What's the deal with fish oil?

So, for my first real post on my blog I've decided to touch upon a topic that I get asked frequently, with a very an easy answer.

The question is: Should I take fish oil?
The answer: In most cases - YES!

Here's a quick list of reasons why:
1) Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are naturally anti-inflammatory in nature and are part the lining of every cell in your body. Bottom line is that they make every cell in your body just a little healthier.
2) What does the research say fish oil is good for...here is a small list of conditions:
- Heart health: high blood pressure, high triglycerides and cholesterol, atherosclerosis, prevention of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease
- Brain health: depression, bipolar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia, ADHD
- Joint health: Rheumatoid arthritis
- Skin health: eczema and psoriasis
- Painful menstruation
- Asthma
- Infant eye/brain development
- Ulcerative colitis
- Obesity
- Osteoporosis
- The list goes on and on...
3) Fatty acids are all about balance. You have omega-3's (primarily from fish and nuts), omega-6's (in our common cooking oils such as sunflower and corn oils), and omega-9 (olive oil, avocados, olives, almonds). The typical North American diet has a VERY LARGE amount of omega-6 in it - which is your bad fatty acid because it is PRO-inflammatory. You want to try to avoid omega-6 (since you already get so much in your diet). This is why, when purchasing an omega supplement you should stay away from the 'omega 3-6-9' and stick to omega-3.

Are those enough reasons?

So, after deciding that you should take fish oil, the next step is finding a good quality supplement. DOSE is always a super important thing to note, and a main reason why having a Naturopathic Doctor on your side is so vital. In terms of fish oil you're looking at two main ingredients: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). You want your daily maintenance dose to be at least 900mg when you add together the EPA and DHA. This dose will change relating to your specific health concern.

It must be said to watch out if you're allergic to fish. Also, if you are on blood thinning medication there is a small possibility of the fish oil to increase its effect, so be aware of this. Other than that, fish oil has been proven to be immensely safe.

There is so much to say on this topic but I'll leave it to that for now!