Some years back, a couple of Danish epidemiologists wondered why Greenland’s native Inuit had such a low rate of heart attacks when their diet actually consisted of fatty whale and seal meat. When the two researchers flew to the land and collected blood samples from the natives, they found that the cholesterol levels of these Greenlanders were good but not good enough to explain their healthy hearts. But on further studies, they found a fatty acid called the omega-3 fatty acids in the blood for the first time ever and this explained the healthy hearts.

It was deemed since then that omega-3 fatty acids or popularly known as fish oil had a protective effect on the heart and Americans today spend almost $3 billion on nutritional supplements and foods fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.

But how much of fish oils supplementation is good for your health and what are the effects of “over-fishing”?

First of all, we need to understand the two different types of Omega fatty acids- Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. These polyunsaturated fats are also called the essential fatty acids because they are essential for health but cannot be made by our body. So, we have to obtain them from our food. Omega-3 fatty acid is abundant in fatty fish (such as salmon, mackerel and sardines) , fish oils and in walnuts, flaxseed oil and canola oil. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in more plentiful dietary sources including cereals, whole grain breads, most vegetable oils, eggs, poultry and baked goods.

The most important aspect of consuming omega fatty acids is to balance both the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The recommended dietary intake of 3-Omega fatty acids is 3grams a day which is generally 3 servings of fatty fish every week and the intake of Omega-3’s should be four time more than Omega-6’s.

This recommendation is due to the fact that Omega-3 has all sorts of benefits beyond heart health including brain and eye development in kids and helping ease depression. There is even a study which shows that young people with signs of mental illness can be spared from developing full blown schizophrenia with Omega-3’s.Unfortunately a typical American diet provides at least 10-30 times more Omega 6-fatty acids than the Omega-3’s and so it becomes a necessity to supplement by fish oil to reach the appropriate ratio.

Studies have shown that fish oils pill supplementation can modestly decrease a person’s chance of dying in patients with heart disease. These fats act as mild blood thinners and act in reducing the risk of sudden cardiac arrest by improving the electrical conductivity of heart cells. Even in healthy people, fish oil intake has shown to protect the heart. The American Heart Association recommends that healthy people eat omega-3 fatty acids containing fish at least twice a week.

So, choosing a fish oil supplement is critical. It is important to pick foods supplemented with a type of Omega-3 fatty acid called EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (decosahexanoic acid). Research has shown that fish oil containing these two fatty acids protect the hearts of people who already have cardiovascular disease and may also have benefits in healthier people at risk for cardiovascular disease.

But, most of the foods at the supermarket are supplemented with Alpha-lenoleic acid (ALA) instead of EPA or DHA. Research shows that ALA does not have the same kind of benefit because the body does a poor job of converting ALA to EPA. So it is essential to make sure that your supplement contains EPA or DHA and not ALA.

Although they are generally considered safe, in some people who bruise easily or have a bleeding disorder or taking a blood-thinning medication , care should be taken while supplementation as it can sometimes cause more bleeding. Some studies have shown that over fishing (more than 3grams of Omega-3 fatty acids per day which is equal to 3 servings of fish every day) may raise the risk for stroke caused by bleeding in the brain.

People who start using fish oil supplements might experience bloating or diarrhea at first which resolves quickly. It is a good idea to opt for a time released variety of these supplements. Also, remember that the FDA does not regulate these supplements so always talk to your doctor before you start off on a supplement. Cardiologists also remind that the benefits of fish oil should not be overplayed as they do not replace other well-proven medicines such as cholesterol-lowering drugs so do not neglect your other medications on the account of taking fish oil supplements.

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Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid

Tagged as: Fish Oil Supplements, Nutrition