What Are the Benefits of Taking Omega-3 Supplements?

When it comes to the benefits of omega-3 supplementation with fish oil, there’s absolutely no conflict between mind and heart—the evidence shows it’s one mighty supplement that benefits both.

What Are the Benefits of Omega-3 Supplements?

First, the most important fact to remember about omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) is that they are indeed essential, meaning that your body needs to get them from your diet. Unfortunately, with today’s modern diet, which is light on omega-3-rich foods (fish, grass-fed meats, nuts, seed and dark leafy greens) and heavy on foods with saturated fats and oils (corn, safflower, soybean, sunflower, cottonseed, peanut, etc.) that are rich in omega-6 EFAs—we are falling short. Way short.

A Harvard School of Public Health study published in 2011 found that omega-3 deficiency is likely the sixth biggest killer of Americans, and maybe the underlying factor of roughly 96,000 premature deaths each year!¹

Our brains, hearts, and bodies appear to suffer when we don’t get enough of these healthy fats. In terms of brain and heart health, omega-3s derived from wild cold water fish oil (or grass-fed animal fat and other kinds of seafood) are best because they are loaded with two particular brain- and heart-healthy EFAs called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Literally, thousands of scientific studies have been conducted using fish oil rich in these two nutritional dynamos—with mostly promising results.

Your Brain Needs Fat

Fat plays an important structural role in our brain cell membranes, which are fatty by nature. In fact, DHA makes up a full quarter of all brain fat, and it is the brain’s preferred fat for building brain cell membranes. DHA’s shape is highly flexible, which is needed for efficient cellular communication. However, when your brain doesn’t get adequate amounts of DHA through the diet, it’s forced to use inferior fats, such as saturated and trans fats. Brain cell membranes can become more rigid with these less flexible fats, which can slow information processing and overall brain function.

In an omega-3 deficient world, some pretty cool stuff can happen when the brain gets enough DHA. A recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study of healthy young adults whose diets were low in DHA found that supplementation with the fatty acid improved memory and reaction time.² DHA also benefit seniors experiencing mild memory problems associated with aging. After one year, elderly subjects taking a DHA-concentrated fish oil supplement showed significant improvements in short-term and working memory compared to those taking placebo.³ Memory is just one aspect of cognitive function that Omega-3 supplementation supports, however. A meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials found it also enhances attention and processing speed.⁴

But let’s not forget EPA. Although it doesn’t play the structural role that DHA does, it helps support mood and emotional balance. It’s thought that EPA may help by reducing inflammatory processes in the brain and by balancing out metabolic pathways. A recent meta-analysis of 19 different trials in people with blue mood “demonstrated a significant clinical benefit of omega-3 …treatment compared to placebo.”⁵ In this regard, EPA appears to be more effective than DHA.⁶ Omega-3 supplementation has also been found effective in people who are prone to mood swings and helps alleviate occasional stress.^7,8,9

Omega-3 Supplements Benefit Brain & Heart

With World Heart Day upon us on September 29, it would be remiss not to mention the numerous heart-healthy benefits to be had from EPA and DHA.

Seriously, when health authorities such as the American Heart Association recommend at least two oily fish meals per week (which equates to roughly 500 mg per day of EPA and DHA), a full gram per day for those with coronary heart disease—and even more for those with high triglyceride levels—there’s good reason.

• Let’s start with inflammation. Studies indicate that DHA and EPA from fish oil may support healthy inflammation levels in the body.¹⁰ Keeping inflammation levels in check supports a healthy vascular system.
• Then there’s blood pressure and heart function. Research has also correlated adequate amounts of DHA and EPA with healthy blood pressure levels.¹¹ And while still inconclusive, some studies have shown that EPA and DHA may play a role in healthy heart rhythm.¹²
• Last, let’s not forget triglycerides. Having a high level of triglycerides, a type of fat (lipid) in your blood, can increase your risk of heart disease. A very strong body of research suggests that DHA and EPA help to maintain healthy triglyceride levels.¹³

For omega-3 deficient Americans concerned about heart health, this is really good news. Taking an EPA- and DHA-rich fish oil supplement and/or simply eating more fish may make a difference. A study published just this month found that omega-3 deficient subjects with cardiovascular disease showed reduced cardiovascular risk factors and improved lipid profiles after a period of supplementation with DHA and EPA.¹⁴

What to Look for in High-Quality Omega-3 Supplements

If you want the heart and health support benefits that taking a quality fish oil supplement high in EPA and DHA can bring, keep these shopping tips in mind:

• Because fish can accumulate toxins such as mercury, dioxins, and PCBs, it’s extremely important that the product be highly purified.
• Fish oil spoils easily; look for a product that is manufactured according to the highest quality standards.
• Choose a product that has high amounts of EPA and DHA. Some inferior quality brands are lacking in one or the other or sometimes both. Look for at least 500 mg of each.

Here’s to a sound mind and a strong heart!

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Kim Henderson

Kim Henderson has been writing about health, beauty, wellness and the environment for more than 15 years. She’s the author of the award-winning book 50 Simple Steps to Save the World’s Rainforests and the former editor of Healthy Living magazine. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from UCLA.

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