As a 3rd year medical student, I’m very interested in living a healthy lifestyle. Omega-3 fatty acids are hot on the market right now because of their beneficial effects.
Some of these include:
Lowering triglyceride levels
Improving heart disease (post-MI)
Anti-inflammatory properties
Management of depression
As a prenatal supplement for development of a baby
Treating asthma
Improving ADHD symptoms
Protective against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
I have learned a lot about fish oil from a website used by many people in the medical field called UpToDate. What I have found is that many of these claims do have supportive scientific data to back them. However, a lot of studies are still in their infancy. While solid evidence is available, it is still under much research. That being said, fish oil is without a doubt something to be excited about!
I was very excited to receive some OMEGA-3 SUPREME fish oil softgels from LIFE & FOOD. I think that this company is at the forefront of providing high-quality fish oil supplements to the public. Each softgel has a total of 1400 mg of pure fish oil concentrate, and a total Omega-3 of 1050 mg. Each has an eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) amount of 644 mg and 336 mg respectively. In short, EPA and DHA are the active components of fish oil that makes it so beneficial (see more below).
Very importantly, this fish oil is mercury and gluten free!
The box it came in also states that it has “the lowest peroxide and p-anisidine levels on the market”. These substances are nutritionally useless and can damage cells by creating harmful free radicals. So being that these are extremely low in this product is a wonderful thing!
On a final note, I really liked how small these capsules where. I know that many people have a hard time swallowing larger pills. This company was able to present us with a high quality fish oil packed into a small softgel. That is something to applaud.
Everything else that I have written goes a little deeper into the science of fish oil. Read if for your own enjoyment and knowledge, or else go do something more fun!
Chemicals called long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) are what are in fish oil. The active components have been identified as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. I can barely pronounce those myself, so let’s just call them EPA and DHA.
EPA and DHA are absorbed from your gut, and are eventually incorporated into your cell membranes throughout your body. This occurs within days, and maximal incorporation occurs in about 2 weeks.
These play a role as antiarrhythmics, and reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death and heart failure.
They will also lower your serum triglyceride levels by nearly 25-30%! This is comparable to other lipid-lowering drugs. Such degree of an effect usually requires a higher dose (3-4 g/day). Fish oil also raises your good cholesterol, HDL, by about 3%.
Fish oil has also been linked to lower blood pressure. This is most notably in adults greater than the age of 45. In this age group, and at a dose of 3.7g/day over a course of 8 weeks, it was shown to lower systolic blood pressure by 3.5 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 2.4 mmHg. The effect was very little in younger adults (less than 45). These findings are largely due to their effect on increasing biomarkers of nitric oxide, lessens vascular responses to norepinephrine and angiotensin II (which cause your vessels to constrict), and increasing arterial wall compliance. All of these together can account for the reduction in blood pressure.
DHA has been linked to improving brain development in babies. DHA is incorporated into rapidly developing brain during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and the first 2 years of infancy.
I received this product for free or for a highly discounted price in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
