The Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Everyone knows about all the bad fats in our diet, and the fact that Americans consume too much fat in their daily diet is well known and well documented. Not all fats are bad, however, and omega-3 fatty acids actually provide a number of important health benefits and may provide a great deal of health protection.

Omega-3 fatty acids are thought to be responsible for many of the benefits of eating fish, since fish, especially cold water fish, is a rich source of these important nutrients. Study after study has shown that those who consume fish on a regular basis have a lower risk of heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol and other serious medical problems. Many scientists and researchers feel that it is the omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish that provide these heart healthy benefits.

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements concentrate all the goodness of fish into an easy to take and easy to digest capsule, thus providing the heart healthy benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in a more convenient form. Taking a daily omega-3 fatty acid supplement is thought to help protect the heart from the effects of pollution, stress and an unhealthy diet, although a change in diet is recommended as well for anyone concerned about health.

It is in the area of cholesterol that much of the research into omega-3 fatty acids has focused. Indeed, omega-3 fatty acids seem to have the ability to regulate and lower cholesterol levels in the blood, as well as improving the ratio of good and bad cholesterol. It is this ratio between good and bad cholesterol that is thought to play a key role in heart attack risk, and this is one of the most important effects of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet.

Those shopping for omega-3 fatty acid supplements need to be aware that not all such supplements are the same. It is important to buy only those supplements that contain a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, and to choose those that have been manufactured to the highest standards of quality.