It’s common knowledge that the American diet isn’t exactly healthy. We live in the land of processed foods. For that reason, many folks take a multivitamin. That’s a good start but it isn’t the whole story. There is one type of supplement that would be beneficial for everyone. That’s omega 3 fatty acids a.k.a. fish and flax seed oil.
There are two major types of oils in our diet—omega 6 and omega 3. In a perfectly nutritious world the ratio would be 1:1. Today it isn’t even close. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, our diet is weighted heavily to the omega 6 side, 20:1. Why is that so bad? Omega 6 oils promote inflammation. Inflammation is the underlying cause of pain. Fish oil supplements not only reduce pain but also lower cholesterol and improve blood flow. In addition, it is a factor in almost all diseases in the body, including Alzheimer’s and cancer. As a quick rule of thumb, if your doctor ever gives you a diagnosis that ends in ‘itis’, he or she is telling you that inflammation is the culprit [think arthritis, colitis].
It’s best to take fish oil supplements with antioxidants [vitamins B or C] since they protect the oil from breaking down [and turning rancid] before they become absorbed. Daily recommended amount is 500mg per 50 pounds of body weight. Some people get an after taste from taking fish oil. To avoid that, take them before you go to bed.
Omega 3 fatty acids [fish oil] reduce inflammation and have been proven beneficial to many critical areas in the body, including the brain and heart.
