Yes, you still need to take fish oil
Not too long ago you may have read headlines saying fish oil doesn’t prevent heart attacks. That came from researchers in Greece who reviewed 20 clinical trials on sick patients. But headlines can be misleading.
Renown cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra notes that deeper in the study researchers also concluded that fish oil supplementation offers a lot of benefits for the heart. They noted that it lowered the risk of heart attacks by 11 percent and the risk of sudden death by 13 percent. They also cited studies that found omega-3s can help lower triglycerides, reduce platelet clumping, lower blood pressure and prevent arrhythmias. That’s not a bad bang for your buck.
Sinatra also noted that the review included only 20 studies out thousands that have shown omega-3 oils offer strong heart protection. He has long recommended – and he still does – taking 1-2 grams of omega-3 supplements to get the full benefits. He has said a recent study leads him to conclude that 4 grams daily may be the best dose to prevent heart attacks.
Dr. Sinatra is not alone in recognizing the many benefits of fish oils. The National Institutes of Health notes omega-3s improve triglycerides and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, and neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter points out a recent study that shows DHA significantly lowered inflammatory markers in obese adults.
Life Extension magazine in its March/April issue did an extensive, well documented article on the benefits of fish oil. Here are some of the highlights:
• A 2017 meta-analysis found the highest consumption of fish oil was associated with a 14% reduction in the risk of dying from any cause compared to the lowest category of consumption.
• A 2016 study concluded that fish oil supplementation reduced waist circumference and blood pressure.
• Studies have shown that taking fish oil helps people with type II diabetes by decreasing fasting blood sugar, lowering hemoglobin A1C, reducing insulin requirements as well as reducing episodes of dangerously low blood sugar.
• Other studies show fish oil supplements can help with non-alcoholic liver disease by significantly improving liver blood flow, decreasing deposits of liver fat, reducing blood markers of liver-cell injury and producing significant increases in insulin sensitivity.
• A 2017 study of adults with mild cognitive impairment found supplementing with 720 mg EPA/480 mg DHA improved basic cognitive aptitude, speed of perception, and working memory compared with people receiving placebo.
• A 2011 study of depression in woman with menopause found that after only 8 weeks of taking 930 mg EPA/750 mg DHA daily the average standardized depression score fell by 56 %.
• A 2015 study of young adults with symptoms of depression gave participants 1,000 mg EPA/400 mg DHA daily. After only 21 days 67% of the patients taking omega-3s “no longer met the criterial for being depressed.”
Here at Ruth’s we are firm believers in the many benefits of taking fish oil. Given that inflammation is the foundation of most diseases – cancer, arthritis, depression, you name it – and omega-3 oils are proven, powerful anti-inflammatories, it just makes sense to include them in your daily routine.
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