There are certain words and terms that we can’t help but associate with being bad for our health. Just think about the words ‘fat’ and ‘oil’ – they are undoubtedly what could be described as ‘bad words in the sense that we attribute them as being universally bad for our health. While it is true that fat and oil is generally something that you never indulge in or eat too much of, it’s also true that they are an essential part of our diet and that we actually need some fats and oils in our systems to do some very important work.
So it is clear that sometimes our perceptions of words and necessarily the truth about them. And the truth is that while the health conscious might see the words fat and oil and shun them away, they would be wrong to think that they can do you no good. In fact the truth is that some oils are actually very good for us and can be genuinely beneficial to our health. Certainly this is the case with fish oil. You’ve probably heard of fish oil tablets or even seen them in your health shop or supermarket – they are very much championed as an excellent thing for our health. But do you really know the health benefits of taking them or just eating fish and getting fish oils the natural way? Let’s have a look at the benefits now.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are a genuinely important part of our diets and they can be broken down into two sub categories: omega-3 EFAs and omega-6 EFAs. While both are good for us, it has been revealed by research that ingesting too much omega-6 EFAs can cause inflammation, blood clots and even tumour growth. However, there have been no such findings in omega-3 EFAs. Omega-6 EFAs are generally found in vegetable oils, while omega-3 EFAs are found in fish oils, amongst other foodstuffs.
This means that the healthiest EFAs that you can get come in the form of omega-3. If you are not a fish eater, then you’ll be pleased to know that you can get your omega-3 from other foods such as pumpkin seeds, avocado and a number of different types of berries. It’s also true that fish oil and omega-3 EFAs can have a number of other health benefits that you may not be aware of.
They are great for the health of your heart. Clearly heart health is something that we need to take very seriously – it is one of the most important parts of our bodies, and we need a healthy heart if we want the rest of us to remain in a healthy state. There was a study that took place in Greece, to see if there was a direct relationship between having a diet that was high in fish and omega-3 EFAs and inflammation of blood vessels. The result of the study showed that people who ate more fish than the others had a lower level of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. These are factors that are commonly used to measure likelihood of blood vessel inflammation – and clearly show that it is healthier for your heart to get plenty of omega-3 EFAs.
It has also been shown in studies that children who take fish oil supplements are more likely to be able to combat asthma. Asthma is a common childhood condition and if your child suffers from it, it’s a great idea to get them to take fish oil supplements and fight the symptoms off for good.
Comments are closed.