There are so many medical studies today on improving and maintaining your health that it can be more than a bit confusing to determine exactly what you should be doing to improve and maintain your health on a daily basis. Of course, we all know the basics of exercising, sleeping a requisite amount, eating well, and drinking a lot of water; but what about nutritional supplements.
No matter where you stand on the topic of whether or not the body needs nutritional supplements, almost all medical studies, experts, and professionals agree that everyone should be getting enough Omega 3 and EPA fatty acids in their body. In this article, we discuss exactly what foods contain these nutrients and why the body needs Omega 3 and EPA fatty acids for optimum health.
First, we have all heard the term Omega 3 and EPA fatty acids, and that we need them; but what exactly are they and in what foods are they found? Omega 3 and EPA are fatty acids that are not created in the body, but are needed for a number of central body processes. These fatty acids are found in fish, beans, olive oil, flaxseeds, and nuts; or served up in one of the many fish oil or comparable omega 3 oil supplements on the market. It should be noted that these foods and supplements all have various dosages, and thus, should be considered when incorporating them into your diet.
So why do we need them? Our bodies do not produce fatty acids, for one; and yet, are bodies need them to do a variety of functions that have become less efficient with the advent of free radicals and processed foods and all the unnatural stuff that we are now subject to in this day and age.
Omega 3’s help with cognitive brain development, processes, and function. You can better ward off disease and condition with these fatty acids. You can maintain and optimize a healthy heart with Omega 3 fatty acids. They are a studied and documented benefit to strengthening your immune system, keep blood from clotting too quickly, and overall help the body to ward off inflammation in all of the organs and necessary functions.
One of the top reasons that people take Omega 3 supplements or incorporate the recommended amount of these fatty acids in their diet is to obtain a healthy heart with Omega 3 fatty acids. Your heart is one of the most important organs in your body, and manages all blood flow throughout your body, and thus, the healthier it can be-the better. Much research has been done on those who regularly take Omega 3s, as opposed to those who do not-and the conclusive results is that cardiovascular health is optimized by these fatty acids
fish oils can reduce a man’s risk of dying from a heart attack by 80% and a woman’s risk by 33%!
This is because Omega 3s lower bad cholesterols while increasing good cholesterols (HDL); while also lowering blood pressure in the heart.
Another popular reason that people use Omega 3 fatty acids in their diet-often in the form of fish oil supplements-is to ward off inflammatory conditions and auto immune disease, such as Cancer, Lupus, IBS, and even skin conditions. The use of omega 3 fatty acids in the body has been shown to reduce the effects of inflammatory agents, and limiting the amount of inflammation that actually occurs-thus, drastically improving the symptoms of these diseases. Studies have also shown that the inflammation that strikes with Arthritis is also greatly improved and limited by those consuming enough good fatty acids.
People also choose Omega 3s to help the progression of Diabetes. Most often, you will find Diabetes is working in concert with high cholesterol in a patient; and by taking adequate supplementation or increased foods with Omega 3s, a person is much more likely to ward off later and more serious stages of Diabetes.
Aside from providing a health heart with Omega 3 fatty acids and less bodily inflammatory response; is also the studied benefit that Omega 3s have of increasing the levels of calcium in the body, and thereby warding off serious bone conditions, such as Osteoporosis. Both occurrence of Osteoporosis as well as bone density measurements show evidence that someone taking Omega 3s are much more likely to have little risk of the disease, and have strong bone density-when compared to thus that do not have enough in their diet.
Also of note is that aside from helping with practically every known bodily health concern, disease, and condition out there; Omega 3 fatty acids have also shown a link to helping the effects of those affected by Depression. Studies have shown that those taking anti depressants and Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation show decreased symptoms of Depression.