Fish oil plays a role in heart health by providing you with
omega-3 fatty acids. It also adds vitamins A and D to your diet, which a
beneficial to eye health and bone growth. Another benefit of fish oil is its
anti-inflammatory properties that provide relief from rheumatoid arthritis and
menstrual cramps, according to the
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease the
risk of heart disease and help lower cholesterol, according to the University
of Massachusetts Medical School. You can get your recommended daily allowance
of 0.8 to1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids by eating two 3-ounce servings of fish
per week or by taking daily fish oil supplements that equal 1 gram of omega-3.
Fish Oil Vitamins
Cod liver oil is the only fish oil that contains vitamins A
and D. One teaspoon of cod liver oil provides you with 4500 micrograms of vitamin
A, which is six times more than the recommended daily allowance of 700
micrograms. One teaspoon of cod liver oil also contains 450 micrograms of
vitamin D, which is 30 times more than the recommended 15 micrograms per day. NYU
Langone Medical Center recommends caution when taking cod liver oil, so you do
not exceed the upper limit of 3000 micrograms of vitamin A. Too much vitamin A
can be toxic, while toxicity from too much vitamin D is less likely.
Fish Oil Supplements
When choosing a fish oil supplement, check the label for the
two ingredients that make up omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentanoic acid (EPA)
and docosahexanoic acid (DHA). Even though a fish oil supplement states it is
100 milligrams of fish oil, that doesn’t mean it contains 1000 milligrams of
omega-3 fatty acids. Consult the pharmacist if you can’t determine which fish
oil contains the most omega-3 to ensure you get the health benefits of the fish
oil.
Precautions
Fish oil thins the blood, so if you take blood thinning
prescriptions, such as warfarin, consult your doctor before taking any fish
oil. One other drawback to taking fish oil is fishy tasting burps.
References:
Image: By Wuhazet (Henryk Żychowski) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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