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Goji onlineWhy are Omega 3 Supplements So Beneficial To Your Health?

Omega 3 supplements contain fats that, despite popular opinion, are good for you. These fats are polyunsaturated and provide your cells with critical nutrients used to build vital proteins and other substances. They are just as necessary as vitamins, but you?re more likely to not get enough of these important compounds. Years ago, researchers discovered that young children who don?t get adequate omega 3 fatty acids (FAs) do not grow properly.

There are three FAs to look for in the best omega 3 fatty acid supplements: alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA; eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA; and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. Although all three are beneficial, ALA is actually converted to the two others within the body, so a supplement with both EPA and DHA is ideal. Fish oil is the only one that contains these two important omega 3 FAs.

Omega 3 supplements, because of their actions on your body, can have the following beneficial effects:

? Promote cardiovascular and brain health

? Convert into prostaglandins, short-lived substances with a variety of critical health effects

? Provide certain anti-inflammatory effects by boosting leukotrienes

A related fat, omega 6, is also important, but when too much is taken it tends to cause inflammation instead of reversing it. For this reason, most doctors recommend more omega 3 fats and fewer omega 6.

Why You Should Consider Taking Omega 3 Fatty Acid Supplements

The USFDA and different medical organizations have stated that the EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acid supplements may reduce risk of coronary heart disease, with hardly any side effects reported. Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers have been shown to benefit by taking omega 3 supplements, in some studies having positive results equal to taking NSAIDs like aspirin.

Higher levels of omega 3 fats also have been shown to decrease the level of LDL cholesterol, the bad stuff. The ALA version of omega 3s in particular has been shown to lower overall cholesterol and triglycerides.

Newer treatments using omega 3 pills include the following:

? Supplements for autistic children may improve many different aspects of this syndrome, though there have been no good scientific studies, only case studies

? Pregnant women consuming omega 3 in fish or fish oil supplements have a much lower chance of low birth weight in their babies

? There is some evidence that omega 3 enhances brain function and may improve symptoms of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and Huntington?s disease

Possible, but unlikely, risks of taking omega 3 supplements include increased bleeding and stroke if you take high doses; poor glycemic control in diabetic users; and immune system repression. As with any supplement, vitamin, mineral, or pill, you should only use omega 3 fatty acid supplements if you have spoken with a doctor first. Additionally, omega 3 pills derived from fish oils (not fish liver oil) are less likely to cause complications such as vitamin poisoning when you take omega 3 in combination with multivitamins.

It is especially important for people with congestive heart failure and other heart blood-flow issues to talk to their doctors before taking any omega 3 pills or even foods containing high levels of omega 3 fats. It is possible, in these patients, for omega 3 to increase risk of cardiac death.

The National Institute of Health recommends that our daily intake of omega 3 fats should include 650 mg each of EPA and DHA, 2.22 g/day of a-linolenic acid, and 4.44 g/day of linoleic acid. Additionally, supplements based on fish oil, while they tend to be better than other omega 3 supplements, should be purchased from companies in countries regulated under the standards of the World Health Organization (such as the United States and Europe), as fish oils can be contaminated with mercury and other heavy metals.

Scott LeRoy has been studying prescription and OTC medications as well as natural remedies for over a dozen years. He is a regular contributor to Nutritional Supplements, a section of http://www.herbal-supplements-guide.com dedicated to conventional and alternative health options.