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The cult of omega-3
BBC ^ | Mar 1, 2010 | Brendan O'Neill

Posted on 03/01/2010 4:36:49 PM PST by decimon

Hardly a week goes by without a new health claim being made of eating oily fish. But is it really as magical as we are told?

If there were a top 40 of good foods, a chart rundown of the right things to eat, then anything containing omega-3 fatty acids would have been number one for years. They even have their own international awareness day, which takes place this Wednesday.

Omega-3 is the name given to a family of unsaturated fatty acids found mainly in oily fish, such as salmon, herring, sardines and anchovies, and also in eggs, meat, milk and cheese.

The naturally occurring acids of the omega-3 family can apparently boost our brain power, keep our hearts healthy, strengthen our bones, and much more. You can ingest the fatty acids by eating a lot of the right kind of fish or by taking fish oil supplements - little golden capsules rich in omega-3.

Hardly a week goes by without yet another media report on "The wonders of omega-3 fatty acids" (as a headline in Canada put it recently).

Last month it was reported omega-3 can protect against psychotic disorders such a schizophrenia. An international team of researchers gave a daily dose to 81 people deemed to be at risk from psychosis and found it seemed to cut the rate of psychotic illness - including schizophrenia - by 25%.

But how much of this is hype, and how much reality? Is there a danger that a largely fish-derived fatty acid is being turned into a modern-day magic potion?

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: diet; fishoil; health; mentalillness; nutrition; omega3
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To: decimon
My cardiologist,a senior member of the Cardiology Department of a large Boston hospital,says that fish oil can be helpful for some patients....including me.
21 posted on 03/01/2010 5:13:17 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (Host The Beer Summit-->Win The Nobel Peace Prize!)
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To: decimon

Some sixty percent of the human brain is fat, much of that, perhaps half, is DHA.

Human breast milk is loaded with the stuff. Just like fish.

I know one thing.

There were a hell of a lot fewer autistic kids when people (many people, at least) ate fish on Fridays.


22 posted on 03/01/2010 5:14:17 PM PST by djf (Islam. Kick them out TODAY or they will KILL US TOMORROW!!)
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To: Gay State Conservative

We need to stop eating everything we are eating and start eating everything we are not eating


23 posted on 03/01/2010 5:16:03 PM PST by woofie
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To: StormEye
Does giving up sex count?" Nope.

Thanks, I'll pass your professional opinion on to my girl friend...........(I'll send you the check later)

24 posted on 03/01/2010 5:17:20 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (My boomerang won't come back)
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To: eleni121
That was cod—now hard to find. I guess fish oil is just as good...?

From what I've read, with cod liver oil you might get too much of vitamin A to get enough of omega-3 and vitamin D.

25 posted on 03/01/2010 5:19:23 PM PST by decimon
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To: decimon

I started taking fish oil and without any other changes in lifestyle or nutrition, my heart palpitations disappeared, and my resting heart rate dropped significantly. The changes were immediate.

I have read that taking fish oil can cause a vitamin E deficiency, so that is something to watch out for.


26 posted on 03/01/2010 5:23:10 PM PST by Fresh Wind ("...a whip of political correctness strangles their voice"-Vaclav Klaus on GW skeptics)
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To: decimon
I've been taking Carlson's liquid fish oil for about 6 years now. I love it. Lemon or orange flavored just a tablespoon in the morning and one at night.The best part is you can find it for about $24 online for 16.9 oz.


27 posted on 03/01/2010 5:25:07 PM PST by BreezyDog
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To: guitarplayer1953

I can catch salmon in the rivers and the Sound here. All the Omega3 I want fresh.


28 posted on 03/01/2010 5:26:11 PM PST by irishtenor (Beer. God's way of making sure the Irish don't take over the world.)
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To: woofie
We need to stop eating everything we are eating and start eating everything we are not eating

That there is the best advice ever. Americans eat junk food loaded with HFCS, saturated fats and partially-hydrogenated soybean oil. We need to start eating real food again. I'm a hypocrite though; today I had a cheeseburger for lunch and half a box of Thin Mints. Thin mints are from the Devil's workshop!

29 posted on 03/01/2010 5:27:22 PM PST by Falcon28 (Allen West - 2012)
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To: BreezyDog

Do you mix it with anything? Or just straight from the bottle? I know several people who put a tablespoon of flax seed oil in their drinks every morning.


30 posted on 03/01/2010 5:29:41 PM PST by Falcon28 (Allen West - 2012)
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To: irishtenor
Wife and I love salmon, we had salmon and shrimp for our anniversary dinner in Jan.
31 posted on 03/01/2010 5:33:35 PM PST by guitarplayer1953 (Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to GOD! Thomas Jefferson)
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To: eleni121

Cod liver oil has a lot more Vitamin A in it (as well as D) than straight fish oil does. I take both, Cod liver oil in the winter for the extra vitamins and fish oil in the summer.

Carlsons has great liquid cod liver and fish oils that have NO bad taste and no fish burps. You could use them as salad dressing they’re so mild. They’re nitrogen packed in glass bottles, not cheap (about 28$ a bottle at vitacost.com, best price I’ve found) but really good stuff.

LQ


32 posted on 03/01/2010 5:33:37 PM PST by LizardQueen (The world is not out to get you, except in the sense that the world is out to get everyone.)
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To: Falcon28

Nope, I’ve never mixed it although you can easily.You could probably mix it into anything. I would prefer salad dressing. There is no fish taste what so ever. If I’m feeling really healthy crazy I’ll do a table spoon of both flax seed and fish oil at breakfast time. OD’ing on DHA/EPA.


33 posted on 03/01/2010 5:35:28 PM PST by BreezyDog
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To: irishtenor
All I know is that the doc told me to take Omega3 fish oil due to my triglicerides being at 295. After six months they were down to 160.

That has been my experience as well.

34 posted on 03/01/2010 5:37:52 PM PST by xkaydet65
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To: Hot Tabasco
"Thanks, I'll pass your professional opinion on to my girl friend...........(I'll send you the check later)"

Try hot tabasco, then try 10,000,000 doses of Omega-3 fish oil (only for medicinal lubrication of course.)

35 posted on 03/01/2010 5:40:17 PM PST by StormEye
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To: irishtenor
Doc told me to take 4000 mg of Omega 3 every day.

I go in for lab work next month to see if it reduced my cholesterol and triglycerides.

He also recommended Red Yeast Rice.

36 posted on 03/01/2010 5:40:50 PM PST by mware (F-R-E-E, that spells free. Free Republic.com baby.)
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To: eleni121

Both are good, I’ve heard Cod Liver oil is better. It’s readily available in the natural foods section of your grocery store.


37 posted on 03/01/2010 5:40:59 PM PST by Spudx7
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To: decimon
Gee, I'm personally gratified that the world MSM keeps me up on all truth and scams: the climate hoax, for example, would be a really good beginning. When media (not the pajamas media, Rush, FR or other) begins actually writing about honest-to-God true stories, or researches same and reports, I might, just might pay attention.

Until that time, I'll believe my own doctor, whose specialty is "alternative medical research," who tells me that women are at risk for osteoporosis and other ailments due to the lack of sun (vitamin D3) and need for Omega 3 oils for all, especially the elderly and babies exposed to lack of sunlight from either no exposure or constant use of sunscreens, which she says are "bad for everyone" as the ingredients constantly ingested through the skin, isn't healthy.

38 posted on 03/01/2010 5:43:34 PM PST by zerosix (A)
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To: decimon

We take pretty high doses of fish oil ourselves, and about 3000 IU Vit D3. Keep taking both.


39 posted on 03/01/2010 5:47:00 PM PST by FrdmLvr ("The people will believe what the media tells them they believe." Orwell)
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To: djf

“There were a hell of a lot fewer autistic kids when people (many people, at least) ate fish on Fridays.”

True.

But not just any fish. That was wild-caught fish.

Omega-3 is developed in animals when they eat grasses. This is true for fish when they eat kelp and sea grass and for land animals when they graze on grass, such as grass-fed beef.

The problem is that alot of the fish in the store is farm-raised and on those farms they fed the fish a grain-based diet. Grass-fed beef or chicken has more omega-3 than farm-raised fish.


40 posted on 03/01/2010 6:43:25 PM PST by webstersII
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