Are Omega 3′s Worth It?

A few years ago, I changed my diet completely. I altered my food intake so dramatically that many of my friends and relatives thought I was joking when I told them how often I was eating fish, how I ate nuts and grapes leaves for snacks, and how my major indulgence was a cup or two of blueberries. As you may have guessed, I changed my diet in order to dramatically increase my natural intake of omega 3 fatty acids.

And there were a lot of benefits. I certainly slimmed down and toned up thanks to the low-fat, high-protein diet I was now eating. And the lack of processed sugars did not hurt anything either. I definitely felt good, and I was sure that I was doing everything I could to insure that my heart, my mind and my general health would remain good far into the foreseeable future.

However, when I went in for my annual physical, I was sorely disappointed. Sure, my doctor was pleased with my improved fitness and energy levels, but it turned out that my cholesterol, never low, was even higher than before. I was furious. I was offended. I suspected a conspiracy. After all, hadn’t I made some seriously difficult changes to my diet to address this type of thing, and wasn’t it omega 3’s job to keep my cholesterol down? Well, I had some disappointing news coming.

It turns out that while you can alter your diet to take in far more omega 3 fatty acids that you used to on a conventional diet, you probably still are not getting enough omega 3 fatty acids to reap the full benefits of this essential nutrient unless you are basically living like an Eskimo and eating fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner – and frankly, that has some drawbacks of its own. My doctor told me (and I did some research to verify what he was saying) that probably the most effective way for me to get adequate daily allowances of omega 3 fatty acids was to start simply taking an omega 3 fatty acid supplement.

He recommended a supplement made from salmon oil, since salmon is generally acknowledged to be the best source of omega 3s, and recommended that I choose one endorsed by the World Health Organization and certified toxin-free, since many fish oil supplements are actually made from fish slightly tainted by mercury or other common aquatic pollutants. I added the supplement to my diet and worked with my doctor to make sure that I was not overdoing anything, and soon my cholesterol took a long-awaited dip. It was the best news I had had in a long time, and I was really proud of my new health.

So yes, omega 3s are definitely worth it, but that does not mean you need to go into things blindly. Work with your physician to find a good omega 3 supplement like this one (http://www.omega-3.us) and to develop a diet plan that will work for you and your health goals.

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