Benefits of Omega-3 Supplements for Triglycerides and Overall Health
61Fish oil supplement results
Fish oil supplements have benefits with the omega-3 fatty acids. One benefit is improving triglyceride levels, a component of a healthy cholesterol reading . Nurse practitioners and physician assistants now prescribe omega-3 fatty acids to manage high triglyceride levels. Quality fish oil supplements can improve triglyceride results which is what my wife, a nurse practitioner, experienced on a recent checkup. She took a fish oil supplement for about a month prior to a blood test and her triglyceride levels were reduced by 50 percent. Managing triglyceride (TG) levels can reduce the risk for health problems including pancreatitis and coronary atherosclerosis.
Ingredients of fish oil
Medical journal view of omega-3
Prescription strength omega-3 fatty acids were the focus of
an article titled “Triglycerides and Omega-3s” in ADVANCE for NPs and Pas,
December 2010.Read below to see that a prescription may not be necessary for prescription strength omega-3 fatty acids.
The article stated that about 3.8 million people in the U.S. have severe hypertriglyceridemia at 500mg/dL or higher. Diet and lifestyle factors can contribute to the problem. Genetics plays a part as well, at least in overall cholesterol. An adopted child, for instance, may be active and healthy yet have a high cholesterol reading which can be genetic. My wife is small to medium build. High cholesterol and triglyceride readings are common among her relatives.
The article states that the FDA approved a formulation of prescription omega-3 fatty acids, Lovaza which is a GlaxoSmithKline product. Lifestyle choices, stated the article are causing higher TG levels: “average TG levels are rising as Americans in general eat more, exercise less and subsequently gain weight.”
Two considerations before using prescriptions to manage TGs and cholesterol:
Prescriptions may not be necessary to lower TGs and not all fish oil supplements are beneficial if they are not quality fish oils.
Anchovies, sardines, and omega-3
My wife took Heart Health fish oil with omega-3 fatty acids which is a high quality fish oil made from small fish like anchovies and sardines off the coast of Peru. She found them to be more effective than Trader Joe's Omega-3 fish oil supplements. Small fish are safer since they are not likely to have higher mercury levels. The brand offers this description:
Fish oils or marine oils are lipids (fats) found in fish, particularly cold water fish like herring, kipper, mackerel, menhaden, pilchard, salmon, sardine and trout, and phytoplankton. The sources of fish oil in Heart Health™ Omega III Fish Oil are sardines and anchovies, tested by the manufacturer and an independant testing company to be virtually free of mercury lead, PCB and other heavy metals.
TWO FISH OILS
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexanenoic acid) are the two most studied fish oils. Higher EPA and DHA levels indicate a quality level fish oil.
The Healthy Heart brand has 870 mg of EPA per serving and the DHA has 570 mg per serving. This level surpasses the recommended levels of 500 mg from both the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association. The price is $ 59.99 for 120 gel capsules.
Another friend of mine who had high blood pressure and high cholesterol had her levels checked and her physician recommended Lipitor, a heavily advertised prescription drug. She didn’t want to take it. She didn’t tell the physician she had taken the Healthy Heart fish oil for several weeks after her visit. She went back for a check-up and he wrote an email saying “glad to see the medication is working.”
My wife is also giving Dr. Sears fish oil to our four-year-old granddaughter which comes in liquid form.
Compare this to a popular brand seen on grocery store shelves: Nature’s Brand. The total omega-3 fatty acids is 360 mg per serving which costs about $ 20.00 for the same number of gels. It contains less than the recommended amount of EPA and DHA as recommended by both associations.
Another view of omega-3 fatty acids comes from the University of Pittsburgh alumni magazine which states the omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation in the body, lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Fish oil supplements with quality omega-3 fatty acids are not an answer in and of themselves for good health, but they can play an important role in managing triglyceride levels.
Buying high quality fish oil capsules
- Heart Health Essential Omega 3 Fish Oil With Vitamin E
A high quality fish oil with omega-3 fatty acids. The EPA and DHA are at levels recommended by the American Heart Association.
Health-related Hubs for more reading
- Relieving shoulder pain and tension
Relieving shoulder pain and tension may be a simple as using a hot compress. A simple massage works well as does taking brief breaks if writing for long stretches. - Is Your Liver Fuel Efficient?
Liver imbalance may make you feel down-and-out when you think you should be full of life or living. An overload of fat can make the liver function below its optimum level of performance.
CommentsLoading...
That's perfectly fine, snakebaby. I've heard Trader Joe's has a good one on the market, too.
That is interesting and good to know, I may check it out next time :)
Yeah, I don't know for sure about the Trader Joe brand or the amount of oils in it but that's what I've heard so I'll check it out, too.
Flag up and usefull...
As with most all things, there are both positive and "negative" concerns. Consider the follow possible issues with fish oil:
The side effects of fish oil (especially if you take too much) include:
Increased risk of bleeding. There's little evidence of risk if you don't take much fish oil, but if you take extremely large amounts (like eskimos have been known to do), there's an increased chance of hemorrhagic stroke, blood in the urine and nosebleeds. Why these fish oil side effects? Because fish oil omega 3s seem to increase the breaking down of blood clots and decrease blood platelets from clumping together.
High intake of toxins (from fish meat). Contaminants like methylmercury, PCBs and dioxin can be found in some types of fish. Fish oil supplements , however, usually are filtered and don't have these toxins. Babies are most susceptible to these toxins and that's why young children and women who are pregnant or nursing should avoid eating too much fish.
Vitamin toxicity. Fish liver and fish liver oils (like cod liver oil) contain high amounts of vitamins D and A. Fish oil supplements, however, do not contain too much vitamin A or D. Also, vitamin E is sometimes added to fish oil products to make up for the vitamin E deficiency caused by taking fish oil over long periods of time (vitamin E is used to metabolize omega 3s and vitamin E supplies can go down with high intake of omega 3s).
Small reduction in blood pressure. The more omega 3s you take, the greater the reduction in blood pressure, so people that take blood pressure lowering medications or those with low blood pressure should be careful.
Slight increases in fasting blood glucose for type-2 diabetics. It seems, however, that scientific evidence doesn't show any long-term side effects on diabetics from taking fish oil.
5 - 10% increase in bad cholesterol levels. Studies show that LDL levels increase with the more fish oil you take. But the amount is very small and insignificant when compared with the benefits of fish oil.
Swelling of upper respiratory tract. This side effect of fish oil has only been found in some patients.
Allergic reactions -- skin rashes, itching, hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat. These omega 3 fish oil side effects usually only happen in people who have allergies to fish.
Stomach and gastrointestinal upset. Some people get diarrhea from fish oil and it only gets worse for them with higher amounts. Some people also claim fish oil side effects like heartburn, bad breath, fishy aftertaste, burping, stomach pain and bloating, acid reflux, indigestion. These are actually the most common side effects of fish oil omega 3s. (To reduce these fish oil side effects, take omega 3 fish oil with meals, start taking a small fish oil dosage and slowly increase the amount you take.)
Too much DHA in infants and small children. Fish oil supplements may not be suitable for infants and small children because the brain doesn't need EPA and in trying to get DHA gets too much EPA.
Rare fish oil side effects that have been claimed include mania in people with bipolar disorder or major depression, restlessness and the sensation of ants crawling on the skin.
Your comment is useful. There are many angles to consider with all supplements, including fish oil omega 3s. Thanks for taking time to reply so thoughtfully and in such detail.
Thanks! An example of this is blueberries are very good for us. However, milk negate their benefits...
Really? Milk negates the effect of blueberries? I wrote a Hub on blueberries: http://hubpages.com/hub/Blueberries-for-landscapin
Better to take the fish oil than not is how I see it. Thanks for the info.
Yes, chspublish. With the fish oil product I mention that my wife took, her triglycerides were cut in half after four weeks and she did not take it extensively. I think it's hard to measure impact with many supplements but this one she was able to measure. Certainly, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise is important. My wife also has strong, negative opinions of Lipitor so I'll do more research write a Hub on that.
Hi Don
This is a highly informative hub and the comments of your readers are also very interesting.
I've read that fish oil can also help you lose weight. Apparently the Omega-3 triggers enzymes that oxidize or burn fat, but this process needs us to exercise to increase our metabolic rate.
Amber:)
Fish oil has worked wonders for my hair and nails, I have had a positive experience with the gel tablets, I bought mine at Walgreens where I live.
Hey glad to know the fish oil did help.
It seems fish oil has raised some controversey Don. I like xtend-life Omega 3 Premium. It is fantastic for my skin not to mention this particular mix includes Lycopene (which has been found in some studies to be potentially effective in prevention of breast cancer and shown to provide benefits for men suffering from benign prostate hyperplasia)and astaxanthin(a recent study apparently showed that it caused 98% inhibition of 5alpha-reductase (an enzyme associated with the growth of prostate cancer cells)
However I do totally agree any health product if taken excessively or when an underlying health issue already exists can cause many negative complications and should only be ever be considered following medical advice. Voted up good hub.
Thanks for the vote up. I'm going to write a Hub soon on Lipitor and some of its negative side effects. It's being pushed or promoted and I think unfairly over other supplements.
Hi Don! I enjoyed this hub. You have a lot of good information here and envoked some good and informative conversation. It was interesting to me as my husband and I take a fish oil supplement. Thank you for sharing this information. Voted up and useful!
Thanks, sgbrown. Yes, the more I learn about the benefits of Omega 3 fish oil, especially from sardines and anchovies, the more convinced I am that it's one of the basic supplements all of us need.
snakebaby 16 months ago
Hi Don: Great idea for a hub! But you probably don't want to hear this, that there is a better and less expensive fish oil supplement than MA's. I've done enough research between these two companies. In fact, all supplements from MA are way too expensive and not necessarily the best (and they are not, base on reliable resources). Their fish oil is pretty good compare to the normal brands but not the price. Ignore my comment if it's against your interest, just another opinion for you to know, all based on my months of research and studies. No offense.