Fish Oil Helpful for People with Inflammatory Challenges
Scientists first began to realise the many potential benefit of omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and ei-cosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in the early 1970 when Danish physician observed that Greenland Eskimos had an exceptionally low incidence of heart disease and arthritis despite the fact that they consumed a high-fat diet. Intensive research soon discovered that two of the fat (oils) they consumed in large quantities, EPA and DHA, were actually highly beneficial to the body.
Much has now been written about the advantages of supplementing with fish oil because of its beneficial effects on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as Lupus and Crohn’s disease. (Journal of Rheumatology (2004;3:1551- 6).
In addition to these autoimmune diseases, fish oil is an absolute godsend for people who wish to maintain proper heart, nerve and myelin sheaf function.
Myelin, short chained saturated fatty acid and protein compound (lipoprotein), constitute the sheaf covering and protecting the body’ nerve fibers.
Failure of the myelin sheaf, due to a lack of ‘essential fatty acids’ eventually produces cross signals or short circuiting, which results in nerve disconnects.
This precipitates confused feedback signals within the brain which can then lead to different types of bodily processes malfunctioning or completely breaking down.
Omega-3 fats are termed ‘essential fats’ because our bodies cannot and do not produce them and yet these fats are essential for optimal wellness. They assist the myelin sheaf in maintaining its insulating integrity for the nerves in the brain and there is no part of our bodies, nor that of any animal, that is formed, or has healthy nerve function without proper functioning myelin.
There’s a school of thought which suggests the current rise in ADD and ADHD, and some depressive conditions, is linked to an imbalance between omega 3 and 6 oils. Depending on who you speak to, ratios should be approximately 1:3 or 1:6 instead of the current 1:20 due to an increase in consumption of omega-6 fatty acids from processed foods and a decrease of omega-3 fatty acids from cold water fish and other sources from processed food and a decrease of omega-3 fatty acid from cold water fish and other source .
More recent research has established that fish oils (EPA and DHA) play a crucial role in the prevention of atherosclerosis, heart attack, depression, and cancer. Clinical trials have shown that fish oil supplementation is effective in the treatment of many disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, and Raynaud's disease. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 54, 1991, pp. 438-63)
This is because high potency fish oils have powerful anti-inflammatory properties as part of their make up. It’s been discovered that people with autoimmune and inflammatory challenges tend to have lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood than people without such challenges.
As a result, people seem to be flocking to commercial outlets in order to increase their consumption of omega- 3’s. However, like an old advertisement once said “Oils isn’t Oils”. Sadly this is the case with many brands of ‘Fish Oil’ that readily available. Rich sources of the omega-3 fatty acids are primarily found in deep sea cold water fish. However, it’s not the fish that actually produce the omega-3 oils. They’re actually produced by various green sea-vegetable plants that cling to rocks and subterranean structures deep beneath the sea. In turn these plants are eaten by small fish which are then eaten by bigger fish, which are eaten by larger fish and up the food chain it goes.
As each fish gets consumed, by another, greater amounts of fatty acids are stored in the fat layers of the larger fish and this is where it gets tricky.
Because of our increasingly polluted seas, especially with heavy metal toxins like mercury, the higher one ascends the fish food chain, the more likely it is that heavy metal toxins have accumulated in the fat layers of larger fish.
Although some oils are manufactured locally, most readily available fish oils are prepared in countries employing cheap labour and questionable manufacturing practices.
In such countries, the oil is made from the dregs and left over carcasses of fish once they’ve been processed. These dregs are squeezed under high pressures and the oil that’s obtained is then filtered for solids. When the oil has achieved a certain clarity, it’s sold to distributors who then on sell the oils under various brand labels. It’s these inexpensive and poor quality oils that often find their way to readily available mass markets around the world.
The security of knowing whether or not the oil you’re taking, or considering, is a good quality oil is in the guarantee. If you are taking, or would like to start, omega-3 fish oils, there are two things you must be absolutely sure of.
Firstly, the oil needs to be gained from ‘wild harvest’ deep sea cold water fish and not from farmed fish as these have lower concentrations of oils due to unnatural diets. The second and most important aspect is the 100% guarantee to be free of heavy metal toxins, organic contaminants, pesticides and trans-fatty acids. If there is no guarantee on the bottle, then simply find a better oil, one that’s backed by a 100% guarantee because anything less could have less than desirable long-term effects.
Related tags: 
28C°
