do taking..efa's really help your health?

Question

do taking fish oil or flaxseed oil help your health.

Answer 1

Omega-3s play a key role in a range of vital body processes, from blood pressure and blood clotting to inflammation and immunity. They may be useful for preventing or treating many diseases and disorders.

Fish oils appear to reduce the risk of heart disease. They do this in several ways. Most importantly, the presence of omega-3s makes platelets in the blood less likely to clump together and form the clots that lead to heart attacks. Next, omega-3s can reduce triglycerides (blood fats related to cholesterol) and may lower blood pressure. In addition, recent research has shown that omega-3s strengthen the heart's electrical system, preventing heart-rhythm abnormalities. However, the strongest evidence for the cardiovascular benefits of fish oils comes from studies in which the participants ate fish rather than taking fish oil supplements.

Within the artery walls, omega-3s inhibit inflammation, which is a factor in plaque buildup. As a result, therapeutic doses of fish oils are one of the few successful ways to prevent the reblockage of arteries that commonly occurs after angioplasty, a procedure in which a small balloon is guided through an artery to a blockage and then is inflated to compress plaque, widen the vessel, and improve blood flow to the heart. This effect on blood vessels makes fish oils helpful for Raynaud's disease as well.

Omega-3s are also effective general anti-inflammatories, useful for joint problems, lupus, and psoriasis. Studies indicate that people with rheumatoid arthritis experience less joint swelling and stiffness, and may even be able to manage on lower doses of anti-inflammatory drugs, when they take fish oil supplements. In a yearlong study of people with Crohn's disease (a painful type of inflammatory bowel disease), 69% of those taking enteric-coated fish oil supplements (about 3 grams of fish oils a day) stayed symptom-free, compared with just 28% of those receiving a placebo. Fish oils may also help ease menstrual cramps. In addition, omega-3s may play a role in mental health. Some experts believe there's a correlation between the increasing incidence of depression in the United States and the declining consumption of fish. And a preliminary study suggested that omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the severity of schizophrenia by about 25%.

Fish oils may help prevent colon cancer. Participants in a recent study who took 4,400 mg of fish oils a day produced much less of one potent carcinogen associated with colon cancer than those on a placebo.

According to a preliminary study from the University of California, Los Angeles, omega-3s may help fight breast cancer and maintain healthy breast tissue. Animal studies also indicate that fewer breast tumors develop when fish oils are part of a healthy diet.

Answer 2

What he said ;-)