Are you wondering why are fish oils considered so special? Well, the fact is that the omega-3 fatty acids present in them have an important role to play.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, namely, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are the key elements responsible for offering fish oil health benefits. These two fatty acids are directly available from fatty fish like salmon, sardines, herring, tuna and mackerel.
Some plant sources like flaxseeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and canola oil contain alpha-linolenic acid, which can be converted to DHA and EPA by your body.
Fish Oil Health Benefits
Fish oils have earned a name as brain food, heart healthy food and are popular for many other health conditions. Additionally, fish contain high proteins, vitamins, minerals and low saturated, which is good for health.
Some of the Main Health Benefits Of Fish Oil Include:
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Benefits of Fish Oil in Boosting Brain Power
Scientific studies have shown the association between fish oils and brain functioning and have found that the brain power or cognitive functioning was better in people consuming fish oils in either natural form or as a supplementation. Some studies have even shown that areas related to thinking and memory seems to be more related to intake of fish oils. This has also led to an understanding that consumption of fatty acids in fish can help in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
Supplementation with fish oils has shown great effects on child’s brain development, eye-hand co-ordination, and attention and concentration. These fish oils are also used in treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other behavioral or learning challenges arising out of poor cognitive functioning.
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Fish Oil Benefits & Healthy Heart
Fish oils, which contain omega-3 fatty acids, have been found to be beneficial and effective in reducing the risk of heart disorders and arrthymias. The main benefits of fish oil revolve around the ability of fish oils to increase the level of good cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol and triglycerides. These factors are essential as they further can prevent the accumulation of these fats in blood vessels (atherosclerosis), thereby reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
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Benefits of Fish Oil in Fighting Inflammation
Fish oils are found to be beneficial and effective in decreasing inflammation in body tissues and blood. Due to the anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil, they can be beneficial and useful in chronic inflammatory conditions. Fish oils can be useful and beneficial in some illnesses like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, which are inflammatory bowel diseases or other gastrointestinal disorders.
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Fish Oils Aids Better Bone Health
As fish oils are a great source of vitamins and other vital nutrients as well, they are found to benefit bone health. Fish oils have been used in treating bone and joint conditions like rheumatism, arthritis, etc. Fish oil can be of particular use in preventing degeneration of cartilage and other tissues, thus being helpful in osteoarthritis.
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Benefits of Fish Oil in Increasing Immunity
Fish oils have the ability to boost your immune power, which can help in keeping you well protected from common infections with cough, cold and fever. Some studies have also shown their value in health conditions where the immune system is attacked by external agents or by their own tissues.
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Fish Oil Helps Burn Fat
Fish oils can beneficial in improving your fat burning capacity and improves your overall metabolism. Studies have shown that fish oils in combination with moderate exercise can help in reducing body fat, especially those fat stores around the belly. This can help in reducing body weight and can invariably reduce the risk for many other health disorders due to being overweight or obese.
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Fish Oil Benefits & Women Well being
Fish oils can be helpful in preventing pain during menstrual periods or pain in breast. Apart from this, they can also help to prevent weak bones and are believed to be helpful in preventing some pregnancy related complications like high blood pressure or miscarriage.
In pregnancy, fish oils are considered of great importance as their consumption can help in healthy growth and brain development of the baby in the womb. DHA is believed to be an essential component for brain development and is passed on from mother to child during pregnancy.
This is not all. There are some more fish oil benefits that can help you to stay healthy and fit. Some of these include:
- Fish Oil and its Benefits on Eye Health: Fish oils are considered good for eyes and are used in conditions like dry eyes, macular degeneration (age-related), glaucoma and for improving vision.
- Fish Oil and its Benefits on Skin health: They are found to be useful in maintaining healthy skin and are used in conditions like skin rashes, psoriasis, etc.
- Fish oils are believed to have properties that increase nutrient delivery to the cells, which helps in optimal uptake of nutrients by body cells.
While many studies have tried to identify health benefits of fish oils, there are still many researches being conducted to determine the exact cause and effect relationship of fish oils with these health benefits. More studies are also focused on deciding the appropriate dosage and duration for supplementation.
Also, the way in which fish is cooked can have a great impact; ideally baked or steamed fish recipes should be preferred rather than fried ones to derive its health benefits.
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