Fish Oil Benefits - 3 Ways Taking Concentrated Fish Oil Improves Your Health

To help you cut through all the misinformation that exists out there with regards to omega-3 supplements, I would like to give you three concrete and well researched ways in which omega-3s benefit your health.

1. Heart health. Plenty of research has shown that concentrated fish oil supplements are very effective in lowering triglyceride levels in the blood. High blood triglycerides decrease HDL, or high-density lipo-protein. This number represents the amount of the waxy cholesterol molecules that are leaving your blood vessels and going back to the liver for processing.

When this "good" cholesterol is lower than it should be, it means that there is too much cholesterol going towards your blood vessels compared to the cholesterol leaving your blood vessels. Is this imbalance in cholesterol metabolism that can cause plaque build-up in the arteries. Generally speaking, the higher your HDL is compared to your LDL, the better.

The best way to combat high triglycerides and low HDL is to take a concentrated fish oil supplement with lycopene and coenzyme Q10, two synergistic nutrients which also help heart health.

2. Brain. The most important omega-3 fatty acid found in fish is called DHA. This substance is an integral part of brain cells. In fact, the brain cells of babies are built DHA from breast milk. It has been found that many of the so-called cognitive disorders can be attributed to a deficiency in this essential nutrient. ADHD, depression and loss of memory all respond well to supplementation with DHA.

3. Inflammation and arthritis. Research has left no doubt that the EPA and DHA found in fatty fish is an effective treatment for inflammation and arthritis pain. These substances decrease the amount of inflammatory chemicals in our blood and, over time, lead to a decreased level of inflammation and pain.

In fact, inflammation has now been linked to heart disease, as well as to autoimmune disorders, such as asthma, allergies and lupus. Research shows that excessive inflammation is actually one of the root causes of many of today's ailments.

These facts may explain the paradox of the indigenous populations of Alaska, northern Canada and Greenland, which, although they consume large amounts of red meat, have very low incidences of all the aforementioned degenerative diseases. The reason for this was pinpointed by Danish scientists in Greenland decades ago: The omega-3 fatty acids found in cold water fish actually balance out possible negative effects of excessive meat consumption.

For this reason, I consider concentrated fish oil to be the two most important supplements that one can take, along with a broad-spectrum multivitamin from a reputable supplier. Together, they can provide all the essential nutrients our bodies need when we're young, and also the nutrients we need to avoid the degeneration that can come with aging.