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6 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Fish Oil

Geschreven door: jochum smid

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Leesduur: 5 min

The benefits of fish oil are almost endless! Fish oil is used by countless people around the world. This isn't surprising, as it offers a wealth of benefits for the body. It's rich in a special group of unsaturated fats called omega-3 fatty acids.

This group of fats is also found in other (plant-based) products, such as walnuts and chia seeds. However, the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are far more effective and offer far more benefits to the body. There are different types of omega-3 fatty acids ...

In this blog you will discover what types of omega-3 fatty acids there are and the scientifically proven health benefits of fish oil.

Fish oil contains essential fatty acids (DHA/EPA) that contribute to healthy eyes, brain function and normal triglyceride levels.

During pregnancy, DHA contributes to fetal brain development and vision; adequate intake is crucial.

EPA/DHA support blood pressure and heart function; choose a high-quality supplement with sufficient concentrated fatty acids for optimal benefit.

Types of Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids. This means your body needs them, but can't produce them itself. You must therefore obtain them from food. As we mentioned, there are different types of omega-3 fatty acids:

  • ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) – This omega-3 fatty acid is found primarily in plant foods such as walnuts, chia seeds, and sprouts. It's also often added to vegetable margarines and is found in soybean oil, flaxseed oil, and rapeseed oil.
  • DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) – This fatty acid is mainly found in fish and is therefore also called a fish fatty acid. Fish do not produce this omega-3 fatty acid themselves, but obtain it from algae. Salmon, eel, mackerel, and other oily fish in particular contain the highest concentrations of DHA.
  • EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) – Along with DHA, EPA is a fish oil. These two omega-3 fatty acids are known for their potential health benefits. What are these health benefits? We'll tell you more.

While all three omega-3 fatty acids are essential for a healthy body, DHA and EPA stand out head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to health benefits. Below are 6 benefits of fish oil:

1 - DHA is good for eyesight

Simply put, vision is the ability to perceive light and objects. But what does this have to do with omega-3?

DHA, an essential omega-3 fatty acid, plays a crucial role in eye health. A daily intake of at least 250 mg of DHA will provide benefits for your vision. Therefore, make sure you get enough DHA through your diet or a fish oil supplement.

2 - DHA is an important building block for the brain

As you may already know, our brains are made up of 60% fat. Fats are therefore an extremely important building block for the brain. One fatty acid is particularly important for the brain: DHA from fish oil.

The omega-3 fatty acid DHA is often combined with L-theanine and blue skullcap to support concentration in both children and adults. This combination is often called " L-Theanine Omega-3 " and is very effective.

In addition, DHA is not only an important building block for the brain, but it also plays a role in brain functioning.

3 - DHA and EPA contribute to the maintenance of normal triglyceride levels in the blood

Triglycerides should be considered a type of fat, used as a storehouse for energy in the body. The concentration of glycerides in the blood is (often) related to cholesterol levels: the higher the triglyceride level in the blood, the higher the cholesterol level.

It's therefore important to maintain healthy triglyceride levels in your blood. If you have high triglyceride levels for too long, you can experience all sorts of unpleasant consequences.

A healthy triglyceride level is good for your health

No fewer than 44 clinical studies have shown that DHA from fish oil has a positive effect on blood triglyceride levels. However, this effect only applies with a daily intake of at least 250 mg of DHA , which contributes to the maintenance of normal triglyceride levels.

4 - DHA is good for the development of babies' vision and brains

What many people don't know is that fish oil, and DHA in particular, is also very healthy during pregnancy. DHA contributes to the development of the brain and vision of the fetus and infants (babies).

To reap this benefit, you need to consume at least 250 mg of DHA per day. Therefore, it's wise to eat plenty of oily fish during pregnancy or use a fish oil supplement .

5 - EPA and DHA from fish oil are good for blood pressure

What many people don't know is that fish oil is good for blood pressure. For example, doctors even prescribe EPA and DHA for people after heart surgery to maintain healthy blood pressure.

The problem, however, is that you need to consume quite a lot of DHA and EPA to reap the benefits of fish oil. Fish oil is only beneficial for blood pressure with a daily intake of at least 3.0 g (EPA and DHA).

6 - EPA and DHA are good for the heart

Finally, fish oil (EPA and DHA) also contributes to normal heart function! So, be good to your heart and make sure you get the right amount of EPA and DHA every day!

We'd love to tell you even more about other benefits of fish oil, based on the latest research. However, due to new European legislation, we're unfortunately somewhat limited in providing information about the benefits of fish oil.

High quality is very important

In this blog post, we've shared the scientifically proven benefits of fish oil. To optimally reap all these health benefits, it's crucial to purchase a high-quality supplement with a high concentration of EPA and DHA. We've also indicated how much EPA and/or DHA you should consume for each benefit.

The problem, however, is that many fish oil supplements contain far too little EPA and DHA per capsule. Therefore, we decided to develop a fish oil supplement with a high concentration of EPA and DHA.

Our fish oil supplement contains a whopping 330 mg EPA and 220 mg DHA per capsule, meaning you only need to take one capsule (softgel) per day. This means one package will last you up to 60 days.

Jochum Smid - Natural Performance

Jochum Smid

Jochum Smid is a biobased chemist specializing in orthomolecular nutrition. He develops and selects the nutritional supplements at Natuurlijk Presteren and has a passion for biohacking, science, and healthy eating.

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