One of the most important factors when seeking improved health and fitness is to recognise that not all fat is bad; there are bad fats, but there are also some good and crucial fats needed to maintain a nutritious diet. Avoiding the good fats can actually, genuinely, be detrimental to our health.

Fish Oil – The Facts

A healthy daily diet has to include essential fatty acids; without them we can dramatically shorten our life expectancy. There are two families of essential fatty acids that we need to become familiar with: Omega-3 EFAs, and Omega-6 EFAs.

The distinguishable differences between the two are minor, but research has shown that too much of the latter can lead to tumor growth, blood clotting, and inflammation; so it’s important to know which is which. On the plus side, the opposite effect is true of Omega-3. What you need to remember is that Omega-6 EFA’s are found in vegetable oils, and Omega-3 EFA’s are found in fish oils, amongst some other foods like marine plankton, as well as walnut and flax seed oils.

• Omega-6 EFAs – Vegatable oils. (Too much can cause health problems.)
• Omega-3 EFAs – Fish Oils.

Over recent years much research has pointed towards the idea that the cause behind increasing cases of heart disease, high blood pressure or hypertension, diabetes, obesity, premature ageing and certain cancers, is simply an imbalanced intake of Omega-3 and Omega-6 EFAs.

A study on Greenland Eskimos in the 1970’s revealed that one primary reason why people of this area rarely suffer from heart diseases is because of their high-fat diet (mainly composed of fish).

There are two essential fatty acids in particular, EPA and DHA, which are also helpful in preventing atherosclerosis, heart attacks, depression, and certain types of cancer. Fish oil supplements have also proven useful in treating illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, Raynaud’s disease, diabetes, and ulcerative colitis.

Fish Oil has been shown to improve our overall heart health:

Our hearts are undeniably one of most important organs. An unhealthy heart means subsequently a somewhat limited lifespan. There are many ways to keep your heart healthy, but one of the easiest ways is to eat food containing fish oil.

Fish can make you Thin:

A study conducted in Perth, Australia, revealed that consuming fish can combat hypertension and obesity. The University of Western Australia discovered a weight-loss diet which focuses on regular intake of fish; it has also shown to be effective in reducing blood pressure and improving tolerance of glucose.

Fish oil can help with asthma:

The beneficial properties of fish oil have been shown to combat respiratory problems such as Asthma. In the past, people with these kinds of conditions were often perceived as unhealthy or out of shape. Studies have shown that in fact the simple benefits of fish oil can have tremendous effects on these conditions. Approximately 25% of children today suffer from some type of asthma, but evidence has shown that a regular diet of foods high in linoleic acid could well have been the cause of this. Research at the University of Wyoming revealed that children exposed to a diet high in fish were less prone to asthma attacks and were able to breathe much easier than those on a classic western diet.

Over consumption of anything can be detrimental to our health. If you wish to know more about your personal required intake of fish we recommend you speak with you GP or nutritionist.