Benefits of Fish Oils
A few short years ago we would never have imagined that fish oil could be such a boon to health. The general wisdom at one time was that any oily or fatty food must be bad. But, the tissues of oily, and especially cold water fish contain a substance called Omega 3 fatty acids. This Omega 3 is found in certain fish that include mackerel, salmon, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, lake trout and other fish. When you add the healthy benefits of fish oil to the high protein and low saturated fat of these fish they become one of natures wonder foods.
Many nutritionists believe that fish oil taken in any form will help to regulate cholesterol in the human body. Of course there are both good and bad forms of cholesterol and it is the bad form that fish oil seems to help regulate. Most nutritionists however recommend getting doses of fish oil from the meat of the fish and not the liver. Liver products such as cod liver oil can contain high levels of Vitamin A and too much Vitamin A can be dangerous to humans. In fact, early explorers in history, when visiting the land of the Inuit natives were fed raw liver which was harmless to the Intuit, who had built up an immunity but it proved harmful to the explorers and fatal to some of them. Additional studies of the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids have shown possible benefits to those who suffer from Alzheimer's Disease as well as a positive feature for the human brain. The American Heart Association also strongly recommends a serving of fish daily for the benefits of fish oil. Researchers involved in the study of Attention Deficit Disorder believe that fish oil may be more helpful than the drug Ritalin for treating ADD.
An interesting study that took place in England concerned criminals in the prisons who were fed large amounts of seafood containing Omega 3 fatty acids. The study showed that large consumption of fish oil corresponded to a drop in murder rates among the prisoners. Many of the researchers believe that the fish oil helps the neurons grow in the frontal cortex of the brain, which is responsible for personal behavior.
About the only downside to eating large amounts of fish for the fish oil they contain, in addition to the danger of too much vitamin A, are the possibilities of getting too much mercury or other toxic substances from the fish in contaminated waters. Many of the fish which are good sources of fish oil are predators, near the top of the food chain, and therefore more likely to pick up such toxic substances if they are in the area. For that reason it is always wise to adhere to warnings in various waters concerning the mercury and other toxin levels. Reading the labels on the cans if you purchase your fish in a store is a good place to start.
Nic Ricciuti is a successful freelance writer and website publisher of Fish Oil Benefits that offers tips on Fish Oil Fish Oil Benefits and other free fish oil information.
