It is a fact that fish oil supplements containing omega 3 fatty acids have been promoted in the media as being effective at lowering cholesterol levels. Although it is true that to a certain extent fish oil and cholesterol are correlated, there is no conclusive evidence that there is a direct relationship between them.
Instead of worrying about your cholesterol readings being too high, you are better off focusing on the risk of heart disease that you are exposed to. And fish oil supplements can definitely reduce that risk.
Let me explain what I mean.
As you probably know, there are two types of cholesterol, performing two opposing functions: One is LDL and is the bad one being responsible for the accumulation of plaque on your arteries and the other one is HDL, which does exactly the opposite: removes the plaque from the arteries.
Now, the risk level of you developing heart related problems at any point in your life is directly proportional to the ratio of bad to good cholesterol. The higher the ratio, the higher the risk. Therefore, estimating your heart disease risk by just the number of LDL (the bad cholesterol) alone, it surely is bad practice.
Apart from cholesterol, your triglycerides levels also play a significant role when it comes to estimating heart disease risk. In case you don't know, triglycerides are fatty substance that circulate in the bloodstream. Too much of it might clog your arteries.
To make it even more complicated, there is an additional risk factor, which has recently been identified by scientists. This is associated with the so called C-reactive protein and is a measure of inflammation in your blood. Mind you, this protein has nothing to do with cholesterol.
To sum up, the risk of heart disease is more complex to estimate than merely basing your judgment on cholesterol numbers alone. It's a combination of factors, which interact with each other.
Now, having formulated a more complete picture of the causes of heart disease, you can better appreciate the wonderful properties of fish oil (the omega 3 fatty acids contained in it to be exact) and how they can contribute to the reduction of the relevant health risk.
First, fish oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory, so it can help reduce the risk from the C-reactive protein.
Second, the omega 3 fatty acids help prevent clumping and stickiness of the blood. Thus, blood can flow more easily in the arteries reducing the probability of heart attacks or strokes.
Another important property of fish oil is that it helps prevent plaque build-up inside the arteries. Again, this is important, considering that what actually causes heart attacks, strokes and heart disease in general is this formation of plaques.
In conclusion, you should bear in mind that the omega 3 fatty acids contained in fish oil are excellent not only for you heart, but for your overall health in general.
But remember, not all fish oils are created equal. You have to be selective at what you use. Personally, I use the fish oil produced by a company in New Zealand, called Xtend Life. Their product far outperforms their competition.
To become better informed and see why I recommend this particular fish oil, visit my website.
