best omega 3 fish oil supplement
Even though the subject of fish oil and its interaction with your body involves very complex chemical reactions, finding the best Omega 3 fish oil supplement does not require you to understand any of it. All you should know is that there are certain so-called fatty acids that your body must have to be healthy. That's why they're called Essential Fatty Acids, or EFA's.
EFA's are molecules that are required for normal metabolism, but the problem is that the body can not manufacture them, so they must be gotten from your food. There are 2 groups of EFA's and one of the groups is known as the Omega-3 fatty acids.
Warning - big words are coming next, but after that, only abbreviations will be used. In your search for the best omega 3 fish oil supplement, you need to be aware of these three abbreviations because you will undoubtedly see them over and over.
Here goes: The primary omega-3 fatty acid is called alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. Two more fatty acids that are the most beneficial are docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and eicosapentaenoate, or EPA. There, that wasn't so bad. Was it?
Since you have to get your EFA's from the food you eat, the obvious question now is, "What foods contain these omega-3 fatty acids?"
Some of the sources for the omega-3 fatty acids are...
- cold-water fish - salmon, sardines, herring, bluefish, lake trout, mackerel, white fish, blue fin tuna, and anchovies
- shellfish
- flax seed
- soya oil
- canola oil
- chia seeds
- sunflower seeds
- pumpkin seeds
- leafy vegetables
- walnuts.
The best sources are the fish because the EFA's are manufactured by micro algae. Fish eat the algae, and the oils accumulate in the tissues of the fish. That's why many health practitioners today recommend eating fish 2 or 3 times a week. So that you will be sure to get enough EFA's to maintain your good health, and possibly ward off certain diseases.
Currently there are many studies being carried out to determine the functions of these oils in the body and to discover the benefits of maintaining proper levels of them in your body.
Maintaining good levels of EFA's have been linked to helping or preventing many different diseases such as:
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Depression
- Memory Loss
- High Blood Pressure
- Macular Degeneration
Just like any other healthy habit - eating more fruit and vegetables, exercising, drinking more water, and cutting back on "junk" foods - you should also be sure that you are getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.
If you happen to be a vegetarian, or you just can't work fish into your diet for one reason or another, then the only way for you to get enough of the essential oils may be to take a supplement. Another reason to supplement is that fish are getting more and more expensive, plus there is evidence that some fish are contaminated with mercury, dioxane and PCBs.
Plant sources do not contain DHA or EPA. They only provide small amounts of ALA, which means that your body has to convert the ALA to EPA, and then to DHA. This conversion process requires more metabolic work, and is why the absorption of EFA's is a lot greater from animal sources than from plant sources.
For that reason, the best omega 3 supplements provide fish oil rich in EFA's. As you can imagine, there are hundreds of supplements to choose from, and your next question becomes, "How do I pick the best omega 3 fish oil supplement?
In your search for the best omega 3 fish oil supplement, a few things you need to consider are the source and quality of the oil, the amount of omega-3 fatty acid supplied, the cleanliness of the manufacturing process, and the price.
Finally, since it's been shown that omega-3 fatty acids can protect you from many painful health conditions, and quite possibly from diseases that can take your life prematurely, it seems like a no-brainer to invest a little time and effort to find the best omega 3 fish oil supplement available and treat yourself and your family to a much healthier lifestyle.
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