subject: Fish Oil and Cholesterol -- Can It Outperform Big Pharma? [print this page] Fish Oil and Cholesterol -- Can It Outperform Big Pharma?
Let me ask you this, are you worried about your cholesterol? If so, you might be wondering about fish oil and cholesterol and if it's right for you. Or, you might wonder what fish oil has to do with cholesterol anyway.
Perfectly reasonable questions. Since the 1970's scientists have been conducting research on fish oil. The reason is because fish contain high levels of DHA, EPA and ALAthe three essential fats known as omega 3's.
Study after study finds this oil lowers chronic inflammation and cholesterol. Since high cholesterol can lead to artery blocks and heart attacks, it's essential to keep it in check.
Two Types of Cholesterol
There's the low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and the high-density lipoproteins (HDL). The LDL is the "bad" kind because it can clog up your arteries. The HDL is the "good" kind because it keeps your blood flowing by sending it back to the liver where it's processed.
Most of the cholesterol we eat is the LDL kind. You know--bacon, cheeseburgers and the other foods we know are "bad" for us. This cholesterol sticks to the sides of your arteries and forms plaque.
Cholesterol and Your Heart
This plaque can even cause your arteries to "harden" which is also called atherosclerosis.This is a serious condition because this hardening leads to blockages. Your blood can no longer flow freely throughout your body.
When your blood can't flow smoothly, you can feel tired all the time because you're not getting the oxygen and nutrient flow you need. Over the long term it's even worse, if your arteries are blocked, blood may not be able to get to your heart or brain or it may surge when it breaks through a block.
Both scenarios can be deadly.
So, what does fish oil have to do with it? It turns out this oil is full of essential nutrients. Those omega 3's I mentioned earlier? Nutrition experts say most Westerners don't get enough of these nutrientsin fact we are deficient in them. And that deficiency leads to a host of problems including coronary heart disease and high cholesterol.
Better Than Drugs
These omega 3 nutrients are proven to lower cholesterol and reduce overall body inflammation. Sometimes better than pharmaceuticals. An Italian study published in the British medical journal Lancet reports fish oil works better than some cholesterol lowering drugs! Other studies support these findings.
In fact, a Harvard researcher says fish oil supplements are the only supplement to consistently show up in clinical trials as making a tremendous difference in the health of heart patients.
Yes, you could eat your fish and get the nutrients you need, but if you have high cholesterol you may need more than the American Heart Association's daily recommendation of 2-3 servings a week. That's where supplements come in handy.
To learn more about fish oil and cholesterol and the types of supplements available, please visit my website where I share the research I've learned.
