|
The benefits of the ingestion of fish oil capsules are many. Fish oil can increase the body’s production of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Dopamine allows the brain to concentrate and helps in mental organization. Serotonin gives a sense of well-being and helps the body deal with stress. Various studies have shown that fish oil may be beneficial in the treatment of heart disease, high cholesterol, depression, anxiety, ADHD, breast cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and macular degeneration, among other disorders. It is often used to aid in weight loss and skin care, as well as pregnancy and fertility problems.
Fish Oil is born...
Fish oil’s first use was in the 1700s in England. Codfish was shipped to England by boat from the New World. When the cod was cleaned, the offal (insides) was thrown onto the streets and it was noticed that oil oozed out of the cods’ livers. The oil then was collected from the streets by enterprising souls, bottled and sold as “Cod Liver Oil” - a miracle cure for arthritis.
In the 1980’s manufacturers began extracting oil from the bodies of fish rather than from their livers, which can have high levels of Vitamin A that can be toxic in very large doses. The problem with rendering oil from the fish body is that anything eaten by the fish that is water-soluble remains in the oil. This oil also tasted as foul as cod liver oil. To get around the taste, manufacturers sold the oil in soft gelatin capsules that easily could be swallowed.
This created another problem. The beneficial dosage of cod liver oil was about one tablespoon of liquid. To ingest this amount of oil in the form of capsules required taking at least eight 1-gram (large) capsules. Most people were willing to take one or two capsules, but were not inclined to swallow eight capsules, or more. Because people were not realizing any health benefits from taking only one or two fish oil capsules, the fish oil craze that swept the country in the 1980 soon dissipated.
Manufacturers then attempted to remove impurities and concentrate the fish oil by using a process called molecular distillation. Initially some impurities and saturated fats (undesirable ingredients) were removed but not all, and some greater concentrations of active ingredients – long-chain Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids - were achieved.
Finally, fish oil was created that not only delivered concentrated amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, but also lacked the chemical contaminants and saturated fats.
Dr. Stephen Sinatra believes that EPA and DHA Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for cardiovascular health. He also believes that they nourish your brain, lubricate joints, improve autoimmune functions and promote skin health.
Copyright © 2010 by Jack Osborne - All Rights Reserved |
