Perhaps you are one of those wondering why there is the sudden craze about fish oil in the health food market for the past decades. Well, even some of those who are religiously taking fish oil are also wondering why they are taking capsules of it daily. Fish oils are obviously oils that are extracted from the oily fish. Some of the oily fish are tuna, pollock, mahi-mahi, salmon, mackerel, halibut, cod, catfish, red snapper, shark, swordfish, flounder and grouper. It is the omega-3 fatty acids that caused the fish oil trend. According to several researches, omega-3 fatty acids are a healthy fat that can help in preventing several medical problems.

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats. They are liquid in room temperature and when you refrigerate these types of fats, they are still liquid. There are three kinds of omega-3 fatty acids: alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In fish oil, you can directly get EPA and DHA. These substances are all important in protecting the cell membranes and producing prostaglandins. A healthy cell membrane is important because it protects the contents of the cells and it also enhances the communication between one cell to another. Because of the fluidity of omega-3 fatty acids, it also helps the fluidity of cell membranes. Below are the positive effects of taking fish oils.

However, be vigilant that even if omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils are good for your health, there is also a tolerable upper intake level for this substance. Persons who have bleeding disorders, or who are easily bruised, or who are taking drugs used in thinning the consistency of the blood should limit their intake of fish oils since fish oils causes more bleeding and hemorrhagic shock.

Here are reasons why fish oils are good for you:

1. It decreases the risk of heart disease-related deaths.

   Taking fish oil regularly, whether in capsule or by eating oily fishes helps in the reduction of heart diseases and the complications that are attached to heart problems. In the study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 2009, evidences from more than 20 years has shown that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils have convincing protective dimension to the heart and to the prevention of complications of heart diseases. According to Dr. Carl Lavie of the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, the strongest evidence they have found out for the omega-3 fatty acids superior effect is for those patients who have been diagnosed with specific cardiovascular diseases and have experienced heart attack. These patients who have dietary intake of fish oils have 30 percent reduction of deaths that are related to cardiovascular diseases.

   The protection brought about by fish oils to the cardiovascular system points to DHA and EPA. These substances enter the membranes of the cell. They then work by improving the electrical activity of the heart, refining the vascular tone, stabilization of plaque and enhancing the blood pressure. If the EPA and DHA are in high amounts in the tissues, the tendency of getting cardiovascular events is reduced.

2. It prevents atherosclerosis

   Atherosclerosis happens when cholesterols, fats and other types of substances are pooling on the wall of the arteries, causing it harden. Atherosclerosis is actually the hardening of the arteries. These substances, called plaques, when they accumulate on the walls, will block the flow of blood through the arteries and cause several problems, not just of the heart, but also the brain, kidney and other important organs. But in a study made at the Columbia University Medical Center, it showed that diet rich in fish oils can impede the accumulation of fats in the arteries, particularly the aorta. The fish oils, according to the researchers, inhibit the entrance of LDL into the arteries, and therefore, accumulation on the walls is slowed down. Increasing intake of foods rich in EPA and DHA, usually cold water fish, lowers risk of getting atherosclerosis, and therefore, decreases the cardiovascular and neurovascular threat.

3. It prevents blood clots

   There are evidences showing that those who are suffering from atrial fibrillation and are eating oily fish more than once a week has reduction of the risk of the disease. Atrial fibrillation is when one of the heart’s chambers, the atrium, cannot pump blood effectively; because of this, clotting is likely. Fish oils have shown to reduce platelet activity in many studies. When platelet is reduced, there is reduction also of plaque formation in the arterial walls, which will lead to reduction of cardiovascular diseases.

4. It lowers triglyceride levels

   In studies of Inuit Eskimos with diet high in oily fishes, which contains, high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids; it showed that they have high levels of HDL but low levels of triglycerides. There are also evidences of people who are taking fish oil supplements showing that their level of triglycerides is reduced. Triglycerides matter because, although they are important in our body, high levels of it in our blood can lead to diseases related to the neurovascular and cardiovascular system. Too much triglyceride will increase the amount of lipoproteins transported to and from the liver. If triglycerides are coupled with high amounts of LDL, there is risk in fat accumulation in arterial walls and therefore risk in developing heart problems and stroke. Taking fish oils daily can lower triglyceride levels by 20 to 50 percent.

5. It helps prevent arthritis

   There are different types of arthritis. Two of which, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, can be prevented if one increases his diet of fish oils. In a study made in University of Bristol, foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as oily fishes and the encapsulated fish oils can help in the reduction of osteoarthritis development by 50 percent. This result confirmed the anecdotal reports about oils in fish contributing to healthy joints. In another research published in Nature magazine it revealed that the human body converts DHA in the fish oil into a chemical Resolvin D2. Resolvin D2, according to the study, has the capacity of reducing the tendencies of inflammation, especially the ones that causes complications. One of these diseases that are caused by inflammation is rheumatoid arthritis.

Sources
lifescript.com
lifescript.com
umm.edu 
mayoclinic.com
sciencedaily.com
seagrant.umn.edu