Hey i’ve been hearing all this hype about fish oil, and i was just wondering what it does, and what it is, and what exactly are the benefits of it, because i know my mom has like 40 bottles of it in her cabinet. Thanks.
Fish oil, not to be confused with cod liver oil, is high in Omega 3 essential fats. Most people don’t get enough Omega 3 because it has been systematically been removed from processed foods in order to increase shelf life. The practise of fattening beef on grain has also removed Omega 3 from normal diets. Fish Oil is the best method for replacing this in the diet. It’s not hype. Everyone needs more Omega 3 in their diet. Fish oil and flax are the only way to get enough.
I assume you are exaggerating about the 40 bottles but be aware that it has a limited shelf life and keeps better refrigerated. Every now and then, you should bite into a capsule to make sure it’s not rancid. If it is, throw out the whole bottle.
Stu
If I could only use one dietary supplement, it would be fish oil. Regardless of whether or not I am lifting I would still take it for the overall health benefits.
[quote]MC sp3 wrote:
If I could only use one dietary supplement, it would be fish oil. Regardless of whether or not I am lifting I would still take it for the overall health benefits. [/quote]
Likewise, that and resveratrol.
[quote]stuward wrote:
Every now and then, you should bite into a capsule to make sure it’s not rancid. If it is, throw out the whole bottle.
Stu[/quote]
I’ve heard that fish oil tastes bad as it is, how do you tell by the taste that it’s rancid? What’s the “normal” taste versus the “rancid” taste?
[quote]illwerral wrote:
stuward wrote:
Every now and then, you should bite into a capsule to make sure it’s not rancid. If it is, throw out the whole bottle.
Stu
I’ve heard that fish oil tastes bad as it is, how do you tell by the taste that it’s rancid? What’s the “normal” taste versus the “rancid” taste?
[/quote]
If I may step in, it actually doesn’t taste THAT bad. Though what your opinion of bad is may be different than mine.
A little off topic, but a couple of months ago I threw some fish oil pills in the blender with some protein powder, milk, yogurt, and frozen berries. I didn’t know what I was doing, but the smoothy smelled and tasted a little fishy. It wasn’t terrible and I still drank it. Live and learn I guess.
Here’s a good place to check out the benefits of fish oil
http://www.T-Nation.com/onlineStore.jsp
Second one down.
Whether to take a supplement or not should always depend on the rest of the diet imho.
I would always prefer frequent meals of ‘real’ fish over fish oil, or at least a combination of the two.
That being said, its without a doubt one of the best supplements one can take
1 4oz piece of wild Chinook salmon has as much Omega 3 as 7 regular capsules of fish oil or 3.5 capsules of Flameout. You will also get 30 g of protein from it and many other vitamins and minerals. If you add it up, the cost of good fish is similar per serving to fish oil plus protein.
The trouble is that it’s getting harder to get good quality fish at reasonable prices. When you can, eat fish, when you can’t take fish oil.
Stu
good for the heart!
[quote]JerryRicePwns wrote:
Hey i’ve been hearing all this hype about fish oil, and i was just wondering what it does, and what it is, and what exactly are the benefits of it, because i know my mom has like 40 bottles of it in her cabinet. Thanks. [/quote]
Aside from what has been said so far, Fish Oil is the best source of the Omega3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. These fatty acids are incpororated into your cell membranes in the form of phospholipids. However, so are Omega-6 fatty acids. In response to mechanical, chemical, or other harmful stimulus, the body uses enzymes (COX-1, COX-2, LOX, others) to transform these fatty acids to synthesize hormone-like compounds called eicosanoids. These eicosanoids can either have proinflammatory effects, such as increased vascular permeablity, platelet aggregation, chemotaxis, and increased sensitivity to pain if they are derived from the Omega-6 fatty acids (Linoleic Acid.)
On the other hand, if these eicosanoids are derived from Omega-3 fatty acids (Alpha Linoleic Acid, which is converted to EPA and DHA), anti-inflammatory eicosanoids are produced, leading to reduced sensitivity to pain, decreased platelet aggregation, decreased chemotaxis, with the result being a balancing of the inflammatory response.
The problem most Americans suffer from is a complete overdominance of Omega-6 in relation to Omega-3 (as was mentioned earlier), resulting in basically a chronic inflammatory state that basically perpetuates just about every detrimental ailment of Western society.
By reducing your intake of Omega-6 fatty acids, and increasing your intake of Omega-3, namely in the form of fish oil, you can restore the normal fatty acid balance in the body, resulting in better health across the board.