Fish Oil And Omega 3 Fatty Acids

By Lori Matthews

Most cold-water fish contain oil in their fillet cavity. This oil is very rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA. These nutrients are generally consumed to treat inflammation of the body.
Types of fish that have high levels of Omega 3 containing fish oil include trout, tuna, salmon, and sardine. However, consuming such types of fish in a very high quantity can be harmful due to the high toxin content of their body through a process known as biomagnifications, since these fish are relatively higher on the food chain.

The fish oil industry is the most lucrative in Norway, Chile, Iceland and Peru, the latter being the largest in the business. Omega 3 fatty acids not only help diagnosing inflammation, but also control the cholesterol content and enhance the composition of the human body, due to the influence of EPA and DHA on PPARα.

DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid and EPA is the abbreviation for Eicosapentanoic acid, both of which are types of essential Omega 3 fatty acid found widely in fish oil.

Here, one needs to remember that none of these Omega 3 compositions are produced by the fish independently. The micro organic algae and photosynthetic reactions of other autotrophs are the original makers of EPA and DHA. The former is a precedent and a necessary condition for the formation of the latter. These Omega 3 fatty acid formations start to modify themselves as they reach higher tropic levels.

Benefits of DHA include reduction in the risk for cardiac illness, maintaining adequate proportion of serotonin in the brain and fighting manic depression.

Recent developments in research have enough proof to claim that DHA plays a positive role in treatment of Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, postpartum depression and coronary artery blockage, prevention of cancer and benefits to lactating females.

Studies show that women who are pregnant need to supplement their daily diet with higher amounts of DHA. This increases the Omega 3 fatty acid content of breast milk, which in turn proves to be very beneficial for the baby.

EPA is apparently very important in the diagnosis for Schizophrenia. It should be noted that diabetes inhibits the body's capacity for EPA. Such individuals should take additional EPA supplements to maintain adequate levels of it.

For this reason, food supplements such as yogurt and milk containing DHA and EPA and other Omega 3 fatty acids have been brought into the market for consumption.

Fish oil is extracted from the body of the fish and not from the liver (cod liver oil). Both Omega 3 and Omega 6 are basically kinds of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. The human body requires adequate amounts of both. Omega 3 is found generously in fish oil. Other sources of this type of fatty acid include nuts, avocados, flaxseed, eggs, and lactose rich food.

An important point to be noted here is that it is not fish oil that is the diagnosis. However, the Omega 3 fatty acid is. The fish oil is just the most effective way of consuming it.

It is always advisable to consult your doctor before you start fish oil supplements.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Winter in the mountains: back to the season of dry skin?

By Josephine Toulemonde

When you live in the mountains, you are surrounded by beauty. In winter, you can go skiing or touring in the most beautiful and magic places. It just makes you feel so good, except for your skin. Winter in the mountains is synonym to cold weather, low humidity levels, wind, and high altitude. These environmental factors dry out and damage your skin.
What can you do to stop suffering from dry skin and keep on enjoying the mountains all winter long?

When you experience a feeling of tightness, rough skin, intense itching, fine lines, cracks, chapped lips or redness, this is usually because your skin is very dry unless you suffer from a more serious skin problem. When you go outside, it gives your skin a hard time. If you stay inside, it might be worst because of heating which draw moisture out of the air and out of your skin. Even a fireplace in a cozy alpine hut gives a hard time to your skin.

But don't worry, there are natural solutions to help you with winter dry skin.

Moisturize your skin

Applying moisturizing creams is an answer, but don't use any creams. Preservatives and fragrances can dry and irritate sensitive skin, so it's best to look for creams that are fragrance-free and contain as few preservatives as possible. Preservatives that seem to cause problems for many people include propylene glycol, quaternium-15, and imidazolidinyl urea. Choose natural products instead or nourish your skin with pure oils, such as almond, avocado or jojoba oil.

Here are a few skin care tips for different parts of your body:

* Body & face: apply almond oil all over your body right after showering, when your skin is still a little bit wet. * Scalp: if you suffer from dry scalp, apply jojoba oil on your scalp 15 minutes before your shower. Then shampoo your hair using a natural shampoo that contains neem oil. You could also add a few drops of tea trea and jojoba oil in your shampoo. Wear a hat evertime you go outside. * Hands: choose a cream with a very high content of shea butter because it protects, nourishes and softens your hands. Also wear gloves...

In winter, always protect your skin even on a cloudy or snowy day. In ice and snow wear a hat, sunscreen, lip balm, and slip on sunglasses to cut down the sun's reflection. Don't forget snow is an even better reflector than water. 80% of the sun's rays get back to us, compared to less than 20% for sand.

Reach for a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15 and reapply often, especially when using sunscreen with a natural sun protection agent, such as zinc oxide.

Never go out without your lipbalm (SPF 15)! Lips don't have oil glands and they can dry out easily causing chapped lips. When ski touring for example, try not to lick your lips and protect them as most as possible (behind a scarf).

In the shower

The longer you're in water, the more protective oils you lose. This is why you should try to shower only every other day and limit showers to 5 minutes. Using warm water, rather than hot, is also best. Hot water removes the skin's natural oils more quickly than warm or cold water.

A cloth helps exfoliate dead cells, which can help in most cases. The clearer the skin, the deeper a moisturizer can penetrate. But it may irritate your skin too. You should use your hands or a sponge instead if your skin is too sensitive.

Shaving can also leave your skin extra irritated so use a shaving cream and change blades in your shaver often.

After washing, moisturize immediately with oil to help trap water in the skin. If you can't help having a bath, add a few drops of essential oils and good moisturizing oil to bath water. Chamomile, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemon, Patchouly, Rosewood, Sandalwood essential oils are commonly used for dry skin.

Fluid

When you're touring or skiing, you are losing lots of fluid by sweating during exercise. The skin is often the outer reflection of the inner being. If you are dehydrated, your skin will be too. To keep your body hydrated, drinking water is obvious. You should also avoid alcohol and caffeine (all kinds of diuretics). If you need to warm up in cold weather, drink herbal tea instead.

Nutrition

Essential fatty acids (omega-3s and omega-6s) are most important. These healthy fats help retain natural oils in your cells and keep your skin well-hydrated. You can find good fats in cold-water fish but also in poly-unsatured and unrefined vegetal oils, such as flax or hemp oil. Because of unsafe levels of mercury with some kinds of fish, it is advisable to supplement your diet with good sources of EFAs instead, and alternate fish oil with vegetal oils.

In your house

Dry indoor air in your house or at work can really irritate your skin. Drinking lots of water is a solution, but also keep your house between 68 and 75 F, not too hot! Use a humidifier if possible, especially in your bedroom, to keep your skin well-hydrated as you sleep.

These tips should help you with dry skin and winter itch. However, some cases of dry skin really should be seen by a doctor. If your symptoms get worse, please contact a health care practitioner.

Read the original article in context at: http://www.optiderma.com/en/they-talk-about-it/skin-articles/winter-in-the-mountains-back-to-the-season-of-dry-skin.html

The Ultimate Weight Gaining Program

By Rory Wilkinson

Whether you want to add weight for sports or just self confidence then you have come to the right place. This article will reveal the best weight gaining program. Follow these 3 steps and you gain muscle mass quickly and safely.
So you want to start adding weight?

Let's get started

1. The 1st part of these weight gaining program concerns the food that you intake. Obviously to gain weight you need to absorb more calories than you burn off. This means that you will want to increase the amount of meals that you have per day to at least 6-7. These meals should be made up of roughly 45% carbohydrates, 35% proteins and 20% fats. Also try to have at least 3 of these meals made up of real solid foods. (Don't just drink protein shakes).

2. The next vital part of the weight gaining program is to ensure that you are working out your big muscles. If you want to gain weight and muscle then stop focusing on bicep curls and inside perform exercises like the squat and the dead lift. These exercises (unlike bicep and triceps curls) work your major muscles and help create large muscle mass. Moreover these exercises are vital for the large hormone spikes which they cause. Any weight gaining program must incorporate these 2 exercises.

3. For optimum muscle growth and gain then supplements are very important. They will increase the benefits of your work out and allow you to gain weight and muscle much quicker. Of course you must take care when choosing the right supplements. Only use well known products that have passed the test of time. Such examples would be: protein shakes, powdered creatine, multi vitamins and fish oil capsules.

So that's the Ultimate Weight Gaining Program. You now have some basic knowledge for gaining weight and muscle. This is just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to know more information about gaining weight and muscle then visit the website below.

Psoriasis Treatment Using Natural Remedies

By Rudy Silva

If you have Psoriasis or any other skin problem, I know you are always looking for a solution. With psoriasis, the skin breaks out in itchy rashes, unsightly blemishes, and white flakes.

In psoriasis, the skin cells multiply quickly causing rashes to appear quickly. Normal skin renews itself in 30 days, but in psoriasis, skin cells move from the innermost layer of skin to the skin surface in 3 days, causing red and itchy areas. In addition, as cells accumulate on the surface they die, turning white and flaky.

Finding a psoriasis treatment that cures is not easy since there doesn’t appear to be one. Most doctors or dermatologists do not know what causes psoriasis and consider it incurable. But there are many different natural remedies that can give some relief to psoriasis but at far as a natural psoriasis treatment that is a cure, there is none.

Here is a list of psoriasis treatments that you may want to try.

Give your skin some sun to give your body additional energy and Vitamin D to fight your psoriasis. You can add Vitamin D supplements to the list of vitamins you take. The psoriasis sun treatment works better with UVB rays but these rays also cause sunburn. So you may want to put sunscreen on those areas that do not have psoriasis.

Drink teas or take capsules of sarsaparilla, milk thistle or nettle leaves.

Take a regular dose of fish oil or flax seed. Start with 1500 mg per day of fish oil

Use a couple tablespoons of granular lecithin. You can add it to your soups, salads, morning cereal, or smoothes. Never add it to boiling water or use it as cooking oil since it oxidizes rapidly and becomes rancid.

Take large dose of inositol, a B vitamin, around 1.5 grams or more and see how it affects your psoriasis.

Use a diluted apple cider vinegar over your psoriasis to reduce itching. Start with 10 parts apple cider vinegar to 90 part of distilled water. No known pathogen can survive in apple cider vinegar.

Keep stress down if possible, stress lowers the immune system and a weak immune system cannot keep up with the activity of psoriasis.

There is another herb that appears to be an excellent psoriasis treatment. It’s called mahonia quifolium and is better known as Oregon grape or holly-leaved barberry, which is a natural plant extract

This extract is a,

A strong antibacterial

A strong antifungal

Inhibits the excessive abnormal skin cell growth

Reduces inflammation

Activates the release of histamine

You can find mahonia aquifolium in a product called M-Folia. This product comes in various forms – ointments, shampoos, sunscreen, and cream preparations

Keep your psoriasis area open to air and don’t allow jewelry or tight clothing to press against it. Stay of away from harsh chemicals sprays and liquid irritants.

Keep stress down if possible, stress lowers the immune system and a weak immune system cannot keep up with the activity of psoriasis.

Use a psoriasis treatment as mentioned above to help give you psoriasis relief. You can use a combination of these remedies, so experiment to see which works the best for you.

Fish or Fish Oil Supplements?

By David McEvoy

Both fish and fish oil supplements contain important essential Omega 3 fatty acids needed for good health, but as we will see, it isn't just any old fish and nor is it any old fish oil that can do the job properly.

The Paradox

Today's consumers must be very confused about seemingly contradictory advice about eating fish. The food standards agency says most people should be eating more oily fish like Salmon, Tuna, Herring and Mackerel, because the Omega 3 fatty acids they contain are good for our health. But at the same time they limit the recommended daily amounts to 2 portions of oily fish a week for women and girls who may want to have a baby one day and for breastfeeding mothers, and 4 portions for everyone else. So first we are told to eat more fish in order to gain the extraordinary health benefits of Omega 3, but then we are told not to eat too much because our fish are polluted with toxins, particularly methylmercury. What are we supposed to do with this advice? Perhaps we should look at how much Omega 3 we actually need.

Omega 3 - how much is enough?

No official recommendation exists as to how much Omega 3 is required for optimum health but on an individual basis the ideal amount is linked to our intake of Omega 6. The more Omega 6 fatty acids that we consume, the more Omega 3 fatty acids we need to counteract the imbalance. First of all it might help to explain that the body is unable to synthesise Omega 3, or Omega 6 fatty acids for that matter, so we have to rely totally on our diets to get them. Now here's the astounding part.

Most of us today are eating diets that are deficient in the anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids but excessive in pro-inflammatory Omega 6. Over the past 70 years or so our consumption of fish has drastically diminished and at the same time we are eating more processed foods, grains and vegetable oils. These foods aren't bad in themselves it is just that this imbalance in our diets is believed by some to be the root cause of a huge rise in inflammatory conditions, heart disease and depressive disorders, hence the need for more Omega 3.

The important Omega 3 fatty acids are Eicosapentaenoic acid and Docosahexaenoic acid or EPA and DHA. Generally speaking, 1g of EPA/DHA daily is considered enough for everyone. To give you an idea of what this equates to in real terms, to get this amount of EPA/DHA from the diet, you would have to consume a 3-oz portion of salmon every single day, seven days a week.

Bearing in mind the toxicity problem, one might think it's safer to get Omega 3 from fish oil supplements, but here's the 'catch'. Fish oil is made from the very same fish in the sea, so it stands to reason that fish oil supplements can be toxic too unless of course the fish oil has been purified.

What types of fish oils are there and which one is best?

To put it simply, there are basically 3 types of fish oil available.

• Cod Liver Oil
• Standard fish oil
• High-grade concentrated fish oil

Cod liver oil is produced from the liver of fish and although contains high amounts of Omega 3, the liver is where most of the toxins are stored and so potentially, cod liver oil can contain a high level of pollutants. Cod liver oil also contains high amounts of vitamin A and D and too much can result in Vitamin A toxicity.

Standard fish oils are produced from the flesh of the fish as opposed to the liver of fish but again, they can contain impurities as whatever was in the fish at the time it was caught is transferred to the oil. The amount of Omega 3 fatty acids they contain can also vary depending on a number of factors including the time of year, environmental conditions etc.

High-grade concentrated fish oil has an advantage over the others in that not only has all the impurities been removed, the oil can be concentrated to contain much higher levels of Omega 3. For example, concentrations of 70% EPA is possible and so fewer capsules are required in order to produce the same effect. With some of the standard fish oils, 5 or 6 capsules are required every day. EPA is rapidly gaining recognition as the most important fatty acid as the body can produce DHA when enough EPA is present but this isn't effective the other way round.

Conclusion

To date there has been no real studies done on whether there is a significant difference or benefit in getting Omega 3 from fresh fish or from fish oil supplements. However, as it stands today, it would appear that the only way to ensure a healthy intake of Omega 3 without the risk of harmful pollutants is to take a high-grade fish oil supplement that has been through processes to filter out the impurities.

Omega 3 Fish Oil and Alzheimer's Disease

By David McEvoy

Although no one knows what causes Alzheimer's disease, many research studies indicate that those who regularly eat fatty fish or who supplement with fish oil have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life. Why this is the case remains an interesting topic of investigation but it is believed to be due, at least in part, to the role Omega 3 fatty acids play in the general functioning of the brain itself.

Omega 3 fatty acids are known to improve mental function, mood, memory and concentration and have already demonstrated considerable success in the treatment of conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADD and ADHD. Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer's, although research does indicate that Omega 3 fatty acids can slow down the ageing of the brain and possibly delay the onset as well as slow down the progress of Alzheimer's too.

One research team from Aberdeen and Edinburgh University led by Professor Lawrence Whalley, questioned approximately 300 people aged 64 on their Omega 3 intake, they also tested their blood levels of Omega 3. The participants had previously taken part in a survey on IQ in 1947 when they were 11 years old. They found that those who had taken Omega 3 supplements showed better results on mental speed tests and there was even an association between the results and the level of Omega 3 in the blood of the participants. The team reported that the evidence seemed to suggest that Omega 3 could slow down the ageing of the brain and help it to work faster.

Another study conducted by Uppsala University in Sweden looked at the effect of Omega 3 fatty acids on patients who already had Alzheimer's disease. Researchers gave 89 patients the Omega 3 fatty acids Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) for a period of 6 months and another 85 were given a placebo in the form of corn oil. After the initial 6-month period, the placebo group also switched to Omega 3 for a further 6 months. Although there was no real differences noted between the two groups in general, there was an interesting result where 32 patients who had milder mental impairment showed less of a decline whilst taking Omega 3.

The results of both these studies indicate that Omega 3 supplementation might not only improve mental function in the twilight years, it could possibly be beneficial in slowing down the progress of Alzheimer's disease, particularly in the early stages, however, more research is required to substantiate this.

DHA deficiency and the "fatty acid paradox"

The brain is composed mostly of fat, in particular, the Omega 3 fatty acid Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Patients with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia have shown very low concentrations of DHA in the brain indicating a possible DHA deficiency. This has naturally led to the conclusion that supplementing with DHA might offer therapeutic help.

However, what has been dubbed the "fatty acid paradox" is the belief that the best way to correct any DHA deficiency is not by increasing intake of DHA as what one might expect, but to increase intake of EPA instead. If enough EPA is present, the body can produce DHA as required.

EPA is believed to inhibit the activity of the enzyme phospholipase A2. Over-activity of this enzyme is associated with neurotoxicity and death of brain cells and is a feature of Alzheimer's disease as well as other neurodegenerative diseases.

What is Alzheimer's disease?

Alois Alzheimer first identified Alzheimer's disease in the early 1900's. It affects over half a million people in the UK alone. It is characterised by progressive mental decline and begins with periods of memory loss, confusion, and personality changes before proceeding to full-blown dementia with complete loss of most cognitive abilities and even physical abilities. No one knows what causes it, it is irreversible and there is no cure. It is relatively rare under 50 years of age but the chances of developing it increase the older you become. Medication is aimed at slowing down the progression of the disease. It is not the same as normal age-related cognitive decline where some impairment in mental function is considered a normal part of the ageing process.

Conclusion

Although no evidence exists that Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation prevents you from developing Alzheimer's disease, the indications are that increasing intake of Omega 3 does decrease your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life. There are indeed many other health benefits afforded by getting an adequate amount of Omega 3 in the diet including increased protection against cardiovascular disease, arthritis and many other inflammatory conditions. Bearing in mind the toxicity risk involved in eating too much fresh fish, supplementing with high quality fish oil would seem the best way to gain the protective benefits associated with Omega 3 fatty acids.

Fish Oil And Stress

By David McEvoy

It is well known that stress can potentially have a negative effect on both physical and mental health, but recent research conducted by the University of Valencia in Spain indicates that high-grade ethyl-epa fish oil could possibly prevent some of the adverse effects associated with chronic or prolonged stress. Ethyl-epa is a concentrated and purified form of the Omega 3 essential fatty acid Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA. Researchers found that ethyl-epa helps transport the stress hormone cortisol through the blood brain barrier. This indicates that ethyl-epa fish oil could help cortisol to return to normal levels, which is important when we consider that during periods of prolonged stress, cortisol levels can remain very high and pose a significant risk to health.

Previous Research

Previous studies have already shown us that Omega 3 fatty acids can help us deal with stressful situations. For example, an Israeli study by Yehuda and colleagues reported in 2005 that Omega 3 fatty acids appear to lower cortisol levels, reduce anxiety and improve test anxiety responses. Stress and anxiety related to tests and exams is quite common and can be a major problem for some people and the implications are that increasing intake of Omega 3 fatty acids by supplementing with fish oil might offer some relief. But it's when we are under sustained pressure that we are most at risk of the negative effects of stress, particularly when we cannot relax and allow the body to return to normal afterwards.

A study at Lausanne University published in 2003 found that after giving fish oil for 3 weeks, there was a reduction in stress hormones. Also in 2003, Dr David Horrobin reported that EPA was effective for reducing cortisol and anxiety levels. According to Robert Sapolsky, a neuroendicronlogist and expert on the effect of stress on the body, sustained high levels of cortisol can actually damage the neurons in the hippocampus, the part of our brain we use for learning and memory. Indeed, a recent study conducted by the University of Edinburgh and published in February 2006 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, suggested that high levels of cortisol could be a cause of Alzheimer's disease later in life.

What is Cortisol?

Cortisol is an important chemical that is produced by the body to help us cope with stress. It is part of the "fight or flight" mechanism and without it we would not survive. It is at its highest level first thing in the morning and at its lowest last thing at night. Problems arise when we are subjected to prolonged or continuous periods of stress when cortisol levels are likely to remain very high for some time. Some of the health problems associated with prolonged stress include:

• cardiovascular disease
• depression
• skin problems
• digestive problems
• memory loss
• high blood pressure
• inability to concentrate
• decreased immunity
• mood swings
• fatigue
• anxiety
• feeling of negativity

How can EPA fish oil help?

Research has shown that people under stress have an increased ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids in their blood. Omega 6 fatty acids are known to be pro-inflammatory and result in an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines and eicosanoids which can not only lead to many new health problems arising, it can significantly worsen any existing health conditions.

Fish oil that is high in the Omega 3 fatty acid EPA helps the body to produce anti-inflammatory cytokines and eicosanoids, reducing the risk to health and at the same time can provide some relief for many existing health problems. The following list represents just some of the other health benefits of EPA fish oil:

• Helps the blood flow more efficiently through the body and to the brain
• Increases serotonin levels, the ‘feel good' hormone, the opposite one to Cortisol, the ‘stress hormone'
• Stabilises mood and alleviates depression
• Alleviates symptoms of skin problems such as psoriasis, eczema and acne
• Improves memory, concentration and mental processing
• Lowers high blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides
• Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis and stroke
• Lowers risk of sudden death in heart attack patients
• Boosts the immune system
• Reduces inflammation and associated pain of arthritis

Conclusion

Stress is a natural and necessary part of life and can be described as any event, external or internal, that causes us emotional worry and/or physical distress. It is when it is sustained and prolonged that it becomes a major risk factor for illness and disease. Increasing our intake of Omega 3 fatty acids by supplementing with fish oil can play a role in helping us to face and deal with stressful situations. However, ethyl-epa fish oil in particular, would appear to be an effective, natural and safe option not only to help us deal with stress as it arises, but to reduce the risk posed by the potentially serious effects of prolonged stress.

Copyright 2006 David McEvoy