Fish Oil : the most beneficial supplement for your health.!!
- Thread starter Ano
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GRANITECHIEF
Hall of Fame
Yes Snake oil is awesome, but it doesn't comprise the majority of the grey matter in your brain, like DHA does, among other important parts.
Thud and blunder
Semi-Pro
Tricky, please could you clarify this issue. How can I tell pharma grade by looking at the levels / ratios?
chess9
Hall of Fame
Ano
Hall of Fame
Yes.
Omega-3 fatty acids are anti lipogenic (they block fat storage), anti catabolic, anti inflammatory, and they increase beta-oxidation (fat burning), improve insulin sensitivity, increase thermogenesis and have a whole lot more positive effects on fat loss that I don't have the time or need, to cover in this post.
Omega-3 control gene transcription. Omega-3 play essential roles in the maintenance of energy balance and function as fuel partitioners in that they direct glucose toward glycogen storage, and direct fatty acids away from triglyceride synthesis and assimilation and toward fatty acid oxidation.
Omega-3 appear to have a unique ability to enhance thermogenesis and thereby reduce the efficiency of body fat deposition.
Omega-3 exert their effects on lipid metabolism and thermogenesis by up-regulating the transcription of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein-3 (UCP3), and inducing genes encoding proteins involved in fatty acid oxidation (e.g. carnitine palmitoyltransferase and acyl-CoA oxidase) while simultaneously down-regulating the transcription of genes encoding proteins involved in lipid synthesis (e.g. fatty acid synthase).
Omega-3 "control" "enhance" "up-regulate" and "down-regulate." My familiarity with physiology and medicine tells me a fatty acid does none of those things independently but may mediate control from another locus. These oversimplifications are drivel. Also, how can something be "anti catabolic" (catabolism is the breakdown of complex biologic compounds into simpler compounds) at the same time that they increase "fat burning" and reduce "body fat deposition (which would be anti-anabolic)?
Ano
Hall of Fame
Doc, I highly endorse and recommend a book called FATS THAT HEAL, FATS THAT KILL by Dr. Udo Erasmus.
There's some heavy chemistry in the book, but I'm sure it's not a problem for you.
chess9
Hall of Fame
As I recall, cells are either in an anabolic or catabolic state and that state is hormone regulated. So, if a cell switches from one state to the other it must be switched by a hormone or other process. Some fats are better at reducing the number of cells in a catabolic state and enhancing fat burning through anabolism. I.e., some fats are hormone friendly, to the extent they help hormones keep OFF the catabolic switches. Or, something like that. LOL. I tried to read all of Udo's book, but I've only had 4 college chem courses and 40 years ago at that.
I gave away my copy of his book, but I'll look for a some snippets online for us, doc. You've raised my interest in this....
-Robert
I gave away my copy of his book, but I'll look for a some snippets online for us, doc. You've raised my interest in this....
-Robert
chess9
Hall of Fame
Here's something from Udo's site that gives a hint about the hormone issues:
"From the n-3 derivative called EPA, the body makes hormone-like series 3 eicosanoids, and from two n-6 derivatives called DGLA and AA, the body makes hormone-like series 1 and series 2 eicosanoids, respectively. Eicosanoids regulate many functions in all tissues on a moment-to-moment basis, from conception until death. A more comprehensive look at EFAs, derivatives, and eicosanoids is found on page 20 of Fats That Heal Fats That Kill."
-Robert
"From the n-3 derivative called EPA, the body makes hormone-like series 3 eicosanoids, and from two n-6 derivatives called DGLA and AA, the body makes hormone-like series 1 and series 2 eicosanoids, respectively. Eicosanoids regulate many functions in all tissues on a moment-to-moment basis, from conception until death. A more comprehensive look at EFAs, derivatives, and eicosanoids is found on page 20 of Fats That Heal Fats That Kill."
-Robert
pinetree47
New User
My Take!
Regardless of what journal, book, or "expert" my say or report, the effect of supplements is specific for each individual.
What I miss (maybe it is here somewhere)in this thread is any discussion of the importance of monitoring one's health through regular physicals, etc. I have been having annual physicals since my early 20's. During that time it has been suggested that I take certain supplements on a trial basis. Whenever I have done this, the effects have been monitored (blood chemistry, etc.) 2X a year to determine any benefit / side effects.
If anyone makes claims to the benefits of a supplement, the only accurate way to determine if it has a + effect or just a placebo, is regular visits to the lab.
For me, fish oil has had a + effect on my lipid profile. So, my advice is, maybe not every year until later in life, but get a regular physical, so you can monitor your own individual health over time. Also, you don't end up with any
serious conditions before it is too late to effectively treat.
In summary-good diet, exercise, etc. is only part of the equation. You are only as in shape, or healthy as your test results!
Regardless of what journal, book, or "expert" my say or report, the effect of supplements is specific for each individual.
What I miss (maybe it is here somewhere)in this thread is any discussion of the importance of monitoring one's health through regular physicals, etc. I have been having annual physicals since my early 20's. During that time it has been suggested that I take certain supplements on a trial basis. Whenever I have done this, the effects have been monitored (blood chemistry, etc.) 2X a year to determine any benefit / side effects.
If anyone makes claims to the benefits of a supplement, the only accurate way to determine if it has a + effect or just a placebo, is regular visits to the lab.
For me, fish oil has had a + effect on my lipid profile. So, my advice is, maybe not every year until later in life, but get a regular physical, so you can monitor your own individual health over time. Also, you don't end up with any
serious conditions before it is too late to effectively treat.
In summary-good diet, exercise, etc. is only part of the equation. You are only as in shape, or healthy as your test results!
Ano
Hall of Fame
The exact mechanism in which fish oil potentates fat loss isn't completely understood. There seems to be both exercise and non-exercise pathways. Here are some potential ways that fish oil can help boost fat burning:
• DHA has been shown to prevent the conversion of pre-adipocytes to adipocytes and mediate pre-adipocyte death (kill 'em before they become immortal fat cells). (1)
• Fish oil has the ability to increase the clearance of chylomicrons and fats following a meal. This potentially can have a positive effect on substrate utilization. (2)
• Fish oil can "artificially" decrease heart rate thus increasing the level of exertion needed to reach desired intensity.
• Fish oil upregulates mitochondrial machinery and increases oxidation of fats within fat cells. (3,4)
References:
1. Kim HK, Della-Fera M, Lin J, Baile CA. Docosahexaenoic acid inhibits adipocyte differentiation and induces apoptosis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The Journal of nutrition2006; 136: 2965-2969.
2. Smith BK, Sun GY, Donahue OM, Thomas TR. Exercise plus n-3 fatty acids: additive effect on postprandial lipemia. Metabolism 2004; 53: 1365-1371.
3. Flachs P, Horakova O, Brauner P, Rossmeisl M, Pecina P, Franssen-van Hal N, et al. Polyunsaturated fatty acids of marine origin upregulate mitochondrial biogenesis and induce beta-oxidation in white fat. Diabetologia 2005; 48: 2365-2375.
4. Guo W, Xie W, Lei T, Hamilton JA. Eicosapentaenoic acid, but not oleic acid, stimulates beta-oxidation in adipocytes. Lipids 2005; 40: 815-821.
Ano
Hall of Fame
According to Loren Cordain, PhD (author of THE PALEO DIET), regular fish consumption for healthy people, poses virtually no risk to brain or nervous system function.
It’s safe even for pregnant women and very young children, concludes a comprehensive study conducted by Dr. Philip Davidson and colleagues at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York.
Their findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, come from a nine-year study conducted in the Republic of the Seychelles, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, where most people eat fish nearly dozen times a week and have mercury levels about ten times higher than those of most Americans.
In fact, no harmful effects were seen in the nervous systems and behavior of children at mercury levels up to twenty times the average American level.
Reference :
Davidson PW, Myers GJ, Cox C, Axtell C, Shamlaye C, Sloane-Reeves J. Effects of prenatal and postnata methylmercury exposure from fish consumption on neurodevelopment: outcomes at 66 months of age in the Seychelles Chilc Development Study. Journal of the Americal Medical Association 1998; 280: 701-707
El Diablo, I believe that in this particular instance, the term "anti-catabolic" refers to fish-oil's alleged ability to stop/reduce the breakdown of muscle tissue
chess9
Hall of Fame
This month's Muscular Development has an extensive section on the benefits of fish oil, with cites. Good stuff.
Consumer reports tested the top 16 major brands of fish oil and found no contamination. They didn't test 16 fish.
(all of whom play at my club)
Fish oil lowers my blood pressure, and it has reduced my LDL cholesterol, which was up to 124 at one point. (My HDL is consistently around 65-70.)
I take my fish oil with some probiotics to help with my joints. I'm still moving, so maybe it works?
-Robert
Consumer reports tested the top 16 major brands of fish oil and found no contamination. They didn't test 16 fish.
(all of whom play at my club)
Fish oil lowers my blood pressure, and it has reduced my LDL cholesterol, which was up to 124 at one point. (My HDL is consistently around 65-70.)
I take my fish oil with some probiotics to help with my joints. I'm still moving, so maybe it works?
-Robert
Yeah Update: I went to my Local Whole foods Market and bought some today, and tried it. I liked it(had it with red pepper hummus-Yum!), and it was comparable in price to the other organic loafs of bread.
From the stats how does it compare to to fish oil for the "good fats"?
I'll probably just end up doing both. I ate one slice with hummus and a nectarine around noon, and I'm still not hungry. This stuff is very filling and only about 90 cal a slice.
From the stats how does it compare to to fish oil for the "good fats"?
I'll probably just end up doing both. I ate one slice with hummus and a nectarine around noon, and I'm still not hungry. This stuff is very filling and only about 90 cal a slice.
keithchircop
Professional
I've been taking 2 teaspoons of "pure cod liver oil" with orange juice every day for the last year. However it says that it's got Vitamin A and other stuff in it. How pure is it?
chess9
Hall of Fame
Really? WOW! I was taking two a day and had to lower my dose to 1 pill every other day. My blood pressure is often something like 94/55 on just two a day! They are a blood thinner, plus I have low iron problems (supposedly solved with iron supps), but I don't know how anyone takes that amount.
Which just proves we are all an experiment of one.
-Robert
keithchircop
Professional
i don't understand how on the capsule boxes it says "max 2 a day", but on the liquid oil boxes it says "max 2 teaspoons a day". a teaspoon is a much bigger dose than a capsule.
chess9
Hall of Fame
There is no standardized dose. That is one of the problems with non-prescription supplements. As a consequence, most supplements are way underdosed to avoid the inevitable lawsuit from someone who takes 5 grams of beta carotene a day and darn near dies.
-Robert
r2473
G.O.A.T.
This is a great thread and confirms what I have read.
I use 2 supplements: Fish Oil and a Multivitamen.
In addition, if I am excercising hard and haven't time to eat well, I will take a protein supplement (powder).
I would not say that supplements are a waste of money, but you have to use them as the name implies: THEY ARE SUPPLEMENTS, NOT REPLACEMENTS. First you need to get your eating and nutrition 100% in order. Supplements can give you just that little extra if that is what you really think you need. I personally don't need to get that little extra. I get what I need simply from eating properly (and the above cited supplements).
I use 2 supplements: Fish Oil and a Multivitamen.
In addition, if I am excercising hard and haven't time to eat well, I will take a protein supplement (powder).
I would not say that supplements are a waste of money, but you have to use them as the name implies: THEY ARE SUPPLEMENTS, NOT REPLACEMENTS. First you need to get your eating and nutrition 100% in order. Supplements can give you just that little extra if that is what you really think you need. I personally don't need to get that little extra. I get what I need simply from eating properly (and the above cited supplements).
The Gorilla
Banned
Lipo suction can remove some fat cells I guess. I belive Ano was refering to the fact that once fat cells are created they are very resistant, and don't Disapear they get smaller. That's one of the reasons people that were never fat gain weight much slower and formally fat people have to always be on vigile. Darn evolution, There's no way I'm gonna starv let the fat go
The Gorilla
Banned
Lipo suction can remove some fat cells I guess. I belive Ano was refering to the fact that once fat cells are created they are very resistant, and don't Disapear they get smaller. That's one of the reasons people that were never fat gain weight much slower and formally fat people have to always be on vigile. Darn evolution, There's no way I'm gonna starv let the fat go
wow, that's amazing, I had no idea.Is there no way of killing them though?
Only through lipo. Yeah, it sucks.
But not entirely. One theory goes that with all the extra fat cells, if you were to actually get lean enough, you could "repopulate" your fat cells with a more favorable O3 count, by choosing to eat a lot of healthy fat sources. That in turn means your bodyfat composition now has more "anti-inflammatory" and your hormonal profile will be much healtheri than a guy with a lower fat count. But, yeah, you'd need to get under 10% BF to even consider.
Primarily, your best defense is to increase the mitochondrial density of your muscles and fat. This enables your body to dip into fat stores more efficiently, improve insulin sensitivity (i.e. need for less sugar upfront), and produce less free radicals per BMR. And this is done by brutal anaerobic/lactate threshhold scheme done over time. Not by running a lot.
The Gorilla
Banned
o3 count?Wow, I'm in way over my head here
Yeah, this is more esoteric Lyle McDonald-ish stuff.
But basically the theory goes that to *really* detoxify your body, you have to lean out. And then, at that point, you have to eat an abdundance of healthy fat, specifically polyunsaturates with a very favorable O3:O6 ratio in order to kinda realign your hormonal profile. If you can get the body to store the polyunsaturated as bodyfat, then you can really get this to work. That in turn will kick off a kind of anti-aging effect in your body.
But basically the theory goes that to *really* detoxify your body, you have to lean out. And then, at that point, you have to eat an abdundance of healthy fat, specifically polyunsaturates with a very favorable O3:O6 ratio in order to kinda realign your hormonal profile. If you can get the body to store the polyunsaturated as bodyfat, then you can really get this to work. That in turn will kick off a kind of anti-aging effect in your body.
The Gorilla
Banned
Slow down in aging effects related to hormonal profile. But that's all theoretical stuff. O3 and O6 are Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Basically, they affect how your cells talk to each other, and helps to mediate inflammation of all kinds. The theory goes that, because O3 is no longer a major part of our diets, we're all in kind of a perpetual state of inflammation. Which leads to a bunch of diseases, mental disorders, and just general crap health.
And, so, yes, the bodyfat you store helps perpetuate a bunch of these inflammatory symptoms in your body. And, so, a lot of kinda theorists believe that the more obese that you are, the more O3 you need to intake in order to counteract this.
Ano
Hall of Fame
Lipo suction can remove some fat cells I guess. I belive Ano was refering to the fact that once fat cells are created they are very resistant, and don't Disapear they get smaller. That's one of the reasons people that were never fat gain weight much slower and formally fat people have to always be on vigile. Darn evolution, There's no way I'm gonna starv let the fat go
Yup.
And keep this in mind the fat that settles around your belly secretes substances known as adipokines, which raise your risk of disease.
In fact, the larger your midsection grows, the more dangerous it becomes.
Here's what your belly fat is producing right now :
- Resistin : a hormone that leads to high blood sugar, an independent risk factor for diabetes and heart disease
- Plasminogen Activator inhibitor : a substance that contributes to the formation of blood clots, which can cause heart attacks and stroke
- Interleukin-6 : a chemical that causes arterial inflammation, which can trigger pieces of plaque to break off arterial walls and block the flow of bood to your heart.
- Angiotensin : a compound that raises blood pressure
- Adiponectin : an antiflammatory compound that helps counteract the effect of Interleukin-6. Unfortunately, as your fat cells grow larger, the amount of adiponectin they secrete actually decreases.
naturalhealth
New User
In regard to the question as to whether or not supplements are necessary and/or beneficial, in today's world, they most certainly are. Of course, it would be ideal to gain everything we need through what we eat, but that is not currently the world we live in, so it becomes necessary to supplement our diet with what we're not taking in.
Omegas are so beneficial in so many ways. And yes, quality of the supplement does determine how much of it our body is able to absorb. I think that "tricky" summarized pretty well what to look for where quality is concerned.
If you're looking for a good omega supplement, I'll plug my own company and tell you that there are some good EFA Gold products. And they all are mercury-free. The MEGA EFA Blend gives you the appropriate ratio of Omegas 3, 6, and 9. You really can't beat the prices either.
Omegas are so beneficial in so many ways. And yes, quality of the supplement does determine how much of it our body is able to absorb. I think that "tricky" summarized pretty well what to look for where quality is concerned.
If you're looking for a good omega supplement, I'll plug my own company and tell you that there are some good EFA Gold products. And they all are mercury-free. The MEGA EFA Blend gives you the appropriate ratio of Omegas 3, 6, and 9. You really can't beat the prices either.
