.
Your body and organs are unable to function properly, fight inflammation and protect cells without it.
And the only way you can get omega 3's is through diet.
The problem is, the modern American diet contains very little essential omega 3 fatty acids.
Unless you are eating salmon and sardines everyday, you are most likely deficient in it.
Real briefly, here are some of the well-established facts about omega 3 fatty acids (OFA's): 1.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids Protect the Cardiovascular System.
OFA's reduce the risk of ischemic and thrombotic stroke.
At least five (5) published studies, including the NHANES Study, and The Zutphen Study, support OFA's ability to reduce the risk of stroke.
OFA's reduce the risk of heart attack.
A plethora of studies have proven this--so well-established, no need to site.
OFA's reduce atherosclerosis (plaque build-up in the arteries).
Again, many studies corroborate this as well as the American Heart Association, which, by the way doesn't mean really mean much, but anyhow...
OFA's dramatically lower triglycerides and LDL oxidation (known factors that contribute to heart disease).
Fish oil is the #1 doctor prescribed method of lowering triglycerides today.
No drug does it better.
OFA's improve circulation and lowers blood pressure.
Two major studies have corroborated that the DHA in fish oil help improve circulation, thereby improving blood pressure.
OFA's have been shown in studies to avert cardiac sudden death, ventricular arrhythmia, and atrial fibrillation.
2.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids Help Protect Against Inflammation and Disease.
Fish oil dramatically lowers inflammation.
No debate here.
But what's the big deal about inflammation? Simply put, most disease today is caused by uncontrolled, systemic inflammation.
Heart disease is an inflammatory disease.
Cancer is an inflammatory disease.
Autoimmune diseases are inflammatory conditions.
Diabetes is an inflammatory condition.
Pain is nothing more than a result of inflammation.
Inflammation is a healthy response of our body to damaged cells, pathogens, infections, etc.
However, the more systemic inflammation you have in your body, the more it indicates your body is being damaged.
So, while inflammation is your body's way of surviving, it's not something we want to have a lot of.
Simply stated, the more systemic inflammation you have in your body, the worse your health is going to be.
3.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids Protect Brain Health.
A quarter (25%) of your brain matter is composed of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), one of two active components of OFA's.
Wow.
Think about that for a minute.
That alone should be enough evidence for supplementing with OFA's.
I'm not going to get into all the studies right now relating to OFA's and fetal development, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and cognitive decline, etc.
Suffice to say, the stuff is vital for optimal brain function.
Final word: If you are not supplementing with fish oil, you are probably not doing much damage control over your body.
Yes, there are other means of damage control besides fish oil, (e.
g.
exercise, healthy food, etc.
), but again, these are usually not enough for most people.
For more helpful information on the latest health news, research, and nutritional science visit my blog at http://www.
healthquest.
blogspot.
com
I mean, let's face it: unless you have the discipline of a NAVY seal, you probably don't eat a diet consisting only of raw, organic vegetables, nuts, sprouted grains, lean organic meats and unrefined oils on a daily basis.
Neither do you run three miles every day, practice yoga and have group therapy lessons.
In today's world, taking nutrition to an extreme can make life extremely impractical and complicated.
But that's okay.
You don't have to be a rogue warrior and take nutrition to an extreme to enjoy a healthy life.
You don't have to survive on raw nuts and twigs to avoid serious health issues down the road.
You don't have to make nutrition your religion.
After all, what good is it to take your health to an extreme and not be able to enjoy an Oreo every so often? What we are after is damage control.
Damage to our bodies is a fact of life.
Stress, environmental toxins, lack of exercise, junk food, lack of sleep, lack of healthy food all put a damaging toll on our bodies.
To some degree or another, most of these things are unavoidable at times.
It's just life.
But there is something that we can do to shield our bodies from some of the damage it takes.
And its very simple: supplement with fish oil.
Entire books have been written on the benefits of supplementing with omega 3 fatty acids.
In fact, doctors, nutritionists, and dietitians universally agree that supplementing with omega 3 fatty acids is probably a good idea.
Why? Because Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to the function of our body.
The word essential is not to be taken loosely.
They are essential like vitamins are essential.
They are essential like protein is essential.
Your body and organs are unable to function properly, fight inflammation and protect cells without it.
And the only way you can get omega 3's is through diet.
The problem is, the modern American diet contains very little essential omega 3 fatty acids.
Unless you are eating salmon and sardines everyday, you are most likely deficient in it.
Real briefly, here are some of the well-established facts about omega 3 fatty acids (OFA's): 1.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids Protect the Cardiovascular System.
OFA's reduce the risk of ischemic and thrombotic stroke.
At least five (5) published studies, including the NHANES Study, and The Zutphen Study, support OFA's ability to reduce the risk of stroke.
OFA's reduce the risk of heart attack.
A plethora of studies have proven this--so well-established, no need to site.
OFA's reduce atherosclerosis (plaque build-up in the arteries).
Again, many studies corroborate this as well as the American Heart Association, which, by the way doesn't mean really mean much, but anyhow...
OFA's dramatically lower triglycerides and LDL oxidation (known factors that contribute to heart disease).
Fish oil is the #1 doctor prescribed method of lowering triglycerides today.
No drug does it better.
OFA's improve circulation and lowers blood pressure.
Two major studies have corroborated that the DHA in fish oil help improve circulation, thereby improving blood pressure.
OFA's have been shown in studies to avert cardiac sudden death, ventricular arrhythmia, and atrial fibrillation.
2.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids Help Protect Against Inflammation and Disease.
Fish oil dramatically lowers inflammation.
No debate here.
But what's the big deal about inflammation? Simply put, most disease today is caused by uncontrolled, systemic inflammation.
Heart disease is an inflammatory disease.
Cancer is an inflammatory disease.
Autoimmune diseases are inflammatory conditions.
Diabetes is an inflammatory condition.
Pain is nothing more than a result of inflammation.
Inflammation is a healthy response of our body to damaged cells, pathogens, infections, etc.
However, the more systemic inflammation you have in your body, the more it indicates your body is being damaged.
So, while inflammation is your body's way of surviving, it's not something we want to have a lot of.
Simply stated, the more systemic inflammation you have in your body, the worse your health is going to be.
3.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids Protect Brain Health.
A quarter (25%) of your brain matter is composed of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), one of two active components of OFA's.
Wow.
Think about that for a minute.
That alone should be enough evidence for supplementing with OFA's.
I'm not going to get into all the studies right now relating to OFA's and fetal development, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and cognitive decline, etc.
Suffice to say, the stuff is vital for optimal brain function.
Final word: If you are not supplementing with fish oil, you are probably not doing much damage control over your body.
Yes, there are other means of damage control besides fish oil, (e.
g.
exercise, healthy food, etc.
), but again, these are usually not enough for most people.
For more helpful information on the latest health news, research, and nutritional science visit my blog at http://www.
healthquest.
blogspot.
com
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