Taking Fish Oil Is Essential!

Taking Fish Oil Is Essential!

Did you know that every cell in your body is composed of fat?  If you took all of the fat from the body and spread it out you would have an oil slick 10 miles squared.  That’s a lot of fat!  This fat should be 50% of the essential fat classified as Omega-3.Essential fatty acids are substances that are needed in the body, but are not produced by the body.  This means that one has to get them from the diet.

Omega 3 fatty acids are derived from fish.  However, 99.9% of the typical American diet is deficient in this essential fat.   Even though you may consume fish on a regular basis the typical individual is consuming farm raised fish and not fish caught in the wild.  The difference being that fish in the wild consume the algae that allows the fish to produce this essential fat naturally whereas the farm raised fish is fed a diet of manufactured fish meal.

When the fatty acid balance is assessed in the blood the parameters measured are the ratios between omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish and the Omega-6 fatty acids derived from plant sources.  Remember the oil slick, the optimal fatty acid ratio being a 1:1 or 50% omega-3 and omega-6.

A major issue in the typical American diet is an abnormally distorted ratio of these essential fats.  Some ratios are as high as 20:1 or even 50:1.  This creates havoc within the body. The walls of every cell in the body are composed predominantly of omega-3.   A significant imbalance in essential fats such as the ones above will cause your cells to take on the appearance of looking more like shriveled up raisins rather than ripe grapes.    It’s like the difference between riding out a hurricane living in a cardboard box or a steel fortress.  You want to live your life with the strongest cells possible to slow the progression of aging and disease and enhance immunity. 

As with anything you purchase, not all consumer products are the same.  When choosing a fish oil supplement, dealing with a health care professional trained in the areas of functional medicine is your best bet.  I see many patients who self-diagnose and prescribe all sorts of supplements and herbs without knowledge of how or why they are taking them. 

We know that most individuals should be using a fish oil supplement.  The important factors to look for in an omega-3 supplement are little to no contaminants, higher concentrations of the essential fats and a reputable company of which most trained professionals would utilize with their patients.