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By daybreak
Published: June 21, 2009
Updated: June 21, 2009
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Omega 3 Fish Oil

Fish oil is an important source of Omega 3 fatty acids; eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The Omega 3 found in fish oil is more beneficial than other forms of Omega 3 that are found in walnuts, flaxseeds, etc. Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil have numerous clinically proven health benefits.

Omega 3 May Help Cancer Prevention

Studies have found evidence that Omega 3 fish oils can be beneficial in preventing cancer and other health issues. Researchers at the University of California in San Francisco compared the diets of 466 men diagnosed with prostate cancer with the diets of 478 healthy men. Men who ate oily fish such as mackerel, salmon and sardines between one and three times a month were found to have a 36 per cent lower risk of developing prostate cancer compared with those who never ate fish. Those men who ate oily fish once a week or more had an astonishing 57 per cent reduction in risk.

Omega 3 Fish Oil and Heart Disease

According to the American Heart Association, omega-3 fatty acids can benefit individuals with healthy hearts as well as those who have heart disease. The United States Department of agriculture's www.mypyramid.gov website indicates there is evidence that eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease.

Brain Health and Omega 3 Fish Oil

Fish oil has long been considered as brain food and its regular consumption enhances memory and develops concentration. A four year study funded by the National Institutes of Health, found that citizens 65 and older who eat fish at least once a week have a 60 percent lower risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.

Omega 3 May Affect Mental Health

Professor Michael Crawford, Director of The Institute of Brain Chemistry & Human Nutrition at London Metropolitan University, spoke about the benefits of Omega-3 fish oils during a visit to Australia in February of 2008. The Professor urged greater consumption of seafood to reverse the growth of mental health problems in developed nations, saying that the rise in brain disorders and mental health problems associated with a deficiency in Omega-3 (fish) oils is "the most pressing health issue of the 21st century -- forget obesity, mental health is the real disaster already beginning to happen".

Omega 3 and Diabetes

A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids lowers kids' risk of developing type I diabetes, according to a Journal of the American Medical Association study in the September 26, 2007 JAMA. "This is the first study to show this type of association with childhood diet," explained Jill Norris, PhD, lead author and epidemiologist at the University of Colorado at Denver. "It provides exciting evidence that it may be feasible to have a nutritional intervention against the disease."

Omega 3 During Pregnancy

A major international study has indicated that higher fish consumption is linked to better physical and mental development in infants. Mr. Roy Palmer, the Network Leader in Seafood Services Australia's "Global Seafood for Health" program, acknowledged greater attention on health rewards from higher consumption would benefit seafood industry members but said his call was based on sound research.

"A long-running international study of 25,000 women and their babies has concluded that higher seafood consumption during pregnancy led to better development at six months and 18 months of age," Mr Palmer said.

Top Organizations Urge Consumers to enjoy Seafood

The Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends that consumers get their omega-3's from fish, not from capsules or additives. The organization points out that nothing in the FDA labeling requirement says what kinds of Omega-3's are being sold, and therefore only by eating actual fish can consumers be sure they are getting the benefits.

The National Fisheries Institute has published a wealth of omega 3 information that provides dietary suggestions. "Fish and shellfish fall in the rare category of foods Americans should be eating more of, not less," said Jennifer McGuire, a registered dietitian with the National Fisheries Institute. "Thousands of people die every year because they don't get enough omega-3s and that's a statistic that's easily reversible."

According to research supported by the Centers for Disease Control, low omega-3 intake is responsible for 84,000 deaths every year.

 

More Omega 3 Information

http://www.prnewswire.com/news/index_mail.shtml?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-14-2007/0004546454&EDATE=

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=76564-omega-vitamin-d-amd

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-0612_health_omega_rjun12,0,3823303.story

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/285361/omega_3_fatty_acids_may_reduce_blood.html

http://www.nationalreviewofmedicine.com/issue/2007/10_15/4_advances_medicine01_17.html

http://divcom-seafood.informz.net/admin31/content/template.asp?sid=7845&ptid=133&brandid=3138&uid=754453064&mi=283946

http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com/e_article000961707.cfm?x=b68Pq10,b1kJpvRw,w+s

http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com/e_article001173411.cfm?x=bdb9HfD,b5gG0RpF

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/hms-efw090908.php

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