Fish Oil and Omega 3 Health Benefits

Many people have been led to believe, through aggressive marketing, that they will receive the health benefits attributed to omega 3 fatty acids from plant derived oils, like flaxseed, primrose and borage. However, the marketers of omega 3 plant oils conveniently forget to mention that their products do not contain the omega 3 fatty acids, specifically EPA and DHA found in fish, that have been shown to produce all of the incredible results.

Numerous studies have shown that fish oil omega 3s “are more biologically potent than alpha-linolenic acid” or ALA found in flaxseed, primrose and borage oil.⁽¹⁾ In other words, your body uses EPA and DHA from fish oils more efficiently than omega 3 ALA from something like flaxseed. How can this be?

Here’s what the marketing doesn’t tell you about flaxseed oil. True enough, it contains an omega 3 oil. But, flaxseed oil was traditionally known as “linseed” oil. Marketers knew they had to change the name because people wouldn’t eat linseed oil since it has been used for many years in oil paints, varnish, polishes, wood preservers, caulks and much more. Linseed oil and flaxseed oil are the same thing.

Now, from a nutritional point-of-view, we find that the ALA in flaxseed oil is only a precursor to EPA and DHA. This means that if everything is working optimally in the body, the ALA can be converted to EPA and DHA.

But, studies have shown very little ALA conversion actually takes place. Only around .05% of the total ALA consumed from flaxseed will convert into EPA and DHA. That means that 99.95% of the ALA is not converted. And, your body’s need for EPA and DHA, as an essential fatty acid, is so great that you couldn’t consume enough flaxseed oil (ALA) to make up the difference.

For example, here’s a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A group of people were given 15,000 mg of flaxseed oil (ALA) daily. At the end of 12 weeks none of the participants experienced an increase of EPA and DHA within their blood plasma or the red blood cells.⁽²⁾

However, the regular consumption of fish oils, like salmon, produce an immediate increase of blood plasma EPA and DHA with just a small amount – an amount equivalent to eating a 4 ounce piece of salmon.

So, when you swim through the aggressive marketing, why would anyone take flaxseed ALA, a precursor to EPA and DHA, when you can get the real thing from salmon oil? Give your body what it needs and wants. Omega 3 Salmon Oil follows nature’s blueprint, giving you a balanced ratio of EPA and DHA, as found in nature, and which science has shown to support all sorts of health benefits, like normal visual and neuronal development, enhanced vascular health and much more.^(3,4)

1. JACN (Journal of the American College of Nutrition), Vol. 21, No. 6, 495-505 (2002)
2. AJCN (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition), Vol. 77: 226-233 (2003)
3. Clinical Perinatol, Vol. 22:157-175 (1995)
4. AJCN (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition), Vol. 54:438-463 (1991)

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Alzheimer’s disease early symptoms can be difficult to pinpoint. We all have occasional forgetfulness – even my 10-year-old grandson. But that doesn’t mean these lapses of memory are Alzheimer’s disease early symptoms.

Sometimes we can’t remember names, telephone numbers, the day of the week, what we were about to say or where we put the car keys. It’s only when this forgetfulness becomes a more persistent everyday problem that it’s time to pay attention. Usually a family member will be the first to notice the changes in behavior that are an indication of Alzheimer’s disease.

People with early symptoms usually begin having memory problems that interfere with daily routine, like forgetting how to use a toothbrush or the toaster. They may forget simple words and have trouble communicating. They can even forget where they are or where they’re going and become lost.

Unusually poor judgment is another early warning sign. We all make stupid mistakes, but when someone goes out in the middle of a snowstorm dressed in shorts or starts handing out money indiscriminately or puts their dirty laundry in the refrigerator, it’s time to take notice.

People in the early stages of Alzheimer’s may show an uncharacteristic difference in their personality and behavior. They could change their mood rapidly for no apparent reason or become unusually fearful or suspicious. They can also lose their initiative and sleep a lot, sit for hours in front of the TV or refuse to do everyday chores.

The disease is difficult to predict and diagnose, but age and genetics are common risk factors. Nearly half the victims are over 85 and someone who has two parents with Alzheimer’s has five times the risk. People overweight or obese in middle age have twice the risk. And those with high blood pressure and high cholesterol have six times the increase. Blacks and Hispanics are also known to be at greater risk than whites, although the reasons are unclear to scientists.

No matter how widespread Alzheimer’s may be, it’s not a necessary or normal part of life. Just because a person is aging, doesn’t mean they’re going to lose control of their mind. And, in most cases, Alzheimer’s can be prevented.

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Would you like to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by five times? Five or more times a week, that is! Eating oily fish, like salmon, five to seven times a week has been shown to have a very positive effect on our hearts and circulatory systems. This is good news for people with a family history of heart attacks, stroke or anyone who would like a little extra prevention.

A study done at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School followed nearly 80,000 women for 14 years. The study found that the women who ate fish rich in EPA and DHA only once a month had the highest incidence of strokes. However, women who ate fish one to three times a week lowered their risk by 22%, those who ate fish three to four times a week saw a 27% reduction and women who ate fish five or more times a week had a whopping 52% decrease in stroke risk. (JAMA, Vol. 285:304-312)

In a related study with the same women, it was found that those with the highest risk of heart disease, people with diabetes, were 64% less likely to develop heart disease if they consumed fish 5 or more times a week. Actually, women who ate fish at least 5 times a week were less likely to die from ANY causes during the study when compared to those who seldom ate fish. (Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association 2003;107)

And what’s more, the EPA and DHA in oily fish has been shown to reduce triglycerides, arterial plaque, blood clots and more. The study published in “Circulation” found that eating oily fish, like salmon, could prevent fatal irregular heartbeats and cardiac death. This is because the omega 3 oils, EPA and DHA, are stored within the cell membranes of the heart tissue. But, the only way these essential oils can be stored in the heart is by eating them in our diet.

Oily cold water fish are a great food source of omega 3 EPA and DHA. But finding a great quality, toxin-free fish isn’t always easy or possible. And, what about all of those people who don’t like to eat fish? They need a convenient source of EPA and DHA too.

Well, here’s some good news for all of you finicky eaters. According to senior scientist Dr. Ernest J. Schaefer, director of the Lipid Metabolism Laboratory at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, “everything that we know suggests that supplements would be as effective as eating fish.” Of course, that is, if you’re getting a quality fish oil supplement.

Salmon Oil Plus is guaranteed pure and free of toxins like mercury. It’s designed to deliver a naturally balanced ratio of all 8 omega 3s important for human health in convenient, easy-to-swallow capsules. And if you’re looking for the benefits of eating 5 or more servings weekly, Salmon Oil Plus will save you a lot of money over the fair market price of quality, fresh salmon.

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