Health Benefits Of Omega 3 Supplements

While many people consider omega 3 to have health benefits as a healthy fat, many people are not aware of the high dose omega 3 supplements that are available to support their health. In our opinion, the nutritional importance of healthy fatty acids is understated.

Your body requires a constant supply of fatty acids to support its day to day activities. However, with food sources of omega 3, often a lot of the omega 3 oil within the food can go rancid or there is just not in a high enough quantity to obtain benefits from it.

Rancidity happens when high energy free radicals breakdown the bonds in fats. In some cases, this increases the cancer causing potential of the oils in the food and is called autoxidation. That then detracts from the health benefits of consuming healthy fats like omega 3.

This is where omega 3 supplements can be of benefit. Omega 3 supplements are one of the most well-established food supplements on the market. We will now discuss omega 3 in more detail and cover the potential health benefits of taking omega 3 supplements.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Omega 3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid, abundant in fish and olive oils. Unsaturated fats are liquid or oils at room temperature because of their double bond structure. Saturated fats like butters or lard are solid at room temperature and their bonds are closer together.

Unsaturated fats are considered to be healthier than saturated fats, however their structure is more vulnerable to free radical damage than saturated fats. This leads them to become rancid and is why fish oils go off. Your body needs unsaturated and healthy fats to support optimal health. Omega 3 and similar fatty acid supplements offer an alternative to food based healthy fats that can easily go rancid.

Fish and fish oil supplements, like red krill oil, contain both EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids. These are just two forms of omega 3 polyunsaturated acids. Omega 3 fatty acid supplements can also come from algal or plant sources including chia or flax seeds, providing ALA omega 3. Humans are unable to make these omega 3 fatty acids, this is more reason to supplement or include them in your diet.

Many people underestimate the requirements for fatty acids, fat and lipids in the body. Fatty acids form a crucial part of cell membranes, brain tissue and also are needed to make your hormones. Lipids are used regularly throughout the body, yet most people avoid them when it comes to nutrition. It is no wonder that there are so many studies covering the profound health effects of omega 3 fatty acids on many different human diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Omega 3 Supplements For Cardiovascular Disease

Many different researchers have shown that omega 3 fatty acids have a massive role in changing blood lipid profiles, cell to cell communication and membrane lipid composition. This is thought to have a variety of health benefits that cannot be ignored by clinical research. One major health benefit that is thought to occur with consuming high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids is a reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease rates are extremely high in the west because of the poor nutritional composition of the western diet.

Influence Of Daily Omega 3 Supplements On CVD

Omega 3 fatty acids have been seen to have health benefits on markers of heart disease including thrombosis, inflammation, atherosclerosis and diabetes. Thrombosis is a particular risk factor for heart disease. Supplementation with 4 grams of omega 3 fatty acids a day was seen to decrease thrombosis. Intake of up to 750 mg of omega 3 a day was seen to reduce artery blood pressure, heart rate and heart arrhythmia. Platelet aggregation was reduced with DHA and EPA consumption and this also lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease. The liver is essential to so many bodily processes and promotes optimal overall health. DHA supplements reduced liver fat and enhanced the metabolism of children that took part in one study.

A fish oil supplement containing 650mg of EPA and 450mg of DHA lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease the most when compared to other omega 3 supplements and combinations. Krill oil supplements seem to have the highest bioavailability of DHA and EPA. Supplementation with about 1.2 grams of DHA a day for 6 weeks improved HDL levels significantly, a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease.

Regular DHA consumption has also been linked to reduced risk of heart attack and supplementation should support optimal heart health. Some studies suggest that some of the beneficial effects of DHA would be transferable to children too. The effects of omega 3 supplements on heart health are so well established that the American Heart Association recommends patients with cardiovascular disease take at least 1 gram of omega 3 fatty acid supplements a day.

Omega 3 Supplements For Cognitive Decline

Fats and lipids form an essential component of brain tissues and cells. For example, nerve cells have a sheath of myelin that helps speed up the messages sent between nerve cells. Without this sheath, key brain abilities, such as speed of thought, are greatly reduced.

Omega 3 fatty acids are thought to contribute to optimal cognitive function and might have effects on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have found that regular consumption of omega 3 fatty acids leads to improved outcomes for these sorts of diseases and age related cognitive decline. Conversely, lower intakes of omega 3 fatty acids are linked to cognitive decline.

As mentioned, fatty acids like DHA form a key part of brain phospholipids. Supplementing a diet with phosphatidylserine and DHA, 100mg a day, improved cognitive functioning in elderly patients complaining of memory loss. 800mg per day of DHA significantly improved capacity of learning and memory in elderly women.

Omega 3 And Depression

The changes that omega 3 fatty acids like EPA may have on the brain are also of significance for patients suffering with depression. Omega 3 fatty acids may influence levels of neurotransmitter production, brain chemical cell receptor binding and overall brain tissue stability.

Supplementing patients with symptoms of depression with 1.9 grams of omega 3 per day for 12 weeks also improved symptoms of depression. Supplementing with 1.4 grams of fish oil, containing omega 3, also had similar effects. While a combined study using 930mg of EPA and 750mg of DHA also managed to improve symptoms of depression.

Overall, omega 3 fatty acid supplementation may have really beneficial effects on the brain. If you feel that you are suffering from memory issues you may well want to consider an omega 3 supplement. Of course this is also something to discuss with your healthcare provider.

Effect Of Omega 3 Supplements During Pregnancy

Again, because a healthy source of fatty acids is so essential throughout the body, especially with grey matter and cell membrane receptors, omega 3 has been found to be quite important for a developing foetus and baby. Omega 3 fatty acids are thought to be beneficial for the development of eye and brain functioning in unborn babies. Lowered DHA levels in unborn babies increases the risk of neurological conditions. Supplementation with omega 3 fatty acids may improve cognitive and visual development in pregnancy.

Omega 3 Supplements And Cancer

Many clinical studies have linked omega 3 fatty acid nutritional status to a reduced risk of cancer. Omega 3 fatty acids may have an anticarcinogenic effect in the body and supress the development of cancer. These effects have been observed for skin, colon, lung and prostate cancers. The means by which this occurs is debated, but omega 3 fatty acids like DHA, but they likely affect cell signalling pathways and cell antioxidant status.

Conclusion

The nutritional importance of healthy fatty acids such as omega 3 is understated. Your body needs a constant supply of fatty acids to support its day to day activities. While food sources of omega 3 can easily go rancid, supplemental omega 3 offers a higher dose alternative. Supplemental forms of omega 3 include ALA, DHA and EPA. Humans require a consistent intake of fatty acids in their diet.

There are many potential health benefits of taking omega 3 supplements. These include lowered risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and age-related cognitive deterioration. These potential health effects could be due to omega 3 having a role on blood lipid profiles, cell to cell communication and membrane lipid composition.

Poor nutritional composition means that cardiovascular disease rates are high in the west. Supplementing with between 650mg and 4 grams of omega 3 has the potential to reduce the risk of certain factors contributing to heart diseases.

100mg of DHA a day, improved cognitive functioning in elderly patients complaining of memory loss. While 800mg of DHA per day significantly improved capacity of learning and memory in elderly women. Symptoms of depression may also improve with omega 3 supplementation.

A healthy intake of omega 3 fatty acids may also have an anticarcinogenic effect. Omega 3 status likely influences signalling pathways and antioxidant status within cells. Because of how influential healthy fatty acids are, they may influence the cognitive development of unborn babies in pregnancy.

Taken together, omega 3 supplements may have potential benefits on your health and may be worth considering.

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