Fish Oil Capsules | Omega 3

Recent new studies indicates that fish oil capsules and fatty fish do an equally good job of enriching the blood and other body tissues with healthy omega 3 fatty acids. But as good news as this may seem, the findings cannot be interpreted to mean that capsules and fish are equally good for the heart. There are things that can change the blood lipids but don’t do anything for the heart and vice versa. Omega 3 fatty acid consumption is recommended by the American heart association and several other groups to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and consumption of fatty fish and fish oil capsules have similar effects.

But there has been little research whether the body process fatty acids from fish oil capsules and fish in the same way. To investigate, researchers had 11 women eat two servings of tuna or salmon each week, with an additional 12 women took in the same amount of omega 3’s, an estimated 485 milligrams daily in capsule form. After 16 weeks, the amount of omega 3 fatty acids in the red blood cells of women in both groups has risen by 40 percent to 50 percent, while omega 3’s in the plasma had risen by 60 to 80 percent.

Prior to this study, it is assumed that fish would be a better source of healthy fatty acid, but based on the findings, it does not make a difference whether you get your omega 3 fatty acids from a concentrate in a capsule or from a fish, the effect in the same. But whenever possible, researchers state that eating fish is still better because fish brings with it protein and minerals and other factors that are good for our health that the capsules don’t bring.