What’s in Fish Oil Supplements

It sounds completely disgusting. You want me to swallow WHAT, doctor? But it’s true — fish oil is great for many aspects of human health.And very fortunately, fish oil supplements are widely available, so don’t worry about how to get the oil out of that mackerel you caught while fishing with the kids last weekend. These nutritional supplementscompletely cut out the “ick” factor — it’s just another vitamin pill.Fish oil is made from the tissue of oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, etc. The Omega-3 fatty acids it contains, particularly EPA and DHA, have a broad range of health values. So, just what are the benefits of fish oil supplements?

Consuming fish or using fish oil supplements can lower your triglycerides (a type of blood fat) and boost the good cholesterol levels in the human body while thinning the blood slightly. Put simply — your risk of having a heart attack decreases.It can also prevent abnormal heart rhythms, decrease the risk of stroke, slow the hardening of the arteries and slightly lower blood pressure.

Among the benefits of fish oil supplements is the reduction of inflammation. That may not sound like a big deal, but inflammation is associated with a lot of health problems, including heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disease, psoriasis and Alzheimer’s.

Arthritis may not be life-threatening, but for many it is life-altering. Fish oil supplements can help reduce the symptoms and pain, particularly morning stiffness and joint tenderness. It does not act as a pain reliever; rather, as it builds up in your system, it reduces the symptoms and pain related to the disease.

The Omega-3 fatty acids can increase the lifespan of cells within the body. This doesn’t mean you’re going to stay 25 forever, but it may keep you feeling that way for more years than you thought possible. Another one of the benefits of fish oil supplements is that they are associated with a dramatically reduced risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness in the elderly.

In addition to the physical benefits, fish oil supplements can also provide mental health advantages. Combined with drug therapy, the Omega-3 fatty acids can help regulate the moods of those suffering from  depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. It is NOT a substitution for the drug regimen prescribed by your doctor, but it can be an aid to your current treatment.

The human body cannot make Omega-3 fatty acids. We must obtain them from outside sources — whether that be diet or nutritional aids. Most of us don’t eat the recommended 2 servings of fish per week.To ensure you are obtaining the right nutritional booster, look for a fish oil supplement that lists a total amount of EPA and DHA. The label should specifically state levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, not just tell you it has 1,000 mg of “fish oil” in it. That’s not specific enough. Also, you want the milligrams of each of the two desired Omega-3 fatty acids to add up to the overall capsule size, or pretty close.