Fish oil is marketed and consumed at large scale as important part of their diet or as dietary supplements. Fish oil is rich source of omega-3 fatty acids which is very essential for your health.
People who don’t eat fish they can take fish oil capsules for their dietary requirements. In case of not consuming enough fish, you can have omega 3 fatty acid by taking fish oil.
Fish oil is extracted out for the tissue of oily fish. Fish oil generally obtained from the oily fish like tuna, mackerel, herring and anchovies. Sometimes fish oil produced form the liver of other fish, like cod liver oil is extracted out to the liver of cod fish.
1-2 portions of fish in week are recommended by world health organization. Omega 3 fatty acid provide many health benefits which makes WHO to include fish oil as essential in your diet.
Fish oil supplements complete the requirement of 1-2 portions of fish per week. So if you don’t eat fish, no problem, have some fish oil supplements.
While talking about the composition, fish oil contains 30% omega3 fatty acid and remaining 70 % made up of other fats. Fish oil generally contains vitamin A & D.
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the main omega 3 fatty acids occurs in fish oil.
On comparison of plant based and animal based omega 3 fatty acids (alpha linolenic acid, ALA), fish oil fatty acid found to be more beneficial to the human health.
Western diets seem to replace omega 3- fatty acids with other fatty acids like omega 6, it is really crucial to have enough amounts of omega 3 fatty acids. This manipulated ratio behaves as a factor in contribution in the numerous diseases.
Here are some most important health benefits of fish oil you really need to know:
Fish helps you to maintain a healthy heart
Cardiac disease is the most common cause of death in the world. Several studies show that people who eat lots of fish have a lower risk of heart disease in comparison to other who doesn’t eat fish.
Many risk factors inducing heart disease seems to reduced by consumption of fish oil.
- Fish oil increase the level of high density cholesterol (HDL), consider as a good cholesterol but it cannot reduce the level of low density cholesterol(LDL) which is bad for health and responsible for many heart disease.
- Fish oil can lower the triglyceride level by 15-30%.
- It may reduce blood pressure in people with high pressure by the consumption in small amount.
- Fish oil seems to prevent plaque formation in the arteries which is the reason of atherosclerosis and hardening of arteries, as well as make them more stable if people have them already.
- People who are at the risk of fatal arrhythmia, a medical condition associated with abnormal heart rhythm. Fish oil reduces the events and risk of heart attack.
Fish oil may helps in certain mental diseases
Human brain is consisting about 60% fats and a big part of fat is omega 3 fatty acids. That’s why omega 3 fatty is essential for maintenance of brain function.
As a matter of fact it has been seen people who suffered from mental disorders have a lower blood level of omega 3 fatty acids.
Some research suggests that symptoms of mental disorders can be improved by the fish oil supplements consumption. As a example it has been shown that it can reduce the chance of psychotic disorders.
By consuming supplements with oil in high doses symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may be reduced.
Fish oil may helps to weight loss
Obesity is a metabolic disorder associated with the heavy weight and having a higher body mass index than 30. Looking at global level, approx 39 % of adults are suffering from overweight, while 13 % of adults are obese.
In developed countries such as US have the higher numbers of people having obesity in comparison to others.
As obesity is a metabolic disease it can increase the risk of other diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and various heart disease. Fish oil may reduce risk of heart disease by improving the body composition in obese people.
Additionally, in some studies it has been reported that fish oil supplements can help you to lose weight if they have taken in the combination of diet or proper exercise. However it has not found to have same effect in all studies.
It may support eye health
Eye is jelly like structure composed of protein and water. Eye has also relies on omega 3 fatty acid like brain. Much evidence clearly show that lack of omega 3 fats increase the risk of various eye diseses.
Moreover with the old age there is a distortion in eye health and eye becomes prone to disease which leads age related macular degeneration (AMD) having more and more fats seems to reduce the risk of eye AMD.
In pathogenesis of AMD inflammation and oxidative stress seems to play fundamental roles. Whish results angiogenesis in eye.
Either Consumptions of omega-3 fatty acids or increase of omega-3 production can reduce angiogenesis which is associated with AMD.
In a study it has been reported that consumption of high dose of fish oil for 19 weeks helps in improve the vision of eye in AMD.
Fish oil in inflammation reduction
Inflammation is the response of your immune system to various foreign material and bacteria. It fights the infections and helps in treating injuries.
Acute inflammation is not that serious as chronic inflammation as it is associated with the serious medical illness like diabetes, obesity, depression and heart disease.
EPA and DHA decrease the production and expression of cytokine which a causative molecule of inflammation in stressed and obese people.
Furthermore fish oil can reduce joint pain, stiffness in patient with rheumatoid arthritis by reducing inflammation and also decrease the need of medication.
Inflammation is also triggered inflammatory bowel disease but there is no strong proof that fish oil supplements helps to improve it.
Symptoms of Depression May Improve
Depression is going to become the second-largest cause of illness by the year 2030.
People having major depression noted to have lower blood level of omega 3 fats. In several studies it has been shown that fish oil supplements helps to reduce the symptom of depression by curing it.
In a comparative study of EPA and DHA it has been found that oils enriched with EPA are more effective in reducing symptoms depression than fats enriches with DHA.
Fish oil supplement makes your skin glow
The largest organ of your body is skin which is also a sensory organ. Skin is made up of fats and proteins and lipids include omega 3 fats.
With increasing age skin is also getting old and its health also gets distorted eventually after old age or too much exposure of sunlight. Fish oil supplements seem to enhance the production and, maintenance of skin cells.
Consumption of fish oil may benefit a plenty numbers of skin diseases like psoriases dermatitis.
Pregnancy and early life may get support from fish oil supplements
Omega-3s are very essential requirement in the early days for growth and development
So it’s necessary to get enough amount of omega-3s during pregnancy and at the during the breastfeeding.
In pregnant and breastfeeding mothers Fish oil supplements may improve hand-eye coordination in infants. However, it is not clear whether learning or IQ can be increase or not
During pregnancy and breastfeeding having fish oil supplements also seems to improve infant visual development and also helps to reduce the risk of allergies
Fish oil may reduce liver fat
Liver is responsible for all metabolisms of proteins, fats and carbohydrate. Liver metabolizes all kind of fats in your body and responsible for weight gain. But liver disease are common in obese people
Various liver diseases are increasing commonly like non alcoholic fatty liver disease which is associated with the accumulation of fats in liver tissues and inflammation.
Fish oil supplements helps to reduce the inflammation and fats in your level which leads to decrease the symptoms of NAFLD.
May Improve Attention and Hyperactivity in Children
Many of the childrens are suffering from the Attention and Hyperactivity which is a behavioral disorder like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
It is very clear that human brain consist a significant portion made up of omega 3 fats , consumption of fish oil supplements may helps to prevent behavioral disorders in early life.
Fish oil supplements manipulates perceived hyperactivity, inattention, impulsiveness, and aggression in children in a positive ways.
Fish oil supplements May Helps to Prevent Symptoms of Mental Decline
With your old age your brain is also getting old. The function of your brains also get affected with the growing years, your brain function get slow down and risk of mental disorders such as Alzheimer increases.
As age increased the blood level of omega 3 fats getting lowers and transmission through neuro transmitters decreases and decline in function appears which leads Alzheimer’s disease.
It has been seen that people who tends to eat lots of fish experience a slow rate of decline in function and memory loss in old age.
Although, it has not proven yet that fish oil supplements acan slow decline of brain function.
Some vary small studies have been that fish oil supplements shown to improve memory in healthy older adults
Fish oil supplements may helps to improve Asthma Symptoms and Allergy Risk
Asthma is COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases) ,a medical condition associates with swelling in the lungs which leads shortening of breath and recently has been becoming common in infants.
A numerous studies has been reported that fish oils found to be reduce the symptoms of asthma specially in early years of life.
In a review, approx 100,000 people, consumption of mother’s fish or omega-3 was reported to lowers the risk of asthma in children by 24–29%. Moreover, fish oil supplements may reduce the risk of asthma in pregnant mothers and also may reduce the risk of allergies in infants.
May Improve Bone Health
After a particular age bone begin to lose minerals like calcium and phosphorus and become prone to bone to gat fractures easily. This kind of situation leads to medical conditions like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
This situation arises due to the deficiency of calcium and vitamin D which is very essential for good bone health. But some studies say that omega3 fatty acids can also benefits bone health.
People who take higher amount of omega3 fatty acids intake may get a benefit of having better bone density than those who does not take proper diet.
Although is it not clear that If fish oil supplements improve BMD or not. A small number of studies seem to suggests, fish oil may reduce various markers associated with the bone breakdown, which may leads the prevention of bone related diseases.
So with all these health benefits fish oil plays a promising role to your health from the development of the fetus to the reduction of various symptoms and preventing various serious medical conditions.
It helps you to maintain the health whether it is the composition and maintenance of brain cells function or the protection of skin from the exposure
Summary
Fish oil supplements are prepared from the tissue of oily fish like herring.
Some oils are extracted out from the liver of fish
It contains EPA and DHA and more potent in comparison of ALA which is a plant based omega 3 fatty acid.
Fish oil supplements contribute to the development of brain and eye as a big part of this made up of omega3 fatty acids.
It helps to reduce inflammation in asthma and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis like joint pain, stiffness. .
Provoke development of fetus in pregnant women and also improve visuals.
