Fish Oil and Omega 3 Health Benefits

Boys don’t get ADD/ADHD because of a deficiency of Ritalin. But if that’s what he’s taking, he’s not doing anything to eliminate the cause of his problems. He’s only dealing with the symptoms of his condition, which will most likely continue to persist.

If he wants to really eliminate the cause of ADD/ADHD and live a drug free life, maybe, just like your car, he should get a good oil change? Because a lot of experts now think an oil change is exactly what he needs.

Incidentally, when I say boys, I’m not being prejudiced. It’s just a fact that three out of four youngsters diagnosed with ADD/ADHD are boys. But I’m off the subject. Let’s get back to why a good oil change maybe just what the doctor didn’t order.

You see, a major problem of the standard American diet is most people, especially children, are getting way too much omega 6 oils and trans fats in their diet. Where does omega 3 trans fat come from? Omega 6 oil is found mainly in corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower cooking oils. Trans fats, on the other hand, are found in all processed food, particularly baked goods such as cookies and cakes.

Research has shown over and over again, that excessive omega 6 oil and trans fats are very bad for everyone’s health – especially children. Theses bad oils interfere with the optimum development and functioning of a child’s brain and are significantly linked to the problems of ADD and ADHD, as well as dyslexia, depression and psychosis. Omega 6 oil and trans fats are also one of the major causes of childhood obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Another problem is while most children are getting far too much omega 6 and trans fats in their diet, they’re also not getting enough healthy omega 3 oil DHA and EPA fatty acids, which are primarily found in such fatty fish as salmon and sardines. In fact, 85% of Americans are deficient in DHA and EPA. Over 20% are so deficient no DHA or EPA even shows up in blood tests.

One of the results of too much omega 6 oil and trans fats and too little omega 3 oil in the American diet is the fact that millions of children are suffering from ADD/ADHD. According to the director of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), children account for 80% of the 11 million Ritalin prescriptions in the U.S.

Ritalin is just a quick fix for the symptoms. If you want to really get to the root of the problem, you need to make changes in your diet, use extra virgin olive oil for cooking, eat less processed junk food and a lot more fatty fish. Fish has always been know to be “brain food” and now scientists know why. Almost 70% of a newborn’s and 60% of an adult’s brain is composed of DHA and EPA fatty acids and these omega 3 fish oils are essential for mental and emotional health, both for children and adults.

So start feeding your children fish at least two or three times a week. Better yet, also give them a good daily fish oil supplement. You’ll get better results with none of the negative side effects that are usually connected with commonly prescribed anti-depressants and other medications.

Wouldn’t it be nice to see your kid running as smoothly and efficiently as your car?

No Comments »

The American Health Foundation and the New York Medical College recently discovered that DHA, an omega 3 fatty acid found only in fatty fish such as sardines and salmon, clearly inhibits the growth of human melanoma cells by as much as 50%. (Cancer Research, Vol. 60: 4139-45)

That’s really good for nearly 10,000 men and women who die each year from melanoma and for the many more expected victims in the future as the baby boomer generation ages.

Currently, over one million Americans get skin cancer each year. And 60,000 of these cases are the much more dangerous melanoma (malignant skin cancer) form. Anyone can get it. In fact, melanoma is one of the most common cancers among young people, but the risk goes up rapidly with age.

Melanoma is a very serious form of skin cancer, but if found and treated early, the chance of recovery is very good. However, if melanoma isn’t discovered and treated in time, it can metastasize – i.e. grow deeper and spread to other parts of the body. When this happens, melanoma becomes difficult to treat and life-threatening.

That’s why it is so important to take extra precautions when being exposed to the sun.

But there’s growing evidence that diet has a strong affect on the development of melanoma. A high dietary intake of omega 6 fatty acids from plant based corn, safflower, sunflower and soybean cooking oils, for example, have been found to stimulate the growth of cancer cells, including melanoma.

While on the other hand, omega 3 fish oil fatty acids (mainly DHA) have been found in several studies to suppress the growth of melanoma and other cancer cells.

It’s true that most of the melanoma/fish oil research was performed in laboratory test tube studies, but it’s the consensus of the different research teams that eating more fish and taking fish oil DHA in supplemental form could be an effective treatment for melanoma and that further human studies are called for.

In the meantime, eating more fish and taking omega fish oil supplements sounds sensible to me for so many reasons, including melanoma prevention.

No Comments »

Study after study has confirmed omega 3 fish oil can both prevent and relieve inflammatory arthritis.

And that’s good news for the more than 46 million Americans diagnosed with some form of the more than 100 different types of arthritis. The most common types are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout. Most doctors also consider lupus and fibromyalgia as forms of arthritis.

Arthritis is without a doubt the leading cause of disability in the U.S. One out of every five adults and 50% of those over the age of 65 suffer from some form of arthritis. Joint pain, stiffness and loss of mobility are the most common symptoms, often making daily functioning at home and work very difficult and painful. For many patients just getting out of bed, dressing and fixing breakfast in the morning can be incredibly painful and frustrating.

But you can beat arthritis. You don’t have to be a statistic and you don’t have to “learn how to live with Arthritis.” There are safe natural ways to prevent and treat arthritis without resorting to controversial and dangerous NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, cortisone (corticosteroid) and cox-2 drugs, such as celebrex.

Regular exercise – walking, swimming or yoga – and good nutrition – whole grains, fruits and vegetables and fish – are the best place to start. It’s also a good idea to cut way back on sweets and red meat. People who eat red meat every day, for example, have twice the arthritis than those who eat little to no red meat.

Nutritional supplements that include omega 3 fish oil and other essential fatty acids are also an absolute must for those who are committed to avoiding the pain and debilitation of arthritis. Two British doctors, for example, recently published a major paper asserting dietary supplements, particularly omega 3 fish oils, can significantly help relieve the symptoms of RA and osteoarthritis. (British Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 85: 251-69)

This is not the first time omega 3 fish oil has been found to benefit people with inflammatory conditions. Over the last thirty years, research has shown that fish oil can both help prevent and provide relief for heart disease, diabetes, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), high blood pressure, asthma, Alzheimer’s and depression – to name just a few.

As far as arthritis is concerned, the British scientists found omega 3 fatty acids were the most effective rheumatoid arthritis (RA) anti-inflammatory pain relievers. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are found naturally only in fatty fish such as salmon and sardines, significantly reduced inflammation, relieving morning stiffness and reducing the number of painful joints in RA patients.

In fact, fish oil was so effective many patients were able to completely discontinue or greatly reduce their medications, which often have very serious side effects.

So if you have or wish to avoid the pain and complications of inflammatory arthritis, consider adding good quality omega 3 fish oil supplements to your daily health regime. You’ll be glad you did.

No Comments »