The Benefits of Taking Fish Oil
Fish Oil is a form of fatty acid that comes from the tissues of oily fish (some examples include mackerel, herring, tuna, cod liver, salmon, whale blubber, and seal blubber). In fact, fish oil is a very rich source of omega-3 fatty acid, which has a wide array of health benefits, from lowering blood fat to improving mental skills to improving lung function. Two of the most important of these fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which have gained a lot of attention in the last few years in health research.
The benefits of EPA include lowering blood pressure, preventing heart disease, and treating depression. EPA is very useful in preventing blood clots from occurring, and reduces pain and swelling. DHA, meanwhile, can be used to treat type 2 diabetes, improving vision, and treating ADHD. DHA plays a very important role in the development of healthy eye and nerve tissue, and lowers the risk of you developing heart disease. When the two are used in combination with each other, they can treat a variety of health conditions, like heart disease, cancer, high cholesterol, and migraines, to name only a few. They can also improve protein synthesis in your body, leading to more lean muscle gain from your workouts.
In addition to the aforementioned benefits, fish oil is also beneficial for your bone health. As you get older, you’re bones start thinning, which can lead to a number of bone-related health issues, such as osteoporosis and arthritis. However, studies have shown that an intake of calcium and fish oil can help to keep your bones strong and healthy.
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And it’s not just your physical health that can be improved with fish oil. Studies have shown that taking fish oil can also improve your mental health, particularly in regards to mood support. Due to there being so much processed foods in most people’s diets, they often don’t get the quality nutrition to support a healthy system, which can add to the stress build-up that often lead to mood disorders like depression and anxiety. To help keep you in a good mood, your body produces a hormone called serotonin, aka the “feel good” hormone, and one of the easiest ways to improve your serotonin levels is by eating a carbohydrate-heavy meal, which is where stress eating comes from.
Of course, eating a high-carb meal isn’t the healthiest way to improve your mood, but thankfully, fish oil is. Adding fish oil to your diet helps to naturally improve your serotonin levels, which can help reduce your stress levels, which reduces the likelihood of developing mood disorders. And as an added bonus, you’ll get more of a boost to your workout when you’re in a good mood.
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Originally published at www.jackedscholar.ca.
