Fish Oil and Cholesterol
Fish Oil and Cholesterol
High levels of good cholesterol will help us live longer and this is why we need to increase them so we can protect ourselves from arterial plates or arteriosclerosis. A high level of good cholesterol is at least 40 milligrams per deciliter of blood in men and of 50 milligrams per deciliter in women. Each milligram per deciliter above this value will reduce chances of having a heart attack by about 3%.
This means that we have to adjust our eating habits so that we can get the appropriate quantities of good cholesterol from our food. Foods containing good cholesterol are those that are rich in saturated fats, or good fats. It is commonly known that fish is the healthiest and most beneficial food that can provide us with vital proteins, which contain few calories and give us essential fatty acids. But if we were to get all of our fatty acids solely from eating fish, then we would have to consume huge amounts. Not many people like to eat purely fish; which is why it is preferable to take the necessary amount of essential fatty acids from concentrated fish oil – product obtained from fish fats.
Fish oil is very rich in Omega 3, a poly-saturated fatty acid. Omega 3 is essential for the development of body cells and for the general health of our body and it must be taken from food because we cannot create it ourselves. Medical studies show lots of information encouraging Omega-3 acids because they can treat high cholesterol and a whole spectrum of other medical conditions.
The success of Omega-3 fatty acids manifests itself at the cellular levels. It’s important to know that the cellular membrane is made out of fatty acids and good cholesterol, and that it permits nutrients to feed the cell. When the cellular membrane is altered, the physiological process of communication between cells is interrupted and this is how malign cellular formations appear. When the cellular membrane contains Omega-3 fat acids, it will get protected from free radicals and will reduce the risk of developing cancerous cells. So, the protective role of fish oil fats cannot be neglected and it is in fact quite essential.
Fish oil plays an important role in producing some substances called prostaglandins, which can regulate hypertension, speed up blood coagulation, reduce allergies and return hormone production to normal levels. They also have an anti-inflammatory role and can fight inflammation without side-effects like the ones obtained from regular anti inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen.
Fish oil is the best method of reducing bad cholesterol, because of its high omega-3 content. The good fats contained in it will increase the levels of good cholesterol, and will improve your body’s metabolism. A faster metabolism generates a faster reduction of bad cholesterol levels, so by taking only one supplement you can greatly improve your health.
The daily recommended dosage of omega-3 fish oil acids varies depending on sex, age, general health and body weight, but it fits somewhere in the interval of 1.1 to 4 grams. There is an upper limit for taking omega-3 acids, because after taking too much they may become toxic, so it is important to take them in moderation.
