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OMEGA-3

WHAT IS OMEGA-3?

Omega-3 are the essential fatty acids known as the “super-unsaturates”. They are a family of essential nutrients which when present in the diet over a long period of time, may have thousands of times the power of aspirin to stop the inflammatory reactions responsible for arthritis, migraines, colitis, and other similar ailments.

When added to the diet as a supplement they have the ability to not only lower cholesterol and triglycerides, but also to minimize the tendency of blood cells to clot - Omega 3 blocks formation of a substance called thromboxane, which is known as a blood clotting agent. The New England Journal Of Medicine reported that Dr. Howard Knapp of Vanderbilt University was able to reduce by half the levels of thromboxane in volunteers taking fish oil supplements.

In addition, Omega-3 are the basic building blocks for nerve tissue and brain cells.

It is concentrated throughout the food chain, but is most abundant in the oils of cold water fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, cod and mackerel. One of its characteristics is its tendency to spoil rapidly. This is one of the reasons that the American food industry has come up with so many ways to get this family of chemicals out of the food chain available to humans. It is available from other sources than cold water fish, but our food industry has largely destroyed the small amount available from these sources, and overbalanced us with Omega-6 fatty acids, leading to a very dangerous imbalance. If you are buying Omega-3 in capsule form try to get a brand with the fish oil coming from heads and skins, with no fish liver oil. Fish liver oil, in addition to containing a rich source of Omega-3, also is very rich in vitamin A - which makes it quite possible to have a vitamin A overdose if many capsules are being taken every day. In addition, fish livers tend to collect toxins in the environment like mercury and arsenic. A good product will get its fish oil from heads and skins from an unpolluted environment, and will do toxicity checks on every batch to make sure the product is safe. The product should also contain at least 25 I.U. of vitamin E in the capsule to keep the fatty acids from going rancid and becoming toxic themselves.

WHAT IT DOES

Omega-3 fatty acids are powerful inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism in the human body. Some of these arachidonates, including some prostaglandins, are very powerful negative agents which the body synthesizes in response to various stressors. The main raw material for arachidonate synthesis comes directly from linoleic acid found in seed oils such as corn, cottonseed, sesame, safflower, sunflower and partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

The diseases in which arachidonates have been implicated are:

  • Migraines
  • Arthritis
  • Allergic Reactions
  • Ulcers
  • Colitis
  • Lupus
  • Coronary Thrombosis
  • Lupus
  • Bronchial Asthma
  • Hypertension
  • Diabetes
  • Kidney Dialysis
  • Cancer

A lack of Omega-3 fatty acids in early life during myelin sheath formation may predispose the individual to multiple sclerosis in later life. The myelin sheath is the gossamer membrane insulating material surrounding nerve tissue. Deprivation of Omega-3 fatty acids to an infant during the critical myelin sheath growth period may weaken the nerve structures. Later viral infections could result in slow deterioration may years later.

In studies with capuchin monkeys they were fed a diet many Americans believe is healthy - rich in corn oil “polyunsaturates” and almost completely lacking in Omega-3. After 2 months on this diet all monkeys started to suffer skin lesions and to develop dry, scaly skin patches. Their fur thinned out and large, bald areas were obvious. Two of the animals became so stressed by this diet that they self-mutilated their bodies due to maddening rash in their genital and perineal areas. They gnawed and scratched at their sensitive parts until this compulsion caused open, festering wounds. They were then put to sleep. Another one developed rickets and was also destroyed. Autopsies on these three found large fat globules in the liver and kidneys and lack of mature lymphocytes in the spleen lymph nodes as well as in the lymphatic tissue of the colon and ileum. The surviving monkeys were given a high Omega-3 diet for 56 diets before being terminated and autopsied. These showed none of the fatty globules in tissue; the adrenal glands were normal, and the skin had regained its original texture.

WHAT OMEGA-3 CAN DO FOR YOU

  • Lower triglycerides in the blood.
  • Lower low density cholesterol in the blood.
  • Greatly reduce risk of heart disease.
  • Aid in regulation of blood sugar levels.
  • Reduce rate of inflammatory diseases like arthritis and migraine headaches.
  • Reduces platelet “stickiness” and therefore reduces the tendency towards atherosclerosis - the clogging up of the arteries with cholesterol plaque.
  • Inhibits tumor growth and lowers risk of cancer.

FOOD SOURCES OF E.P.A

Cold water fish such as:

Sardines Salmon
Mackerel Tuna
Sablefish Herring
Rainbow trout  
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