Fun Fish Oil Facts

And, I don’t know about you, but I sure am enjoying my ground flax seed.

Have you ever heard something come out of your own mouth, and realize how you really need to get out of the house more?

Listen, I know I need a life, I don’t need anyone to tell me that. But I honestly do hear and read lots of things about supplements and I wonder if someone wouldn’t please cut the crap (did I just say “crap”?) and tell me why I need another thing to worry about. That’s what I’m going to do for you right now. In as few words as possible. Go!

What is Fish Oil?

Fish oil is made from the tissue of oily fish—such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, lake trout and sardines.

And Why Should I Care?

Fish oil is the best and most abundant source of omega 3 fatty acids. This is good fat which your body cannot manufacture on its own. Therefore you must receive it from outside sources.

What’s so good about Omega 3’s?

What’s NOT good about Omega 3’s?  Seriously, check out this list.  It’s crazy:

-lowers blood triglyceride levels
– reduces the risk of heart attack
– reduces the risk of dangerous abnormal heart rhythms
– reduces the risk of strokes
– slows the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques
– lowers blood pressure
– reduces stiffness and joint tenderness associated with Rheumatoid arthritis
-anti-inflammatory agent
-helps Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
– helps depression, bipolar and schizophrenia
– lowers the risk of heart disease
– lowers risk of cancer
– lowers risk of diabetes
– helps hyperactivity and ADHD
-helps improve concentration
-decelerates aging
-improves skin and eyesight
-improves sex-drive
-if taken by pregnant women, helps in development of fetuses

Not only that, but fish oil is also highly recommended by nearly every well-respected strength and conditioning coach, trainer, and diet/fitness/nutrition expert of any kind as one of the few supplements that should be taken by anyone with the goal of building muscle, losing fat, or improving their fitness level or athletic ability in any capacity.

Didn’t I tell you, it’s CRAZY!

Can’t I just eat fish?

Yes. But in order to get what your body needs, you would need to eat fish every day. The problem is, with all the contaminants in fish (mercury, chlordane, dioxin, PCBs, and more), you should not eat fish every day.  (Gotta love what we’ve done to our earth.)  Fish oil supplements are purified and free of these contaminants. Therefore, supplements are the easiest and most realistic way to get what your body needs.

Are there any side effects?

If you have a fish allergy, you should not take this supplement. Other than that, no, there are no side effects. Except maybe a fish aftertaste or “fishy burps.” Which makes me giggle just writing that—and further confirms that really, I DO need to get out more. However, this usually happens when you take low-quality supplements. If that happens to me, I’m going to just add a little lemon and thyme and enjoy the experience.

WWFFGD?

Fitness Friday Girl is sold on the fish oil supplement. I’ve already started taking it. I was a little surprised at how big the tablets are, though. If you have a difficult time swallowing pills, you may want to look for a smaller one. But here is the one I’m taking, which is the one GNC recommended:

In Conclusion:

All good. No bad. I recommend Fish Oil supplements. The end.

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References for this post:
http://www.intense-workout.com/fish_oil.html
http://www.fishoilbenefit.net/
http://www.fish-oil-benefits.org/
http://www.fish-oil-benefits.org/fish-oil-side-effects
http://www.presssubmission.com/2151/the-benefits-of-omega-3-fish-oil-supplements
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fish-oil/NS_patient-fishoil/DSECTION=safety