Uncover the Amazing Connection Between Fish Oil and Cholesterol
There have been numerous studies researching the correlation of fish oil and cholesterol control. Scientific results have indicated that the Omega 3 fatty acid’s found in fish oil and high quality supplements may increase good cholesterol (HDL) and lower bad cholesterol (LDL).
This is good news for your heart especially since heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. It may also reduce levels of triglycerides in the blood stream.
Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in the body. Your body naturally produces them and is also a source of energy. Cholesterol is a soft-fat like substance found in all your body’s cells and also in the blood stream.
However, these fats are not able to be dissolved and can increase by consumption of saturated and trans fats in the foods we eat. Too much of these fats can increase your cholesterol levels and put you at higher risk of heart disease and stroke.
Fat is used as an energy source and is delivered to cells in your body by way of lipoproteins. Low Density Lipoproten (LDL) is often referred as “Bad Cholesterol”. Too much LDL can bond with other fats and substances in your blood creating a plaque on the walls of arteries.
Over time as the plaque builds up the artery narrows and restricts blood flow, also known as atherosclerosis. If the artery is blocked in the heart it causes a heart attack. If the blocked artery is in the brain it results in a stroke.
High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is known as “Good Cholesterol”. HDL carries cholesterol away from your arteries back to your liver to help prevent plaque build up. Physicians encourage keeping HDL levels high and LDL levels low. People that have high cholesterol, heart problems, diabetes or are overweight are generally found to have high levels of triglycerides in their blood stream.
Fish oil has been found to reduce levels of triglycerides and increase HDL in the blood stream. The belief is that there is a link between consumption of omega-3 rich fish oil and reduced incidence of heart disease.
Scientists are studying the association between consumption of fish oil and cholesterol levels in an attempt to clarify why people whose diet is composed mostly of fatty fish have a lower incidence of heart disease.
Investigation of the fish oil cholesterol relationship is becoming more widely supported in the scientific community. A daily dietary supplement of fish oil can help prevent heart disease but the data is still inconclusive.
Even though scientists are unsure why this happens the evidence is supported by the FDA and American Heart Association that Omega-3 fatty acids are important for heart disease prevention. A purified fish oil supplement is one of the best options available for omega-3’s.