Omega 3 Healing

People who want to increase their Omega-3 consumption but are concerned about mercury poisoning should stop worrying.

That’s the word from David Martosko, director of the Center for Consumer Freedom.

“The entire medical literature doesn’t contain a single documented U.S. case of mercury poisoning from eating fish sold in restaurants and supermarkets. Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have said that the benefits of eating fish far outweigh any hypothetical risk from trace levels of naturally-occurring toxins.”

Fatty fish are a leading source of Omega-3 fatty acids.  And people would have to eat unimaginable amounts of fish to put themselves at risk for mercury poisoning.  An example: a 160 pound man would have to consume 108 pieces of sushi every week for a lifetime to be at risk.

Sources:

Center for Consumer Freedom

Harvard School of Public Health

US Food and Drug Administration

People in Arizona looking for Omega-3 in their beef can look at the cattle being raised on the Santa Rita Ranch.

South of Tucson, the ranch’s stock includes grass-fed cattle.  The Omega-3 benefit from the grass-fed cattle is significant, says rancher Andrew McGibbon.  He claims the Omega-3 levels he tests can be 5 times higher than the fatty acid levels found in Salmon.

The Santa Rita Ranch sells grass fed beef directly to consumers.

Omega-3 is part of the Pittsburgh Steelers playbook.

“Our research and literature review illustrated rather dramatic improvements in the blood lipid profiles of professional football players who used a moderately high dose of omega-3 EFA fish oil supplementation. These results suggest a strong benefit for lessening heart disease risk factors in football players and possibly other athletes throughout their active years.”

Dr. Anthony Yates
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Team Physician, Pittsburgh Steelers.

The research was done during the Pittsburgh Steelers 2006-7 season. 36 members of the team were involved.

Key results: dramatic increases in the level of healthy fats DHA and EPAs. Compared with players who were in the study and did not take the Omega-3 supplements, DHA levels were up more than 100% and EPA levels up more than 300%.

Source:
Sports Health: a Multidisciplinary Approach

Omega-3 is a bit of a victim of its own success… for all of the substantiated claims of the benefits it provides the brain, the heart and other organs, there is nothing to suggest it can help reduce the risk of cancers.

The Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed articles published over the past 40 years to try and identify credible research.

Scientists studied 38 articles dealing with the impact of Omega-3 fatty acids on the incidence of tumors. 11 different types of cancer were examined.

The conclusion…

“A large body of literature spanning numerous cohorts from many countries and with different demographic characteristics does not provide evidence to suggest a significant association between omega-3 fatty acids and cancer incidence. Dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids is unlikely to prevent cancer.”

Sources:

Journal of the American Medical Association
Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center

Black Walnuts typically don’t show up on the radar of people looking for strong sources of Omega-3.But if you’re looking for ways to include more natural Omega-3 in your diet, here are few reasons why Black Walnuts work well.

Along with Omega-3 fatty acids, the Black Walnut is rich in Manganese and Copper, each of which is effective in fighting free radicals.

Melatonin and other antioxidants are additional ingredients. It contains no cholesterol.

Black Walnuts are easily combined into all sorts of recipes, from home made ice cream to cookies and cakes.

To the best of our knowledge, no clinical trials have been conducted to determine the precise health benefits of Black Walnuts. All we know is that the ingredients add up to a desirable profile.