If you have a zest for eating seafood, especially salmon, and a heart for healthy living, then making salmon oil a staple of your daily regimen of vitamins, natural remedies, and other nutrients is highly recommended.
It’s hard to go wrong with salmon oil in terms of heart health considering that this rich source of omega-3 fats can not only reduce elevated levels of triglycerides (which left unchecked can put you at increased risk of heart disease), it can also increase good cholesterol (HDL) in your body, thus improving your ratio of HDL measured against bad cholesterol (LDL). That certainly seems like a terrific tradeoff.
There Is Such a Thing as Healthy Fats
To some of you not as well-versed in the health value of supplementation with fatty acids, such as omega-3’s in your body, it’s easy to assume that they are not good for your health, that they might clog your arteries and put you at increased health risk.
Au contraire. What omega-3 fats do—and salmon oil is loaded with them, especially EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)—is actually promote the removal of unhealthy, harmful fat deposits and improves blood flow in your body. This lowers the risk of heart-related issues. Additionally, salmon oil’s omega-3 fats can also work to diminish the chances of heart disease by reducing the risk of blockages caused by blood clots in your bloodstream because they make your blood less “sticky.”
6 Other Health Benefits of Salmon Oil
That’s right, we are here to discuss even more health benefits associated with salmon oil and its abundance of EPA and DHA beyond what we just presented. One thing to keep in mind for those of you who are not big seafood fans but still enthusiastic fans of good health, salmon oil supplements are a great way to get those healthy omega-3 fats into your body. In no particular order, here are those six additional health benefits to consider:
- Reduce inflammation. Some inflammation can be beneficial to your body, such as when it responds to healing an injury such as a sprained ankle. But for the sake of what we are talking about here, inflammation is not as good thing, often linked to heart disease or even forms of dementia. A study presented in “Biochemical Society Transactions” shows that omega-3 fatty acids can obstruct inflammation-related markers and thwart signaling centers in the cells, thus helping to lower body inflammation. Excessive inflammation can indicate a heightened risk of various chronic diseases.
- Support brain health. Studies have reportedly shown that salmon oil can help ward off oxidative damage to the brain cells and promote the repair of cells, protecting against neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
- Bolster healthier skin. Researchers have found that fish oil can enhance your skin in several ways, among them reducing the effects of dermatitis, such as dry skin, as well as quickening healing from a wound.
- Regulate blood pressure. By relaxing your blood vessels, omega-3’s can improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and bring your blood pressure down a few points, reducing the stress on your heart and arteries. This effect is more evident the higher (and unhealthier) your current blood pressure is.
- Alleviate arthritis symptoms. Ingesting salmon oil has shown promise in cutting back on inflammatory conditions relative to arthritis such as joint swelling and arthritic pain.
- Enhance eye health. Experts have postulated that a deficiency of omega-3’s might have a role in retina degeneration. One study also showed that omega-3’s, presumably those included in salmon oil, tamped down intraocular pressure, which has been linked to the development of glaucoma.
Should you decide you want to add salmon oil to your daily intake of supplements and vitamins, you have made a great choice. But make it a wise decision, too, by first running this by your personal physician or other healthcare professional to make sure it won’t conflict with any medications you might already be taking and to make sure salmon oil is suitable for your body and state of health, period.