For several years now fish oil has been on people's radar as a popular supplement with good reason. In a culture where our chronic disease rate is off the charts, supplements like fish oil are being marketed to help with many different ailments. It is thought by many scientists, nutritionists, doctors, and other health specialists that much of the cause for these chronic diseases is an imbalance in our nutrition.
While there are several factors that these professionals are calling out, today I want to hone it on one of them: INFLAMMATION. I think when most people hear inflammation they automatically think of a swollen ankle, or maybe that pesky lower back ache that you have. But inflammation is SO much more than what you can feel in your musculature. When I say inflammation I mean joint pain, muscle pain, heart burn, gut problems (including but limited to diarrhea, IBS, constipation, and cramps). Inflammation can also cause confusion, drowsiness and/or lethargy, and can have a deep hormonal impact. Inflammation can happen anywhere in the body, and guess what? YOU have most the control over that.
"Whhaaaaa???" you might be saying. "It's just bad genetics,"... sorry... guess again. It's your DIET. And it's not entirely your fault, seeing as you don't know what you don't know, so until you know- TECHNICALLY it's not your fault. So if you don't want to know, I suggest closing your browser now.
I'll even start a new paragraph giving you ample time to do so and you can continue to live in inflamed bliss.
The Standard American Diet (referred hereafter to as SAD... no pun intended?) is mistaken in so many areas and sadly most of the American population doesn't even adhere to its' lackluster guidelines. One of the biggest problems in the SAD is that it promotes unhealthy oils and foods that are high in carbohydrates and Omega-6 fatty acids. Carbs I talked about not too long ago, so if you want to learn more about that, I suggest checking that out here (some people are more sensitive to carbs than others so a certain degree of inflammation can occur upon consumption).
Omega-6 fatty acids can be found in almost all our meat, some dairy products, and any kind of corn or vegetable oil (yes, the ones that advertise as heart healthy... ummm... not even close). But it didn't used to be that way. See, we used to feed our animals a NATURAL diet and they lived off grass (or whatever was natural for them- ie chickens don't eat grass), in a field on a farm. Not a disgusting feed lot where they are pumped full of grain. When animals are raised in the proper environment, they are high in Omega-3 fatty acids which ARE good for you. This change in their diet caused a change in the meat that we consume. This then is also transferred to dairy products that are raised similarly.
With the boost in encouraging people to also consume vegetable oils, butter substitutes, and other foods that are high in Omega-6's, the ratio of 3's to 6's has been skewed so far off the charts. The ideal ratio of consumption would be 1:1, but the average American has a ratio of 1:10 (3's to 6's), and in some populations 1:20... YIKES.
You want to guess what this imbalance causes???
DING DING DING! YOU GOT IT! INFLAMMATION!!!
Unfortunately, because Omega-6's have only been introduced into the human diet more recently (in this vast out of proportion quantity) our bodies do not process them well and it causes a host of problems. Many of which make way for chronic disease.
Many people begin to take medication for these diseases, because our healthcare system treats symptoms mostly and not causes. I wonder how much longer it will be until we start treating the causes and not the actual symptoms. Does no one else notice that what we have is not a HEALTH-care system, but a SICK-care system (think about it and get back to me)?
However, there is a wave on the horizon and I could not be more thankful for what it is bringing. The first small waves have been crashing on the land and with it bring true knowledge about health. Some health care professionals have begun to see how broken our system is and want to make a change... so they are starting to make noise (and I LOVE it). Because of these small waves, some "mainstream" doctors have begun to recommend certain supplements for ailments as well, fish oil being one of the most popular.
Fish oil does have wonderful properties. Due to it's richness in Omega-3 fatty acids (specifically EPA and DHA) fish oil can contribute to reducing inflammation, including aiding in gut health as well as diseases like arthritis, healthier skin, improving mental disorders like depression, ADHD, and Alzheimer's, and also has been shown to improve brain function and aging. Cod liver oil is also rich in vitamin A and D so that's a great bonus as well. For best benefits, it works well in conjunction with lowering the intake of Omega-6's and perhaps doing an elimination diet to see what else your body might be sensitive to.
Not into supplements but like the idea of reducing inflammation (or reaping any of those other benefits above!)? Eating 6 ounces of fish/seafood 2-3 times a week will generally be enough intake to see results (keep in mind to also try and reduce Omega-6 intake). Fish and seafood with the highest amounts of EPA and DHA are sardines, mackerel, trout, salmon, oysters, and mussels. Vegetarian? Algae is the only plant source of DHA available. There are other vegetarian foods that tout "high in Omega-3's" but these are not EPA and DHA; they are another type of Omega-3 called ALA (which has shown to not be as effective in results. I'll do another post on these individual acids at some point for those who want to geek out).
As I am now in my third trimester, my only food aversion that seems to still exist is fish, so I have resorted to taking a fish oil from the company Lysi. Their fish oil is pure and well sourced. And the best part? No fishy after-taste. And you know I'm not lying because with my aversion if it WAS fishy it would be making a "reappearance" shortly after consumption (GROSS). They have capsules but I prefer the liquid, and I get the lemon flavor. I actually love to drizzle my teaspoon (that's the serving size!) of lemon flavored fish oil on my plain greek yogurt- it just makes it taste all lemony and delish. In a pinch I'll just swig from the bottle too though. And no, I'm not sponsored. BUT my friend Taylor IS and so if you are interested in buying from them, use his code (taylorm15) to get 15% off.
As with anything, you should always check with your healthcare professional before starting any supplement. Some people hear that something is good for you and don't think about how it might mix with their current situation so ALWAYS check. For instance, because I am pregnant I did not choose to supplement with the Cod Liver Oil. This is because an overconsumption of vitamin A is contra-indicated during pregnancy, but post pregnancy I will probably switch over to boost my vitamin content as my breast-feeding could deplete me.
Do you suffer from a chronic disease? Has your doctor ever mentioned inflammation? Are you tired of taking medication? It might be time to take a hard look at your diet and lifestyle and make a LIFE CHANGING decision. If you need help or resources to do so, I'm here. Fish oil might not solve all your problems, but it might solve at least one.
Let's do this.