The research included observation of 63 overweight men and women who has been undergoing hypertension treatment. The patients were randomly assigned to four groups. The first group was prescribed to include fish meal which consisted of turbot, tuna, sardines or salmon fish into their diet daily. The second group had usual calorie-restricted diet; the third one consumed calorie-restricted diet along with a daily fish meal; and the fourth one was a control group. Before and after 16 weeks of the experiment participants had their blood pressure, fatty acid profile, glucose tolerance and cholesterol levels measured for changes.

At the end of the experiment it has been determined that both calorie-restricted diets achieved an average weight loss of 12 lb (5.6 kg) in the first 12 weeks. No significant weight loss was noticed in the control group and oily fish meal only group. For people in the calorie-restricted group blood pressures levels decreased by 5.5 mm Hg (systolic) and 2.2 mm Hg (diastolic), while for those in the third group who consumed the calorie-restricted diet with fish oil numbers decreased by 13.0 mm Hg and 9.3 mm Hg respectively, which results in twice the benefit. Additionally, the combination of fish oil intake with weight loss diet improved glucose and insulin metabolism considerably. It also shown 38% reduction in triglyceride levels and 24% increase in HDL2 cholesterol for people in that group.

Conclusively, the combination of weight loss diet that consists of calorie-restricted meals with daily fish oil consumption significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease among obese people…

The research was aimed at young at the risk individuals with early signs of mental illness who might develop a psychotic disorder within the upcoming year. Two groups of 40 high-risk patients participated in the experiment over the period of three months. The first group has been given 1.2 grams of fish oil containing Omega-3 fatty acids each day while the second group was given a placebo. Only two patients from the first group have developed a psychotic disorder, which in comparison to the other group where eleven people progressed to psychosis resulted in 27.5 percent difference. This is a remarkable fact.

According to the received percentage four people would have to add fish oil rich in Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to their daily diet in order to save one of them from developing psychosis.

Such beneficial effects of fish oil on the cure of psychosis or schizophrenia can be explained by the result Omega-3 fatty acids has on the brain. It causes changes in cell membranes and interactions with neurotransmitter systems in the brain.

Many adolescents are hesitant to take antipsychotic drugs due to stigma and side effects that surround them. Sexual dysfunction and metabolic changes that lead to weigh gain are just a few of them. Therefore, fish oil may become a healthy natural alternative.

A 12-month follow up which was done on the study showed that patients who regularly took fish oil over the 3 months trial period retained the immune effect from brain disorders and experienced better functioning even after they stopped taking fish oil pills.

Firstly, the most common fear of taking fish oil has resulted from the blood thinning properties of Omega-3 fatty acids contained in the oil. The fear is that it may cause bleeding. It is advised against taking fish oil along with blood thinner drugs such as aspirin. However, clinical studies have found no evidence to suggest that fish oil should not be taken with blood thinners. In any case, you should consult your physician if you take any kinds of drugs before adding fish oil to your daily diet.

The second fear is based on mercury poisoning that may result from consuming oil extracted from poisonous fish. This fear was amplified by green peace activist suggesting that the water where the fish is taken from is polluted with industrial waste. The fish harvested in such areas can be high in mercury which is a toxic substance. To avoid this risk, you need to make sure that you get only high quality supplements extracted from cold water fish such as salmon and tuna found in areas with no risk of mercury contamination like the Southern Ocean. Additionally, look for the mentioning of distillation in fish oil products descriptions. The distillation process allows to remove harmful substances and contaminated dirt from the product. This is normally an important part of the production of any high grade fish oil product.

Lastly, there is a fear of overdose as dietitians are yet to find the appropriate amount of Omega-3 fatty acids required to keep the body fit. Depending on your health condition, you can safely consume one fish oil capsule a day. If you have any medical conditions, you still do not have to worry about side effects of fish oil after you consult your physician about your intentions to take fish oil…

So what are the benefits of choosing krill oil supplements over ordinary fish oil capsules that become common source of Omega-3 and antioxidants. Besides the fact that krill oil provides higher supply of both, taking it has the following advantages:

No Unpleasant Aftertaste

Many of us can instantly call one of the main drawbacks of consuming fish oil which will be a fishy aftertaste that is also commonly referred to as fish breath. To add to this unpleasant effect there are fish burps and often upset stomach followed by diarrhea, especially in the first days after you add fish oil into your diet. In contrast, krill oil has none of these side effects that you have to worry about. Something which can not be accounted for as truth even by top-of-the range fish oil products.

Faster Absorption

Independent researches confirm that krill oil is better source for Omega 3 fatty acids than conventional fish oil. Additionally, the Omega 3s in krill oil are linked in phospholipid form which contains the same structure of fat cells as human body and guarantees faster and easier absorption since there is no need for conversions like ones made for fish oil where Omega 3s presented in triglyceride form.

More Powerful Antioxidant

Krill oil is great source of Vitamin E, Vitamin A and Vitamin D along with a very effective anti-oxidant astaxanthin that protects body from cell damage. This antioxidant has an ability to combat toxins that may lead to cognitive decline. Moreover, antioxidant power in krill oil is found to be 54 times stronger than that of fish oil.

It is clear that if it is Omega-3s and antioxidants you are after than Krill Oil offers a much better alternative to fish oil without its side effects…

Nutritionists keep telling us about all the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids and while fish oil has been the most common source for these acids there is now a better alternative which is krill oil. Researches have found that krill oil offers more Omega-3s as well as provides higher antioxidant power than conventional oil extracted from fish.

Krill Oil Has More Nutrients

Oily fish such as herring, cod or sardines has decent amount of Omega 3s and presents a convenient source of fatty acids supplementation as fish is readily available food source. But it should also be mentioned that many fish contain contaminants found in the waters which include mercury and PCBs that are not healthy for humans.

It is not uncommon to see stocks of fish oil products being recalled and removed from the stores due to them being poisonous. March 2010 lawsuit against eight supplement production companies filed in California Superior Court after the discovery of dangerous levels of toxins in their products illustrates this. Moreover, fish oil supplements are often extracted from farm-raised fish which lacks many of the nutrients found in ocean water fish and therefore is less beneficial for the health.

As for krill oil, it is made from krill harvested in clear waters of the Antarctic Ocean. Krill is located at the beginning of the food chain which means that it does not contain dangerous levels of metals and you will not see krill oil supplements being taken off the shelves for any reason.

Therefore if you decide to take fish oil to:

Improve your heart condition
Lower cholesterol levels
Enhance your memory
Eliminate Post-Menstrual symptoms
Gain additional energy
Reduce joint pain

then you might consider a much more powerful alternative to fish oil which is Krill Oil that contains more of Omega-3s and higher amounts of antioxidants…

Several clinical studies have recently proven a numerous other benefits associated with Omega-3 intake. Let’s look at them in more detail…

Health Benefits of Fish Oil

Eliminates Arterial Blockage

The research of Omega-3 in fish oil has also revealed its potency in the removal of plaque in the arteries. The trials have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids can break up the blood clots before the condition deteriorates.

Reduces Instances of Childhood Disorders

It has been confirmed that pregnant women who include Omega-3 fatty acids in their diet, be it through eating fish rich in Omega-3 or taking Omega-3 fish oil supplements, considerably reduce the risk of childhood disorders in their newly born babies.

More over, children who are affected by Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have also shown improvement after the treatment with Omega-3 fatty acids which is known to be especially effective in curing dyslexia and compulsive disorder.

Reduces Cancer Risk

Clinical trials have demonstrated that Omega-3 fatty acids can help to reduce the occurence of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. These acids stops the unwanted development of cells that lead to cancer; they also help to eliminate cancer cells and prevent the onset of the mechanism that leads to formation of a cancerous mass.

Improve eyes and brain development

Women who include fish oils into their diets have shown to improve the development of the eyes and the brain of their unborn babies.

Better Skin Health

Another unmentioned before fish oil benefit promotes healthier skin while helping to reduce the instances of various skin disorders such as eczema.

These are just another list of fish oil health benefits which doesn’t stop there; there are many others about which you can read in next updates of our blog or better yet experience yourself by starting to take fish oil today…

If you have been reading about fish for awhile you might have already seen the information about harmful toxins which find their way almost into any fish we eat. This fact holds especially true for the fish at the high levels of the food chain such as Swordfish and King Mackerel. It means that with each portion of fish we not only consume healthy fats and Vitamins but also poisonous substances such as mercury. As a result it is recommended to eat no more than four portions of fish in one week. Pregnant women who are more susceptive to the metals should limit raw fish intake even further.

So how can we receive all the benefits of eating fish without contaminants? The answer is to take fish oil supplements which come in form of capsules or syrup. Once extracted fish oil contains all the essential Omega-3s that are necessary for our well-being. A distilled process which is now used by almost all production companies ensures that no harmful substances are left in the oil.

When choosing fish oil product it is also advised to look for the mentioning of purification process that cleanses the oil even further and choose pure high grade fish oil.

Clearly, with fish oil supplements we can get every benefit of fish as become so popular for without the risks of damaging our health with unwanted substances…

Obviously, the amount of fish oil required daily depends on the condition of each individual, therefore only your gp can give you the accurate number. But there is a general recommendation healthy adults can follow. The recommendation suggests taking from 300 to 500 mg of EPA and DHA fatty acids combined plus extra 800 to 110 mg of ALA each day.

This EPA and DHA Omega-3 fats recommendation can be fulfilled with one softgel capsule of fish oil which contains 1 gram (1000 mg of fish oil) on average. Such capsule provides 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA which results in 300 mg of Omega-3s. However, the amounts may vary from product to product and you need to look at the amounts of EPA and DHA they contain. Then by adding them together make sure you receive 300 mg in one portion.

Sufferers from diabetes and heart diseases are advised to take twice the amount of fish oil and people with cancer even four times that amount of Omega-3s. However, people with congestive heart disorder should not take such large quantities due to toxicity concerns, which will be discussed later.

While fish oil is a rich in both EPA and DHA fatty acids, offering up to 1000 mg in each capsule, it is also potent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin D. Both of these Vitamins are fat-soluble, which means they might become toxic if taken in large amounts.

There is a special option for vegans who do not eat fish products yet want to derive similar benefits which is vegetarian DHA supplements that are obtained from algae or flaxseed oil…

Here’s what the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have to say in concern of the potential impact of high fish oil dosage on the body:

“Patients who decide to take very large amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) may increase the risk of bleeding stroke. High dosage has also been linked to nosebleed and blood in urine. Fish oils are shown to decrease platelet aggregation and prolong bleeding time, while increasing breaking down of blood clots and reducing von Willebrand factor.”

In regards to the effects on people with type II diabetes, the research shows that taking fish oil might result in an increase to fasting the levels of blood glucose and a moderate decrease to the levels of blood sugar in the day time. Thus, people who currently take drugs for diabetes such as insulin should be under the doctor’s supervision when changing their diets to include fish oil.

Patients with heart disease where heart receives insufficient blood flow should talk to their doctor about Omega-3s intake. According to Wikipedia ‘heart cells that barely receive enough blood flow become hyperexcitable’. This can result in irregular heartbeats or even sudden cardiac death.

Omega-3s can stabilize heart rhythm by removing these cells from the functioning. Whilst this can be beneficial for people with enough heart cells to spare, it can also lead to fatal outcomes if the heart no longer have enough cells to pump blood into the system…

In 2008 group of researchers from Massey’s Institute of Food, Health and Human Nutrition investigated the effects of fish oil pills on the body in comparison to eating salmon fillet.

The research included observation of two group of healthy volunteers: the first group ate a 120g portion of salmon two times a week while the second one took salmon oil pills that contained the equivalent Omega-3. The results show that people from both groups have almost identical levels of Omega-3 in the blood. This confirms that taking pills is just as effective as eating fish when it comes to Omega-3 supplementation.

The difference was found to be in the concentration of selenium in the blood as the first group who consumed raw fish has shown significantly higher levels of this antioxidant than the second group. Selenium is significant antioxidant which has been associated with the amount of risk of heart disease and cancer.

Depending on your location you may have low or high levels of selenium in your body. For instance, New Zealand soil is low in selenium therefore produce which grows there do not provide enough selenium to their consumers who need to look for alternative sources.

Clearly, if it is Omega-3 fatty acids you are after and don’t like eating fish than fish oil pills is the perfect alternative for you…