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32 Awesome Benefits of Omega 3 Fish Oils

Views: 6307
Reviewed by Nymark M, PhD on June 13, 2017

If you have ever looked for a healthy way to better your health, you have likely come across a recommendation to take fish oil. Omega 3 fish oils have a lot of health benefits that range from helping the heart to helping the brain. If you are looking for a supplement that will improve your health in many different ways, then Omega 3 fish oils are the way to go. If you are looking for more specific benefits, these are just a few of them and how your health can improve with them.

  1. It can alleviate symptoms of dry eye – Dry eye is caused by a number of things including aging and excessive screen time. The National Eye Institute notes that in many patients with mild to severe dry eye symptoms, supplements or dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids (such as tuna fish) helps decrease symptoms of irritation. The American Eye Institute also recommends consumption of Omega-3’s.
  2. It can help clear up your acne – EPA is found in fish oils and it has been found to be an effective treatment for acne. It is a natural remedy and it stops androgen formation. This in turn stops the impact of acne because it stops the formation of sebum in the hair follicle.
  3. It can help you grow healthy hair – Omega 3 fish oils have shown to provide nourishment to hair follicles. When added to your diet, they can help you grow strong, healthy, and vibrant hair.
  4. It can help prevent hair loss – Not only can it help you grow healthy hair but it can also help prevent hair loss. This is because there is a good amount of protein in fish oil and that has shown to help prevent hair loss in some individuals.
  5. It can improve blood circulation – Fish oil is a natural remedy to helping with improving blood circulation. While this is not a proven benefit, many people swear that fish oil has helped them improve their blood circulation. In fact, there are many weight lifters who even say they feel better after taking fish oil and then getting their workout in.
  6. It can lower your cholesterol – Omega 3 fish oil has been shown to reduce both triglyceride and serum cholesterol levels. If you are looking for a natural way to reduce your cholesterol, adding some fish oil supplements can help you do this naturally. It also helps promote healthy levels of cholesterol by leveling out HDL and LDL ratios.
  7. It can reduce arthritis pain – There have been studies done in Australia that have shown that the regular use and consumption of fish oils have been an important part of treating both arthritis and osteoarthritis. It does this by reducing the enzymes that destroy the cartilage.
  8. It can boost your immunity – If you want your body to be better able to fight off the flu, the common cold, and even colds, then you should take some Omega 3 fish oil supplements. The fish oil helps to keep your system regulated while also controlling the amount of cytokines and eicosanoids that are present in the body.
  9. It can help improve your vision – Fish oil has been known to improve vision for many years. Additionally, it has recently shown in some research that it can also help avoid macular degeneration.
  10. It can improve your mood – Omega 3 fish oils have been shown to have neurological benefits on people of all ages. Research has shown that by taking fish oil on a regular basis, it can help lessen the effects and relieve depression, mental fatigue, sadness, restlessness, stress, nervousness, and even a decreased libido. There has even been a study that has shown that it can reduce the amount of homicides and frequency of violence in prisoners.
  11. It can have a positive impact on bipolar disorders – to go along with the previous point, it is also a great supplement for people who suffer from bipolar disorder because it can help regulate emotions.
  12. It can help you lose weight – If you are struggling with weight loss, then you should consider adding Omega 3 fish oils to your diet because it has shown to help increase weight loss when combined with other methods.
  13. It can help tighten skin – To go along with weight loss, it can also help tighten your skin. This is something that is important to people who are losing a lot of weight and want some help tightening their lose skin.
  14. It has anti-inflammatory properties – Fish oil fatty acids have shown in many studies that they can reduce inflammation in the body. This is a key benefit because not having too much inflammation is important to your health. In fact, having too much inflammation can cause many chronic illnesses and taking fish oil can help reduce those risks in many ways. Some of the diseases it can help reduce the frequency of or at least help with the chronic pain from many gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and even ulcerative colitis.
  15. It can help the body absorb vitamins and fats – Fish oils can also help the body better absorb essential vitamins and fats making fish oils even more important in this aspect.
  16. It can help slow cognitive decline in older adults – Fish oils can help reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s disease by helping with brain function. It has even shown in many studies that it can prevent and slow cognitive decline and brain atrophy.
  17. It can help reverse the causes of type II diabetes – When you take fish oils, you can help reverse the main causes of type II diabetes oxidative stress. Additionally, it can reduce cognitive deficit because it protects the hippocampus cells.
  18. It can help increase fertility – While this is a benefit that can vary from person to person, it has shown to help enhance a healthy sperm count in boars. Additionally, many people have claimed that fertility has increased after taking fish oil.
  19. It can help with symptoms of ADHD – Before you put your child on medication because they are showing signs of ADHD, you should add fish oil to their diet. It has shown in research that it can help with brain function and, as a result, has shown to make an impact on those who suffer from ADHD. One reason behind this is because the brain is made up of 60% fats and fish oils are a big part of that.
  20. It has shown to be effective as cancer treatment – There have been studies that have shown that fish oils have been effective in killing some types of cancer including breast cancer, colon cancer, and even prostate cancer. This is because fish oils include EPA and DHA that have shown to decrease the risk of prostate cancer. Even when cancer has already set in, it can help with things such as digestion, liver and kidney toxicity, and even with depression. While it is not effective with all types of cancer, this is a good step int he right direction in terms of cancer treatment.
  21. It can help lessen depression after giving birth – It is no secret that many women suffer from post-partum depression and if you want to reduce your risk and lessen the impact of depression, then you need to add fish oil to your diet. This is because of the EPA and DHA in fish oil that helps with brain function. As an added benefit, it helps provide children with the nutrition they need to create better hand eye coordination when the mother is still breast feeding.
  22. It can help during pregnancy – Not only can fish oil help provide the nutrition needed to develop healthy eyes and the brain of a baby but it can also decrease the potential of a miscarriage, low birth weight, and premature births.
  23. It can help control your blood pressure – Omega 3 fish oils have EPA and DHA that can help to expand blood vessels. When this happens, the blood flows smoothly through the arteries and helps bring blood pressure down. Additionally, the fish oil has coagulant properties and anti-inflammatory properties that can help prevent hypertension.
  24. It can prevent cardiovascular disease – To go along with the previous benefit, it can also lower triglyceride levels while lowered high blood pressure. Together, this helps prevent many potentially fatal cardiovascular diseases. If Omega 2 fish oils are taken regularly, then it can help lower the chances of the hardening of the artery walls and even potential blockage because of plaque formation. This help prevent and improve rhythm abnormalities. All in all, consuming fish oil has shown to reduce these diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, by up to 27 percent.
  25. It can help keep your bones healthy – By taking fish oil regularly, you can treat existing osteoporosis, another word for weak bones, and even increase the density of bones. At the same time, you can decrease the rate of bone loss. This is because the fish oil  can help control the amount of minerals that is present in the bones and any tissues that surround them. This makes them a lot stronger.
  26. It can help lessen the impact and effect of renal issues – Consuming fish oil can help protect your kidneys from many different kinds of diseases. If you are already suffering from renal issues, then fish oil can help you get some relief from the pain and not get any worse in the process. In high risk patients, fish oil can even delay the possibilities of kidney failure.
  27. It helps protect the skin from pollution – In the world we live in today, this is even more important. Fish oil can help protect the skin from polluted air while also preventing some of the harmful effects that can come from the polluted air.
  28. It can help protect you from the sun – Sunscreen isn’t always the answer and if you are looking for a more natural solution, then fish oil can help protect you from the harmful effects of UV rays. It can even help to treat the effects of being in the sun too long and getting a sunburn or from tanning.
  29. It can help lessen headache pain and their frequency – If you suffer from headaches or migraines on a regular basis, then you should be taking fish oil to help with that. There have been studies done that have shown that fish oil can help in the treatment of migraine headaches and even reduce the duration, severity, and frequency of them.
  30. It can help with epilepsy – Because fish oils have DHA in them, it can help decrease the frequency of seizures in those who suffer from epilepsy. There have been studies that have shown that fish oil can help in a major way in children with epilepsy. It help to decrease the frequency of the seizures. In other studies, it has been a mixed review of results but it is worth a try if you do suffer from epilepsy, even if it is just a temporary improvement.
  31. It may help slow down the aging process – It is no guarantee but there has been a study that has shown that those who intake a lot of DHA have shown a slower rate of telomere shortening. This is something that is a marker of aging. While this is not a guarantee, it is worth trying especially since there are so many other benefits of including fish oil in your diet.
  32. It can help with psoriasis – If you suffer from psoriasis, then you may want to try applying fish oil to your skin to help with the symptoms. It should not be your only treatment for psoriasis but when combined with other treatments, it has shown to help with improvement.

If you have decided that fish oils are a good option for you, then you should also know the best way to consume them. One of the easiest ways to do so is by taking fish oil supplements that are available for purchase. You can make sure that you purchase them on a regular basis so you can take them daily. If you would like to consume them in a more natural state, then you will want to consume them by eating fish on a regular basis. Additionally, for some benefits, fish oil needs to be applied topically in order to gain the benefits. Depending on the benefits you would like to have, you should make sure you are using the fish oil correctly. Fish oils can have benefits for people of all ages and those who have a wide range of ailments. However, it works best as a preventative treatment so it is best to add them to your diet sooner rather than later so you can manage any symptoms before they become a bigger issue to deal with.

References

McMahon D, MBA, MS Nutrition
McMahon D, MBA, MS Nutrition

My name is David McMahon, MBA, Masters in Nutrition and I have suffered from Dry Eye for years and I created this site to educate others about dry eye syndrome and related eye disorders. I welcome any and all questions related to your condition.