Omega-3 Health Benefits: Knowing What’s In It Is More Important Than Who Makes It

With all the new omega-3 health reports coming out over the last couple of years, we’ve seen the phrase “omega-3” plastered on everything from cereals, cookies, milk, salmon, and almost anything else that either has some grain or fish oil in it.

Grilled Salmon. Stock photo.

Earlier this year, out of 6,012 respondents to a survey by ConsumerLab.com, 74 percent said they were users of “fish oil/omega-3 supplements.” ConsumerLab.com provides independent test results and information on health, wellness, and nutrition products to consumers and healthcare professionals.

So, some questions. What are omega-3s? Do they all do the same thing? And, are there any health risks associated with them?

An omega-3 is an unsaturated fatty acid found mostly in certain kinds of fish (salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel, lake trout, and albacore tuna) and plants (flaxseed, butternuts, hempseeds, walnuts, soy beans, and canola oil).

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New Research Shows Anti-Inflammatory/ Immune System Protective Benefit of Eating Fish

We’ve known for a longtime that omega-3 fatty acids in fish have numerous health benefits. The Mayo Clinic has found evidence from multiple studies that recommend the intake of dietary fish or fish oil supplements to:

Foods and supplements rich in omega-3. By Medindia.com.
• Slightly lower blood pressure.
• Reduce the likelihood heart attacks.
• Reduce the likelihood of dangerous abnormal heart rhythms.
• Reduce the likelihood of strokes in people with known cardiovascular disease.
• Lower triglycerides (the chemical form in which most fat exists in food as well as in the body).
• Reduce inflammation related to rheumatoid arthritis (a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks the joints), and Crohn’s Disease (an inflammatory disease of the intestines that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract).

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