The Greenland Inuit people, living by their natural ancestral diet, are known to have almost no heart disease among them. Scientific interest in this observation has identified the fish oil from their ocean-water fish diet as the major factor in the superb Inuit cardiovascular health. These indigenous people consume up to 60% of their calories in fat, with a major portion of that fat coming from fish oil. The fish oil contains two very important fatty constituents, eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA for short, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. These constituents belong to the family of fatty acids that chemists call, omega-3 fatty acids.
Adequate levels of EPA and DHA are paramount to maintaining our cardiovascular system in good health. Different scientific studies on the oil of ocean-water fish have demonstrated that EPA and DHA reduce the "bad" cholesterol (the low density lipoprotein cholesterol,, LDL'S) and raise the "good" cholesterol (the high density lipoprotein, UDL's). These marvelous fatty acids, assist in lowering blood pressure by helping to reduce arterial constriction. And if you already have low blood pressure, EPA and DHA will not drive it lower. They also help lower blood fat, known as triglycerides, which if too elevated will present significant risk for heart disease. Most heart attacks are precipitated "out of the blue" because an inappropriate blood clot wedges itself into a coronary artery in the heart, effectively ending blood flow to a critical segment of the heart muscle, causing it to die. EPA and DHA significantly reduce the risk of inappropriate blood clotting. Inappropriate blood clotting can also lead to stroke or pulmonary embolism, which can be life threatening like a heart attack.
The focus on heart disease makes good sense since half of North American deaths are from cardiovascular disorders. Yet, EPA and DHA enhance the health of all other body systems as well. DHA is very important to the brain, retina, testes, and adrenal glands for facilitating optimal functioning. Inadequate DHA in the brain is thought to be an important contributing factor in many of its functional problems, including depression, and more recently, attention deficit disorder (ADD) has been tentatively liked with inadequate brain DHA.
Eating fresh ocean fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, herring, etc. at least three times per week can also supply EPA and DHA. However if fish or their oils do not appeal to you, you can turn to flax seed oillinolenic acid, which needs to be converted by your body into EPA and DHA. For many North Americans, the conversion is difficult because of dietary habits. Dietary saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, trans-fatty acids, and cholesterol slow the conversion in proportion to their dietary levels. Deficiencies in vitamins B3, B,, and C, as well as magnesium and zinc, will stop the conversion until they are adequately supplied. The vitamins can e supplied in a daily fare of 5 to 9 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables, but the magnesium and zinc should be provided with supplementation. The recommended dosage is 25mg of zinc gluconate or zinc citrate, and 300 to 500 mg of magnesium citrate, each taken with a meal.
Regarding safety, fish oil or flaxseed oil will contribute to blood thinning, and this is desirable. However, if you are on 'blood thinning medication or using ASA frequently, check with your physician first. These oils are contra-indicated in hemophiliacs and those who have a tendency to hemorrhage.
The recommended dosage is 3 capsules of one gram each of the fish oil per day or as directed by a physician. If you're using flaxseed oil, the recommended dosage is 3 capsules of one gram each, 3 times per day with meals. Oils removed from their natural setting and processed are subject to oxidation. It is a good practice to complement your use of supplemental oils with vitamin E, which is a potent antioxidant, able to reverse oxidation of consumed oils and prevent oxidation inside the body. The recommended daily dosage is 400iu of natural vitamin E. Using synthetic vitamin E requires three times as much to achieve the same blood levels. Apart ftom using fish or vegetable oils, 400lu of natural vitamin E is health enhancing in its own right, preventing inappropriate oxidation to cells and their fatty constituents. If you are taking blood thinning medication speak to your physician before using vitamin E.
For further information on this product please see your pharmacist.