Ready for a blow to the ticker? One in four U.S. women die from heart disease every year, making it the country’s number one killer. Yikes! Whether or not heart disease runs in your family, you could be the next victim to a disease deserving of the FBI’s Most Wanted List. But don’t stress (that’s not good for your heart either), if you’re already on board with eating healthy and exercising regularly, you’re off to a good start. Keep up the progress by adding a supplement that is sure to make your heart health swoon: fish oil.
Fish oil supplements, as well as most fish as a whole food, contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help increase your heart’s overall health and even reduce blood pressure. But fish oil isn’t only smart for the heart, it has also been proven to reduce inflammation, as well as play a role in fat loss, depression and anxiety, and vision.
Go, Fish! The Fish Oil Benefits for Women You Must Know
The best way to get most vitamins and minerals of any kind is directly from a real food source. Eating fish at least twice a week, is a good way to get the omegas you need, but not all fish are created equal when it comes to fatty acids. Go for catches that are saltwater and wild-caught versus fresh water and farm-raised, but throw back any swimmers that are high in mercury, such as swordfish and orange roughy.
If you’re not a fan of fish at all, fish oil can be swapped for real seafood. Fish oil supplements come in all forms, including liquid, capsules, gummies, candy chews, and even bottled water. But just as some fish offer less than the necessary levels of fatty acids, some fish oils aren’t worth the worm. Dr. Barry Sears, the brains behind the popular Zone Diet, sings the praises of fish oil for overall wellness, but notes that the oil must be of good quality. Look for ultra-refined fish oils, which have less toxins; the higher in concentration, potency, and purity, the better.
Choosing Your Fish Oil Supplement
If you’re not sure if your fish oil is a good catch, try two simple tests. One, put your nose on the job. If it the oil smells, well, super fishy, toss it. Dr. Sears calls this “the sewer of the sea.” Gross. You don’t want that. Two, see if the oil freezes. Pour some oil in a small cup or break open a capsule and do the same thing. Place it in the freezer for an hour or so. If it’s frozen solid, it likely has a lot of saturated fats that weren’t removed in the refining process. If you’re taking something like a tablet or gummy, do your research since DIY testing probably won’t work without your own home lab.
Now that you’ve been schooled in fish oil, are you hooked? Or if you’ve been a fan all along, tell us what style you use to get your Omega 3s.
Sources:
NIH
Mayo Clinic
Dr. Barry Sears on YouTube
Carrie Anton is a freelance writer focusing on health, fitness, and sports. She's been published in Self, Women's Health, Oxygen, and Maximum Fitness.
Leave a Reply