Fish Oil Benefits Your Entire Body

Once you start talking about fish oil benefits, it seems like there is a benefit for every system in your body. While it may seem nothing short of miraculous, there is good reason for this. Fish oil provides something without which your body cannot perform as it should.

Not all fish can provide the oil that you are looking for in your diet or supplement. The fish must be from oily and from deep cold waters. Fish in this category include cod, mackerel, salmon and herring. Fish from deeper waters are generally better as they should contain less, if any, mercury.

What the fish oil provides you in particular is Omega 3 fatty acids. These acids are needed by our bodies to function but we are not able to make what we need. These acids must be acquired from either supplements or diet. And it is not easy to eat enough oily fish to provide all the fatty acids that we need.

The fatty acids from fish oil are essential for proper cardiovascular and mental health. Research has shown that they help to remove bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol in the body. They help to keep the arteries clean and without plaques which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. They also aid in lowering of blood pressure.

Mental health is also impacted by Omega 3 acids from fish oil. These acids affect both cognitive and behavioral aspects of the brain. Furthermore, a correlation is being seen between Omega 3 deficiencies and various types of illnesses and diseases of the brain such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons and Schizophrenia. Supplementation with fish oil is also being noted as showing improvements in ADD and ADHD.

Fish oil fatty acids play an important role in brain and nervous system development. Therefore, it is an important supplement for pregnant women to aid in proper development of the fetus. There are also studies showing that premature deliveries are less common when supplementing with fish oil.

Omega 3s in fish oil also act as anti-inflammatories and can be used for reducing inflammation and pain in any such condition in the body. Examples of these conditions include lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and prostatitis. The anti-inflammatory aspect of fish oil can also work on reduction of wrinkles in the skin. The acids also increase collagen production, which is a further aid in more youthful skin.

Fish oil has also been found to help prevent cancer, specifically that of the breast, prostate and colon. The Omega 3s do this by keeping the normal cell from mutating into a cancerous one, stopping abnormal cell growth and killing off cancer cells.

Another fish oil benefit, but hardly the last, is promotion of serotonin production and inhibition of stress producing hormones. Serotonin is a hormone that basically makes us feel good from an emotional standpoint. Between these two functions, we feel happier and less stressed and, as a result, our immune system is stronger as well.

These are not even all of the fish oil benefits that could be listed. Now that you are ready to add fish oil to your diet, be sure to look for a high quality supplement. You will want to find one that contains only cold water fish oil and no preservatives or fillers.