Fish oil concentrate is being investigated as a therapy for many diseases, according to Tufts Medical Center. From increasing cognition to reducing the risk of dying from a heart attack, fish oil concentrate -- which is a concentrated source of omega-3 fatty acids -- has potent health benefits. Understanding how fish oil concentrate works will help you to realize the full benefits of this essential nutrient.
Improve Heart Health
Omega-3 fatty acids act through several mechanisms to improve heart health. Most cardiac deaths are caused by an erratic heart beat. Omega-3 fatty acids help to normalize heart rhythms. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids have a mild blood-thinning effect -- much like aspirin -- aiding blood flow. Moreover, concentrated fish oil effectively lowers triglycerides 20 to 50 percent, according to Medline Plus. Triglyceride levels are associated with risk of heart disease, as they are metabolized into artery-clogging low-density lipoprotein. Omega-3 fatty acids also benefit heart health by lowering blood pressure.
Boost Brain Power
Omega-3 fatty acids are important in brain development and function; early humans likely subsisted on a fish-based diet, and the omega-3 fatty acids in the ancestral diet likely helped to shape the modern brain. Omega-3 fatty acids make up part of your neural membranes and affect numerous aspects of the brain including membrane fluidity and signaling proteins. A review article published in “Neuropharmacology” by the University of Alberta found that individuals with psychiatric disorders -- including dyslexia, autism, attention-deficit disorder and depression -- tend to have depleted levels of omega-3 fatty acids compared to non-affected persons. Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to help treat these disorders, according to the researchers.
Slow the Aging Process
Telomeres, which stabilize chromosomes, have been implicated as a key part of the aging process, with shorter telomeres being associated with degenerative disease and early death. Telomere length is affected by oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines within the cell. In a recent article by researchers at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, published in “Brain, Behavior and Immunity,” it was shown that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids reduced cellular oxidative stress and increased telomere length. Specifically, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids was directly correlated with telomere length, with higher ratios of omega-3 fatty acids leading to longer telomeres.
Inflammation plays a role in nearly every major disease process, including Type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and cancer. Finding drugs to counter inflammation is a major objective of pharmaceutical companies; however, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil concentrate are a natural way to curb inflammation. The body produces prostaglandin signaling molecules, some of which are pro-inflammatory and some of which are anti-inflammatory. Omega-3 fatty acids are metabolized into anti-inflammatory prostaglandins, whereas omega-6 fatty acids -- found in processed foods -- trigger pro-inflammatory pathways. In addition to the broad health benefits of reducing inflammation, taking fish oil concentrate may alleviate the need for NSAIDs when treating diseases such as arthritis.
- Tufts Medical Center: Fish Oil
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source: Omega-3 Fatty Acids: An Essential Contribution
- MedlinePlus: Fish Oil
- American Heart Association: Good vs. Bad Cholesterol
- The Madness of Adam and Eve: How Schizophrenia Shaped Humanity; David Horrobin, Ph.D.
- Neuropharmacology: Cognitive Enhancement by Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Child-hood to Old Age: Findings from Animal and Clinical Studies
- Brain, Behavior, and Immunity: Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Oxidative Stress, and Leukocyte Telomere Length: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Harvard Medical School: What You Eat Can Fuel or Cool Inflammation, a Key Driver of Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Other Chronic Conditions
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