Healthcare, Health Insurance, Vitamins, Nutrition

The EU (European Union) recently recommended pregnant and nursing women take daily omega 3 DHA fatty acid supplements.

For those of you who don’t know, the EU committee is comprised of more than 50 nutritional experts from the Perinatal Lipid Nutrition Group (PeriLip) and Early Nutrition Programming (EARNEST); they have unanimously agreed pregnant and nursing mothers should supplement their diets with 200 mgs/day of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) – a long chain omega 3 fatty acid found primarily in fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and tongol tuna/

The committees decision was based on two major points and has been supported by seven international scientific organizations, the two points are outlined below:

One – the committee found most western mothers did not eat enough fatty fish (at least two servings a week) to supply the minimum necessary omega 3 DHA for a healthy pregnancy. The average DHA intake of pregnant and lactating women in the U.S is less than 18 % of the recommended daily amount and only 2 % of these women meet their daily needs of DHA. And, you better believe, if you’re not eating enough fish to get your daily DHA dose, your baby won’t either.

Two – Research studies have revealed that women who have a high dietary intake of omega 3 DHA have much healthier pregnancies and deliver babies that have higher birth weight as well as babies that are full term. Not only that, the research showed the benefits to extend beyond birth as well. Babies who received the recommended amounts of omega 3 fish oils, particularly DHA when in the womb have optimum brain and eye development and motor, thinking and language skills. There is also a decreased risk of these babies developing asthma, juvenile diabetes and ADD/ADHD later on in life.

Professor Berthold Koletxco, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Munich, stated, “We reviewed a wealth of evidence on the benefits of DHA omega 3 and hope our findings will offer guidance for healthcare professionals on the optimum DHA omega 3 intake during pregnancy and nursing.”

Additionally, professor Koletzco also stated, “We also hope that new and expectant mothers will be able to use this specific information to ensure that they are getting enough DHA omega 3 to gain the nutritional benefits throughout their pregnancy and during nursing.”

The committee recommends the following types of fish that provide the richest source of omega 3 fish oils salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and tuna as the richest sources of omega 3 fatty acids. The committee also noted that although the daily recommend amount of omega 3 fish oil is 200 mgs/day of omega 3 DHA, ingesting additional amounts had no adverse side effects.

As far as fish toxicity is concerned, most experts agree that as long as pregnant and nursing women (and everyone else as well) avoid eating large predator fish such as shark and swordfish, two or three servings a week of one of the above fatty fish is perfectly safe. In fact, a recent Harvard University School of Public Health study concluded that fish oil health benefits far outweigh any threat of toxicity by as much as 500 to one. In other words, toxicity is not a threat.

Consequently, if you are pregnant, nursing or even considering getting pregnant and want a healthy pregnancy and baby you owe it to yourself to start eating more fatty fish and taking omega 3 fish oil supplements ASAP. You will be glad you did and your baby will thank you.

So, do fish oils and cod liver oils differ from each other? The answer is simple.

They are both important to keep you healthy. Fish oil is an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids, while cod liver oil is known as a good source of vitamins A and D.

But because these two oils are complex topics and all the hype may easily fool na?ve people, the topic needs to be discussed thoroughly.

Omega 3 in fish oils is beneficial to the heart. It is also good for relief of joint pains and brain development. Cod liver oil on the other hand helps to boost the immune system, enhances good eyesight and is good for bone protection.

But, to benefit your health and your pockets, we must discuss this topic further.

Sellers of cod liver oils can easily deceive people with their marketing strategies, thus buyers should exercise precautions.

Unscrupulous retailers of fish oil may easily slip away with false information in the way they market fish oil. It does take proper information to assure you are getting what you need.

Basically what you need to know is how to read labels, and that is enough to protect you.

If you see “Fish Oils” identified as the source, take note that it’s a general term and you would not know which fish it is. This poses a problem.

Take note, just because it is fish doesn’t mean it has enough levels of omega 3 oil.

It would be hard to find omega 3 fatty acids in flounder and haddock, but salmon and mackerel are absolutely great sources for this.

If the company fails to identify the source of the oil, then chances are you are only getting less or no omega 3 at all.

And would that be good for you?

Also, if you are not aware of the species, then you would not know if it’s a good fish. A company that is sure and proud of its source will definitely put it on their labels.

Would you agree to that?

There are lots of companies out there that only make use of bottom feeders, junk fish and scavengers in their product. This is quite dangerous and may increase the chances of toxins and heavy metals to be present in the product.

And by the way, there is even something much worse than “fish oils” as source. Some use “marine lipids” for omega 3. Well you may not have a clue what this source is and it may not even be a fish!

Know that not all marine creatures are edible.

When buying cod liver oil, know the source and just find a reputable brand.

Be aware of the sources of fish oil. Salmon, tuna, sardines, anchovies and herring are the best sources of omega 3.

Now that you are aware of the difference between the two ? fish oil and cod liver oils, remember this.

When purchasing fish oil supplement, go for the one that names the specific specie of the source of fish oil ? like Salmon Oil. Avoid buying products with labels that indicate “fish oil” or “marine lipid”.

Dyslexia and fish oil supplements have something in common.

While this disorder is often seen as a learning disability, it’s often viewed by many to be a nutritional disorder. And though adding fish oil to the diet may not be called a “cure”, it certainly will make a huge difference.

Dyslexia and fish oil supplements can be properly managed during pregnancy and the nursing period. To make sure that you prevent further problems, it would be good if the baby gets adequate doses of omega 3 fatty acids from the mom.

Many studies have indicated that fish oil is an important factor in the development of a child’s brain.

Children born to moms who consume healthy amounts of oily fish or take good-quality fish oil supplements are less likely to suffer ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and other serious developmental disorders.

That’s positive news for women who plan to have more children. But, what if you’ve already got a child with dyslexia?

There’s good news for you too. Research indicates that omega 3 fish fatty acids offer wonderful promise for dyslexic children, as well as for adults.

It seems that most research published about dyslexia begins by noting a widely-accepted fact ? That developmental dyslexia is closely related to the deficiency in highly unsaturated fatty acids, which are the same fatty acids found in fish. This surely tells a lot about dyslexia and fish oil.

In a study made at the Oxford University Laboratory of Physiology, and also published in Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, it was noted that “children with high fatty acid deficiency ratings showed poorer reading and lower general ability” than children who did not have the deficiency.

Also, the researchers went on to note that the results of their study “support the hypothesis that fatty acid deficiency may add to the worsening of dyslexic problems” [Vol. 63:69-74]

Okay, so is there anything specific about dyslexia and fish oil supplements?

Here’s wonderful news. Our buddies at the Laboratory of physiology have indicated through their research that dyslexia can be corrected, specifically through taking omega 3 fatty acid fish oil supplements.

The research findings are supported by other studies as well. For instance, S.M. Baker indicated in the Journal Of learning Disabilities that children with dyslexia have shown improved schoolwork after being treated with fatty acids. [Vol. 18:581-584]

And by B.J. Stordy, who wrote in Lancet, that there was a normalization of visual deficits found in dyslexic adults after taking omega 3 fatty acid supplements. [Vol. 346:385]

What makes this finding truly significant is that visual deficiencies are a major part of dyslexia.

I’m sold with this idea! But it’s a bit funny noting why scientists always insist that they need more research on this matter. I think they fear losing their research grants if ever they come up with THE answer. So, they always leave an option open for more funding.

But if you have a family member who deals with dyslexia, stop waiting. You need to start right away by increasing the intake of omega 3 fish oil.

And based on research done, I’d say that someone suffering from dyslexia needs to make sure that they get 1 to 4 grams daily.

What’s the connection between omega 3 fatty acids and male fertility?

Excellent question! Here’s a more excellent response.

Many people are still investigating the topic of omega 3 fatty acids and male fertility; especially when it comes to sperm and sperm mobility. But numerous reproductive benefits have already been proven for omega 3 fish oil.

As further illustrated, fatty acids found in fish increases blood flow to the genitals; this has been a well established fact. It also decreases the blood pressure naturally, thus giving off a healthy prostate gland.

Such benefits from fish oil are essential to the act of reproduction.

Lower risk of erectile dysfunction and healthier blood pressure usually happens if there’s enhanced blood flow to the genitals. We also know that it’s quite difficult to reproduce if there’s some sort of challenge rising to the occasion.

Inflammation of the prostate, also known as prostatitis, has serious reproductive repercussions. It is therefore important for a man to supplement with fish oil regularly. Such natural anti-inflammatory ability of the fatty acids keeps the prostate to function in a healthy manner.

However, sperm delivery is only one part of reproduction. Sperm cells have to be many, strong, healthy and mobile in order for fertilization to happen.

Two things; cholesterol and oxidation within the sperm are reasons that can result in male infertility.

Crucial fatty acids and cholesterol make up a large part of sperm cell membranes. Omega 3 fatty acid which is found in fish oil is considered to be DHA which comprise 60% of the fatty acids. [Molecular Human Reproduction, Vol. 4, 111-118]

And it has been examined that fertile men have a much higher level of DHA in their sperm cell membranes as compared to infertile men.

Thus, DHA has an enormous outcome on the health and capability of the sperm.

The number of cholesterol found in the sperm is a different sign of infertility. The higher the cholesterol, the higher the infertility rate is. Cause of such is the presence of low fatty acids in the sperm. [Biology of Reproduction, vol. 59, 7-11]

The reason is that depletion of fatty acids would only mean a higher amount of cholesterol in the sperm membrane, thus keeping the sperm from growing.

Simply put, low fatty acids make it impossible for a man to make a woman pregnant.

But there’s more to that. Immature and abnormal sperm cells not only increase infertility but also create free radicals which cause oxidation and destruction of normal sperm cells. [Current Medical Chemistry, Vol. 8, 851-862]

Therefore, male fertility and fish oil omega 3 fatty acids are indeed a great connection.

Upon enhancing your essential fatty acid intake, fertility can improve especially with omega 3 with DHA. These can be found naturally in fish and fish oil.

Improving intake of fish oil would surely enhance the effectiveness of the sperm and thus gives a greater chance of reproducing.

Can you be sued in the future for what your child is eating now?

Scenario: Two or three decades from now, scores of adults with health problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity will be suffering serious self esteem issues and spending tons of money on medicine and treatment. This will have been caused by what they were fed in their daily activities during their childhood.

In their frustration, they form support groups with other adults who share the same health problems and humiliation due to being obese. Eventually they look for something to blame and finally decide and point their accusing fingers at the ones that played a major role in their developing years- their parents. They might even take Mom and Dad to court and win; as the judge will likely be one their own- himself a victim of bad diet and lack of exercise during childhood.

This scenario might be funny and stuff of fiction, but if you really think about it, it’s not at all impossible. People these days have pointed accusing fingers at their parents for problems that may have root causes in their childhood. The looming health crisis in the future can make bad child-rearing lawsuits highly probable.

In a study held by the American Dietetic Association, it was found that more than a few babies and preschoolers have the same bad diet as some of their teenage counterparts who subsist mainly on cola, greasy fast food and Doritos.

Researchers from the Tufts University School of Medicine held a survey and discovered that 33.3% of the respondents did not have vegetables or fruits as part of their diet. Even worse, most of those that did declare vegetables in their diet were referring to French fries which don’t really qualify as healthy food.

Quite shocking that in the survey, carbonated beverages, found to be the main cause of obesity along with the health complications it brings, were even given to infants poured in baby bottles. Since most of these soda-suckling kids spend most of their time being couch potatoes, all that sugar obviously doesn’t get burned-off.

As can be expected, 25% of preschoolers are obese and those numbers are increasing every year. Given that eating habits are formed during the ages of 2 and 3, you can bet the statistics will get worse. Most cases of diabetes and cardiovascular disease stem from unhealthy food and lack of exercise in a person’s formative years.

Can anything be done to curb this deadly trend? Things may look bleak but as parents, we ultimately have the power to affect the way our children eat and run their future lives by setting-up proper guidelines. Becoming fit, health-conscious role models ourselves can have dramatic effects on how they eat and go about their daily activities as they grow up.

We’d never know, but down the road, 20-30 years from now, babies that have had the good fortune on having parents that helped them form healthy eating habits and lifestyles will become smart, fit and successful adults. These healthy members of society may even recognize and show some appreciation for the thoughtfulness their parents had in helping them form healthy habits in their childhood. Doesn’t this sound like a way better alternative to a lawsuit?