Fish Oil And Aging - Two Good Reasons Seniors Should Take A Supplement Daily

A lot has been said about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. Here are two ways in which taking a fish oil supplements can help aging people live better lives.

Cardiovascular benefits. It is well-established that high levels of triglycerides and homocysteine in the blood markedly increase one's chances of getting heart disease. The fatty acids EPA and DHA contained in fish oil have been shown to lower triglyceride levels and raise the level of good cholesterol in the blood. More recently, university studies have demonstrated that omega-3 fatty acids can decrease homocysteine levels as well. Homocysteine is a dangerous by-product of the body's own methylation process and is a major risk factor for heart disease.

Cognitive benefits. Mental decline is one of the worst things that can happen as a person ages, and, although some cognitive decline is inevitable, there are many things that we can do to help our aging relatives. One is to make sure we keep our parents and grandparents active, both mentally and physically. Another is to make sure that they eat a healthy diet and avoid processed foods. Finally, there are several supplements that can be taken to help ward off the cognitive decline associated with aging. Clearly the most important one of these is fish oil capsules. The DHA contained in fish oil is an integral part of the gray matter in our brains. Plenty of research has been done to back up the value of the DHA supplementation for people of all ages, especially the very young and the elderly.

One study, done at the University of Waterloo in Canada, measured the levels of EPA and DHA in residents of nursing homes. The researchers concluded that people living in the nursing homes used in the study were deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. Their average intake of omega-3's was only 121 mg per day, when the Ministry of health in Canada has proposed an optimal level of betwee
1000 mg and 1800 mg!

The researchers added that making up the difference by increasing the amount of fish offered in the nursing homes would be prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, it is possible to achieve those optimal levels by taking a high quality, concentrated EPA/DHA supplement daily, thereby getting both the cardiovascular and cognitive benefits mentioned above, in an easy and cost-effective manner.