When I was pregnant I did take a pre-natal vitamin, but other than my Juice Plus, I don't bother wasting my money. I know a lot of people spend a ton of money on vitamins and supplements, but not all of them are what they claim to be. For instance, did you know that your body cannot absorb more than 500mg of calcium at once? And that for calcium to be properly absorbed it should be taken with vitamin D, magnesium, copper and zinc?
But I keep reading more and more about fish oil and its benefits:
According to
Carl Lavie, M.D., F.A.C.C., Medical Director of Cardiac
Rehailitation and Prevention, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans,
LA, and lead author of tone of the articles states, "This isn't just hype, we now
have tremendous and compelling evidence from very large studies,
some dating back 20 and 30 years, that demonstrate the protective
benefits of omega 3 fish oil, in multiple aspects of preventive
cardiology. The strongest evidence of a cardioprotective effect of
omega 3's appears in patients with established cardiovascular
disease and following a heart attack, with up to a 30 per cent
reduction in a CV related death."
Translated, that means that if you have heart disease, it is even
more important to take omega 3's than if you don't.
Dietary fish oil can also decrease the risk of atherosclerosis,
arrhythmias, heart attack, sudden cardiac death, and even heart
failure.
According to Dr. Lavie, EPA and DHA work by getting into the
membranes of cells and, in doing so, may help to improve the heart's
electrical activity, vascular tone, plaque stabilization and blood
pressure, among other benefits.
The human body doesn't produce its own essential fatty acids, so you
have to get them from food, or from taking a fish oil supplement
(that's why they're called "essential"). It isn't easy to get what
you need from food and it can also be very expensive, since you have
to be extremely particular about where the food comes from. One of
those sources, wild salmon, is $22 a pound and not readily
available.
NOTE: Some fish oils on the market are "food grade," and carry risks
that are unacceptable (like potential toxic heavy metal and
pesticide contamination). Some of them can make you burp and give you indigestion.
I have read more and more about a "pharmaceutical
grade" product, assayed by an independent third party for purity:
I think I might have to invest in it. :)
If any of you take a fish oil that you recommend, do let me know!
If any of you take a fish oil that you recommend, do let me know!
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