Archive for January, 2010

Fish oil health benefits come from the amount of omega3 fatty acids contained in each fish oil softgel capsule. Unlike other fats in the diet, omega3s are “good” fats. They increase levels of HDL or good cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream, which can reduce the level of LDL cholesterol, this assumes you make attempts to follow a healthy diet, low in omega6s.

Omega6 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats. Most people recognize the importance of reducing saturated fat in the diet. They have been told that polyunsaturated fats are a better choice. But, there are several different kinds of polyunsaturated fats.

Let’s just look at corn oils as an example, since they are popular cooking oils, particularly in the US. Corn oil contains 46 times more omega6 fatty acids than omega3s. It is theorized that the original human diet provided exactly the same amount of omega3s, as omega6s, but that the typical Western diet provides somewhere between 10 and 30 times more omega6s than omega3s. One of the biggest problems with this kind of diet is that it leads to “chronic inflammation”.

One of the fish oil health benefits is to reduce inflammation throughout the body. Research has shown that it is beneficial in inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. You might refer to those diseases as acute cases of inflammation.

Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, is a cause of cellular aging, plays a role in heart disease and contributes to the growth of cancerous cells. It occurs when the body produces inflammatory hormones that alter the body’s metabolic functions. The hormones produced from omega6 fatty acids are far more inflammatory than those produced from omega3s.

Both omega6s and omega3s are essential to the human diet, but they must be consumed in a balanced manner. The primary fish oil health benefits are to help correct the imbalance that occurs in the typical Western diet. It has been noted that increasing omega3 intake is not beneficial for people that primarily eat fish, rather than poultry, beef or other meats.

It has also been shown that some oils have more anti-inflammatory activity than others. The natural triglycerides from the hoki fish have been shown to have more than twice the anti-inflammatory activity of other oils.

So, if you want to make the most of the fish oil health benefits, then you want natural hoki fish oil softgels. Xtendlife combines it with concentrated tuna oils to provide the highest possible amount of omega3 fatty acids per capsule.

Learn more about Natural Hoki Fish Oil

The best fish oil supplements contain high levels of omega3 fatty acids. Omega3s are long chained fatty acids that are used in the body to make hormones and transport signals from one part of the body to another. They are essential to the human diet.

Omega6s are also essential to humans, but the typical Western diet provides too many omega6s and not enough omega3s. There needs to be a better balance, otherwise omega6s lead to chronic inflammation. If you don’t eat fatty fish on a daily basis, you need an omega3 supplement. If you’re getting older and you have never been a big fish eater, you need an omega3 supplement, regardless of your current diet.

Chronic inflammation is one cause of cellular aging and DNA degeneration. It is the cause of pain in the joints that is attributed to aging. It plays a role in heart disease, age-related cancers and other life-threatening illnesses. A growing mountain of research indicates that these diseases are preventable and that painful joints are not an inevitable part of the aging process.

The best fish oil has more than twice the anti-inflammatory activity of the “regular” kind. Although the reason cannot fully be explained, natural triglycerides from New Zealand hoki fish have been shown to have more anti-inflammatory activity than any other.

Apparently, the benefits that have been seen for aching joints is due to “all” of the many triglycerides that are found in the oil of fatty fish. The distillation processes used to concentrate omega3s and remove contaminants must destroy some component of those triglycerides. That makes sense, because even low heat reduces the nutritional content of most foods.

Of course, if the oils are not distilled, they must be free of contaminants. The Hoki swims in some of the cleanest waters on the planet. Independent laboratory analysis has shown that there are no contaminants present in the oils expressed from the fish’s flesh. There is no mercury, no dioxins and no PCBs. It is the best fish oil, because it is the purest on earth.

If you have ever experienced fishy tasting burps, as a result of taking this kind of supplement, the reason is due to oxidation. The suppliers can control the amount of oxidation that occurs by using state of the art equipment and storing the oils at very low temperatures, until they are encapsulated.

I believe that the best fish oil is made by Xtend-Life. Their fish oil supplements fit into all of the criteria mentioned above and the company guarantees “no fishy-tasting burps“.

Learn more about Xtend-Fish Oil Supplements.