Herbal Remedies - Fish Oil

Not all fats are bad for you!  Artificial trans-fatty acids are always bad, as are saturated fats from animals which should be kept to a minimum.  As a rule of thumb the best fats are those that liquefy at room temperature.  Such fats, or oils as they might be conveniently termed, contain essential fatty acids which are vital to our survival.  These essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated and divided into:

The omega-3 essential fatty acid
The omega-6 essential fatty acid.

Omega-3 fatty acids act in a different way to omega-6, although both are essential, but excessive intake of omega-6 can create serious health problems.

Numerous scientists have attributed the high incidence of hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, premature aging, and some cancers, to an imbalance in our intake of omega-3 and omega-6.  Historically our forefathers survived on a well balanced intake of omega-3 and omega-6, but modern diets have increased the ratio to nearer 20:1 in favour of omega-6.

Omega-6 fatty acids are contained in vegetable and soy oils, massively used for culinary purposes, including frying.  Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish oils, flaxseed oil and walnut oil.   Fish oils are rich in  eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Apparently Eskimos, with their significantly fish diet, have a low incidence of heart disease and arthritis, so prevalent in the Western world.  This is remarkable, because Eskimos have a high fat diet, but it has been attributed to their high fish consumption.

Continued research has indicated that fish oils also help to prevent heart attack, depression, cancer and many other afflictions.  Therefore, fish oils can be included in the so called miracle foods category, because of their multifunctional health improvement qualities.  Studies relating to Alzheimer’s disease, suggest that regular intake of fish oils can assist with age related disorders.

Fish oils would also aid children’s development, and some recent studies have indicated that when fish oil is included in children’s diets, learning capacities are enhanced.  Breaking news is that trials are being carried out in British schools, to provide free fish oil supplements, and that initial results are encouraging.