It’s fairly well known that fish oils can be useful in maintaining heart health, but what are their other benefits? The body of research available suggests that fish oils have a wealth of benefits, from promoting the healthy development of the brain in babies to helping with the inflammation that comes with arthritis.
From the time scientists noticed the relative health enjoyed by cultures who had diets rich in fish, the benefits of fish oil have been a source of intense investigation. The several qualities discovered include anti-inflammatory properties, encouragement of the basic building blocks of the body and encouragement of clotting functions in the body. These may sound basic, but they have huge effects.
Omega 3 Benefits Can Include Brain Health
There is mounting evidence that the omega 3 in fish oil can contribute to a healthy brain. Dr Angela Hanson [1], of the University of Washington Memory and Brain Wellness Centre, noted several studies that indicated consuming fish and fish oil slowed memory decline and appeared to maintain brain health, although evidence was still coming in.
This benefit could be occurring because of the long-chain docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) that exist in fish oil, which are part of the building blocks for the brain, as well as retinas and sperm.
Fish Oil Tablets Provide More Than Omega 3
There’s more to be found in fish oil supplements than oils. Because fatty fish tend to have decent amounts of vitamin D, fish oil tablets provide some of that vitamin as a side benefit.
The health benefits of extra vitamin D, such as though found at punjabidesifoods.com, are many: it promotes healthy bones, it helps to regulate insulin, it supports heart health, it influences genes and generally contributes to a healthy immune system. Although many adults are deficient in vitamin D, due to spending insufficient time in the sun and not consuming vitamin D-rich foods, ingesting the vitamin via supplements can provide a great health boost.
Fish Oil Tablets May Help Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a painful condition that is often complicated by inflammation. The various anti-inflammatory qualities of fish oils can provide some benefits to sufferers.
Doctor of pharmacy, Gunda Siska, [2] highlighted the elements in fish oils that have anti-inflammatory properties. Fish oils contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which competes for resources with arachidonic acid, another substance in the body that causes inflammation. The presence of EPA limits the action of the other acid, thought to lead to lower levels of inflammation.
Neurodevelopment, Cancer Prevention And Other Potential Benefits
Several of these potential benefits of fish oils have multiple outcomes. The promotion of brain health, for example, benefits not only people as they age but as they’re growing too. The US National Institutes of Health [3] released a fact sheet for health professionals which highlighted the possible benefits of expectant mothers getting their recommended dose of omega-3, as it could help their babies with brain development. The long-chain fatty acid DHA appears in high concentrations in brain and eye tissue, so it’s thought that having a good source of that acid assists neurodevelopment.
The potential benefits related to cancer prevention are connected with the anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil. Anti-inflammatory substances tend to inhibit cell growth, which may discourage some cancers from taking hold. Studies are still very much underway.
Fish oil delivers an impressive range of substances in a single, natural-sourced form. The complex fatty acids these oils contain can do an impressive range of jobs within the body – and their effects are still being discovered.
Sites referenced:
2.https://www.pharmacytimes.com/publications/issue/2018/december2018/the-fish-oil-story
3.https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/
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