India Health & Wellness blog

The Importance of Fish Oil

8th December, 2011 - Posted by admin -

Fat has several functions to human body. However, intake of excess bad fat in daily diet can induce obesity and harm to health. To intake good fat can be benefit to maintain health. Good fat can come from fish and fish oil, olive oil, nuts and avocado. In good fat, fi sh oil is primary fat. Fish oil mainly comes from deep sea fi sh such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. Fish oil is usually rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which usually feature eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5, n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5, n-3). More and more researches support that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA have benefi ts to human. DHA and EPA are the main components of brain cell membrane lipid tissue and are critical to the brain development of young children. DHA is closely linked to the development of sensory, recognition and motor system. 70% of an adult’s brain is made of lipid tissue and DHA accounts for 25% of the brain. DHA which is able to promote and coordinate nerve circuitry transmission and affects neural signal transmission to maintain normal operation of the brain cells is most important omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in nervous system. Intake of omega-3 long-chain unsaturated fattyacids can not only maintain the normal brain and neural function, but can also improve the abnormal emotional response caused by the failure of neural signal transmission. On the other hand, fi sh oil is also effective in lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and lipid. It can reduce platelet aggregation and prevent atherosclerosis. It can
also inhibit the formation of infl ammatory mediators and reduce inflammation, which is greatly helpful in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Currently there is no recommended daily allowance for long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. However to maintain normal body function, essential fatty acids should be at least 3-6% of total fat consumption, among which-linolenic acid(ALA) should be 0.5% to 1%. It is recommended to have more deep sea fi sh which contain more fi sh oil, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. As intake of omega-3 fatty acids is not enough in diet, fi sh oil supplement can be chosen appropriately.

Shih-Yi Huang, Ph.D.
Herbalife’s Nutrition Advisory
Board (NAB), based in Taiwan.

Herbalife Ingredients - Facts on Fat

• Unsaturated fats fall into two groups, monounsaturated fats and
polyunsaturated fats.
• Polyunsaturated fats are found in plant oils such as saffl ower, corn,
canola, as well as in seafood. The fats include Essential Fatty Acids
(EFAs) Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9.
• EFAs are part of the structure of every cell in our bodies, are
necessary nutrition to achieve and maintain a healthy heart, and
healthy function of the brain, eyes, skin, joints, hair and the immune
system.
• Saturated fat is solid at room temperature and is most often found
in animal food products. Saturated fats are not inherently unhealthy,
but an excess of these fats in the diet raises cholesterol levels in the
blood stream.

“Though you may have been taught the opposite, fat can actually be good
for you. In fact, there are healthy fats and unhealthy fats, and knowing the
difference is essential to your health.”
- Dr. Louis Ignarro, Ph.D. Nobel† Laureate in Medicine
Herbalife Nutrition Institute, Nutrition Advisory Board