Fish oil is one of the most well-researched supplements and has many functions in the body. Unfortunately, it is now losing it’s popularity and people are starting to look for the new and shiny thing, ignoring the fundamentals, like this one. If you are serious about your health, taking fish oil is one of the best things you can do.
Recently, the frightening theory that fish oil may increase prostate cancer risk in men has been discussed on various forums. This came as a result from a research, published on PubMed, which stated that men with higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids in their bloodstream seemed to have higher risk for developing prostate cancer. The first obvious flaw here is that blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids are not necessarily correlated with higher omega-3 diet intake. In fact, the reverse seems to be the case. I’m not going to make this post all about this research, as there are plenty of people out there who have already debunked this myth. Intake of omega-3 fatty acids will not increase your risk for any type of cancer. Period.
I personally began taking fish oil a little over a year ago. After the first month, I really did start to see certain health benefits, especially improved joint health. The results from any fatty acid supplementation come so slowly that it can be easy not to notice them. It’s the same process, by which people get unhealthy and overweight – the change happens so slowly, that you don’t realize it. Meanwhile, if you woke up one day and you were suddenly 30 pounds overweight you would probably freak out.
This is the first important point – fish oil works SLOWLY. But it does work .I’ve noticed better mood, lack of mood swings, better looking skin (which my wife commented on) and most of all – lack of joint pain and about 3 times more joint mobility. Apparently, fish oil acts as a ‘lubricant’ on your joints, which is why it works so well for arthritis, as several studies have pointed out. This was enough to convince me to keep taking it and I’ve never known anyone who has experienced anything but good results from taking omega-3.
Just make sure to take a quality product with a high EPA/DHA content, which is what actually counts.