Medical Questions » Diet Questions » Question No. 1186
| Question: | I don' t eat fish. Is there any advantage in taking fish oils? |
| Answer: | Definitely. Fish oil is proven to have amazing health benefits, not least in the brain. It' s also good for your heart, your immune system and your skin. That' s because omega-3 fats, a kind of essential fatty acid, are a vital nutrient that is often missing in the modern diet. Fish oils are also natural painkillers and antiinflammatories. So vital are omega-3 fats that the amount in an infant' s blood correlates with their IQ at age five. If you don' t eat fish, take a fish oil supplement rich in omega-3 fats. You need about 400mg a day of the omega-3s, of which cod liver oil is a very
rich source.
There are two highly important kinds of omega-3 fats - DHA and EPA. DHA is more structural and is used to build the brain. Hence, it is proving important in pregnancy and infancy, although there is now research showing that it may also help reduce dementia. EPA is more functional and is coming up trumps in research on ADHD, dyslexia, depression and schizophrenia.
I' d recommend getting equal amounts of both, ideally 400mg of each a day. Flax seed oil is the best alternative for strict vegetarians. It is rich in a type of omega-3 fat called alpha-linolenic acid, which the body can convert into EPA and DHA. However, supplementing directly with EPA and DHA does tend to work better in terms of health benefits, as it' s ' ready for action' straight from the jar. |
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