By Jolie Martin Root
True Fish Tales
The many ways that fish oil keeps you healthy
Fish are some of the most unassuming and underestimated creatures on Earth. Here are several of the health benefits that they offer, and these are just the "A"s!
Allergies
Fish oil helps athletes breathe easier. If you suffer from exercise-induced asthma, the answer to your laboured breathing may be taking fish oil. According to a study from Indiana University, taking fish-oil capsules (5.4 grams) daily decreased the severity of wheezing, chest tightness, coughing, and breathlessness by 80 percent in athletes who had experienced this before (American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2003, vol. 168, no. 10). Study suprevisor Timothy Mickleborough, PhD, estimates that 3 to10 percent of people suffer from exercise-induced broncho-constriction (EIB) without having chronic asthma.
Fish's omega-3 fatty acids may prevent respiratory allergies and airway diseases in childhood, too. According to Australian researchers at the Children’s Hospital in Westmead, omega-3s reduce coughing in children at risk for allergies and may prevent allergies later in life (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2004, vol. 114, no. 4). Help children fuel up on fatty acids by eating cod, mackerel, sardines and salmon or taking 500 milligrams of omega-3 supplements in divided doses daily to improve respiratory health.
Arterial and heart health
Fish oil is important for the heart. Oil that provides at least 1,000 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA is recommended for anyone with heart disease risk or history. If you've recently survived a heart attack or had cardiac surgery, eating fish and taking fish oil will help heal and protect your heart. EPA and DHA don’t lower LDL (bad cholesterol), but they do make the LDL particles larger and more buoyant so they are less dangerous. Fish oils support higher HDL (good cholesterol) levels, which drastically reduces your risk of heart disease. HDL exists in a natural balance with triglycerides, which are stored fats used as energy. As HDL levels increase, triglyceride levels generally drop. Elevated triglycerides are another risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Research has shown that fish’s omega-3s can also help stabilize heart muscle cells, reducing the risk of arrhythmias, which are lethally abnormal heart rhythms that can cause sudden death. They may also help keep blood pressure levels normal. In one study of more than 11,000 heart attack survivors, daily supplements equivalent to one fatty-fish meal reduced the risk of sudden cardiac death (Lancet, 1999, vol. 354, no. 9177). It’s important to note that the recommended dosage for triglyceride reduction is now 4,000 milligrams daily. EPA and DHA in fish oil can also slow atherosclerosis, the development of harmful plaque on artery walls. If the plaque growth is slowed and the blood vessel walls are kept healthy, a heart attack is unlikely.
ADHD
Fish oil is important for brain and vision. It is a safe way to get omega-3s for child development without risking exposure to toxins in fish. Behavioural problems, including attention deficits, have been associated with low levels of omega-3 fats DHA and EPA and minerals such as magnesium, which are common deficiencies in children's diets. Infant studies showed that newborns supplemented with these brain boosting fats had improved brain development allowing them to process information more rapidly. Any child can benefit from fish oil to support cognitive development and immune function and lower the risk of diabetes. In addition, fish oil supplements have been shown to help children with eczema, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, behavioral and learning difficulties, and inflammatory bowel disease. Flavoured oils are now made to appeal to children, and can be added to smoothies and other cold foods. Avoid heating or adding fish oil in hot foods because this will destroy the omega-3 fatty acids.
Alzheimer's
Children's brains aren’t the only ones to benefit, of course. Alzheimer's patients with cognitive impairment may benefit from omega-3s, according to a study published in the Archives of Neurology (2006, vol. 63, no. 10). Researchers at Sweden's Karolinska University Hospital treated 174 Alzheimer's patients with omega-3 supplements or a placebo for six months. After this, both groups received omega-3s for an additional six months. Scores indicated that while omega-3 supplements had no significant effect on patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, a subgroup of 32 patients with very mild cognitive dysfunction did show a significant reduction. Therefore omega-3 supplementation may be most beneficial in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's, or for those at risk. Previous studies have linked diets rich in fish with a reduced risk for Alzheimer's. The National Institutes of Health awarded a six-year grant to the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, a federal consortium conducting clinical trials on Alzheimer's that will investigate DHA's effect on cognitive function.
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Jolie Martin Root
Jolie Martin Root, NC, is a licensed practical nurse, nutritionist and medical journalist in private practice in Denver, Colorado. She counsels and educates about the role of nutrition in integrative medicine. She lectures nationally and has been interviewed on dozens of television and radio programmes.
