Omega 3 Fatty Acids:
Can Fish Oil actually keep you healthy?

Many of us have heard the news that we should be eating more fish, but WHY?

Omega 3 Fatty Acids are the answer.

Fish oil contains these fatty acids that can be a beneficial medical treatment and not just a "snake oil" sold by smooth talking traveling salesman.

One of the benefits that most of us have heard of is how Omega-3 can help the heart. Omega 3 oils help to emulsify (break up) fats and plaques that build up in our arteries. Blood pressure goes down when the body gets rid of the fats in the arteries. Another way omega 3 fatty acids help is by improving the elasticity (the stretchiness) of the arterial walls and reducing the chances of hardening of the arteries. And finally, Omega 3 oils react positively with your lipoproteins, they'll lower your total cholesterol, your LDLs (bad cholesterol) and your triglycerides while raising your HDLs (good cholesterol).

Click here for an article from CBS News and WebMD.

A second benefit of fish oil is its affect on the brain. A growing body of research suggests that Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil can help with and a wide range of psychiatric and neurological problems including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), Alzheimer's and even borderline personality disorder.

The brain is an astonishing 60 percent fat, and it needs omega 3 for optimal function. Studies suggest {{put outlink here}} they help build cell membranes, boost levels of the brain chemical serotonin and increse the number of connections between neurons. "It's like neuronal fertalizer," says Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a psychiatrist at the National Institutes of Health. "Brain cells given omega-3 grow more synapses."

Omega-3's may even be good for our bones. Nutritionist Bruce Watkins at Purdue University has found that they stimulate bone-building cells in the periosteum, the membrane that covers the long bones. "It's the part that hurts when you bang your shin," says Watkins. "I call it the 'brain of the bone' because it contains a lot of nerve tissue and controls a lot of bone metabolism." Nourish it with Omega-3 fatty acid, he advises, because its bone building cells lay down the protein matrix on which calcium and other minerals are deposited.

Where can you find omega-3?

Food contains two basic varieties -

• ALA - a short chained version of omega 3 found in walnuts, flaxseed, canola oil and leafy greens.


• EPA and DHA - two long chained versions found in seafood and omega-3 enriched eggs.

The long chain forms appear to have the greatest benefits, particularly for the brain.

The American Heart Association also recommends eating fatty fish as least twice a week for the prevention of heart disease. For patients who already have heart trouble, it prescibes one gram of EPA and DHA a day from fatty fish or supplements.

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