It's difficult to emphasize enough how important it is for athletes to make sure they are consuming whey protein on a regular basis. Whey protein is the closest thing to an athlete’s super supplement: it's inexpensive, one of the best sources of protein available, and using it is one of the easiest ways to increase muscle growth. There are almost too many whey protein benefits to list.

What Exactly Is Whey Protein?

• Whey protein is a complete protein derived from dairy products. It has been consumed for centuries, but whey protein production methods have changed dramatically in the last 50 years. Modern manufacturers of whey protein use a variety of complex filtration methods to ensure consistently potent protein.
• Whey protein is special because it is one of the best sources of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) available.¹ BCAAs are unique among amino acids because of their ergogenic (performance enhancing) nature. They can increase muscle growth faster than all other types of protein.

What Other Benefits Of Whey Protein Are There Beyond Bodybuilding?

• Whey protein is added to tons of different sports nutrition supplements: it's in protein bars, premade muscle building shakes, and other supplements. Generally speaking, the cheapest source of whey protein is whey protein powder.
• Whey protein powder is a very inexpensive and highly concentrated source of whey protein.
• This protein has been used for weight management. Note we did not say "weight loss"? This is because whey can be used for either weight loss or weight gain depending on your health goal.

How Does Whey Protein Boost Athletic Performance?

• Besides providing high quantities of BCAAs, whey protein boosts glutathione levels. Glutathione is a peptide (a type of protein) that helps increase levels of lean muscle mass and bolsters the immune system. Athletes need high levels of lean muscle mass and robust immune systems to perform at their best.
• Whey protein makes it easier for athletes to maintain a positive nitrogen balance in their bodies. A positive nitrogen balance helps lessen the amount of time required for muscle recovery.²

Does Whey Protein Have Any Harmful Side Effects?

• Though lactose free especially if you get a good quality product, whey protein may not suitable for some people allergic to dairy products.³ If you are allergic to dairy products and find yourself having difficulties with whey protein, you might want to try out soy protein instead. It needs to be said that a lot of people that have problems with dairy products have no reaction to whey protein. Whey protein is highly purified and rarely causes problems.
• It's a myth that using whey protein leads to bone loss or kidney problems. There is no scientific research supporting the claim that using whey protein for long periods of time can cause serious negative health effects.

How Often Should Whey Protein Be Taken Each Day?

• Athletes who want to operate at peak performance levels should take whey protein a minimum of once a day and a maximum of six times a day. Consulting a healthcare professional about this cannot be overemphasized though. Whey protein is best ingested right after workouts, when the BCAAs it contains are needed most.
• Non-athletes can get away with using it once or twice a day.

Start incorporating whey protein into your diet, and you will most likely start noticing the effects of whey protein benefits for yourself. It can take a while to notice the effects of whey protein benefits, but after a month or so of regular use, you will definitely start noticing improvements in your level of athletic performance.

The key is regular use: Ingest whey protein on a daily basis to make sure your body gets all the protein it needs to perform at high levels.

References:

¹ National Dairy Council: Whey Protein Health Education Kit

² Whey Protein Institute

³ PeaceHealth: Whey Protein for Sports & Fitness

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Lately, reports about dietary supplements containing substances that may be illegal and possibly dangerous have been rather common. Virtually on the heels of DMAA (dimethylamylamine) supplements which face possible banning, now the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has issued warning about the HCG diet and supplements containing HCG.

HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) has also been erroneously referred to as human growth hormone (HGH or GH). This is not the first time concerns about this diet or "supplement" have been raised (See: HCG Weight Loss Supplement Alert).

Like DMAA, HCG has been promoted as a "natural" weight loss supplement, which it is not according to reports. HCG is a hormone produced during pregnancy and is used to induce ovulation in assisted reproduction treatment. In a similar fashion as that of DMAA, the FDA has issued letters to business selling HCG products stating that they are selling illegal weight loss drugs that have not been approved by the FDA and making unsupported claims.

FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have issued seven letters to companies warning them that they are selling illegal homeopathic HCG weight-loss drugs that have not been approved by FDA, and that make unsupported claims.

(For the list of manufacturers, distributors and products—and more information about FDA’s concerns about HCG—visit http://www.fda.gov/hcgdiet.)

HCG Makes Big Claims

HCG is a hormone that is produced by the human placenta during pregnancy.

Products that claim to contain HCG are typically marketed in connection with a very low calorie diet, usually one that limits calories to 500 per day. Many of these popular HCG products claim to “reset your metabolism,” change “abnormal eating patterns,” and shave 20-30 pounds in 30-40 days.

“These products are marketed with incredible claims and people think that if they're losing weight, HCG must be working,” says Elizabeth Miller, acting director of FDA’s Division of Non-Prescription Drugs and Health Fraud. “But the data simply does not support this; any loss is from severe calorie restriction. Not from the HCG.”

HCG is approved by FDA as a prescription drug for the treatment of female infertility, and other medical conditions. It is not approved for weight loss. In fact, the prescription drug label notes there “is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or ‘normal’ distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.”

HCG is not approved for OTC sale for any purpose. See the full post

Like other supplements commonly referred to as prohormones, such as human growth hormone (HGH) and androstenedione, HCG use in competitive sports can be grounds for disqualification and banning. Some previously famous athletes have met this fate and it is just not worth the risk.

While recreational athletes and fitness enthusiasts like me may get away with it, I personally have no interest in even trying this HCG diet or supplements. Neither should you.

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Although not as well researched as the connection between LDL cholesterol and heart disease, more researchers are starting to believe there is an inverse relationship between high levels of HDL cholesterol and heart disease. More people want to know whether fish oil can help lower cholesterol levels, particularly that of LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Fish Oil and LDL Cholesterol

• Replacing saturated fat in the diet with fish oil has been scientifically proven to lower levels of harmful LDL cholesterol.¹ Most Americans consume far more saturated fat than they need, and most do not consume nearly enough fish oil.
• Individuals with high levels of LDL cholesterol are far more likely to develop heart disease than individuals with low levels of LDL cholesterol. Taking fish oil supplements on a daily basis is a safe and relatively inexpensive way to lower your risk of heart disease.
• LDL cholesterol helps increase the risk of heart disease by promoting the development of plaque on artery walls. Fish oil helps the heart by helping to reduce plaque buildup.

Fish Oil and HDL cholesterol

• Fish oil is capable of promoting small increases in HDL cholesterol levels.² While this may not sound impressive, even slight increases in HDL cholesterol levels can significantly reduce the probability of having a heart attack. HDL cholesterol levels are normally very difficult to increase, and taking fish oil is one of the only ways to effectively raise them.
• HDL cholesterol helps reduce the risk of heart attack by breaking up plaques on artery walls. It is able to do this because it has a much higher density than the LDL cholesterol that forms the plaques.

Fish Oil and Triglyceride Levels

• Fish oil has even more powerful effects on triglyceride levels than cholesterol levels. Your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke isn't just based on your cholesterol levels: it's also powerfully affected by your triglyceride levels.³ If you've already had a heart attack, new research indicates that your risk of a second heart attack may be greatly reduced by using fish oil supplements.⁴
• Triglyceride levels tend to increase with age. If you are middle-aged or older, fish oil supplements are almost a necessity for you.

Taking supplements on a daily basis can be challenging. It is very easy to miss a dose or two. To make sure you take your fish oil every day, you should consider using a pillbox with reminders or developing a system so that taking fish oil supplements becomes an ingrained habit. Once you have developed the habit of taking your fish oil every morning or every evening, you will rarely, if ever, forget to take it.

Making changes in your lifestyle is hard, but it is much easier to start taking fish oil daily than it is to develop a new exercise program. Of course, it goes without saying that for best results with fish oil, you should consider making additional changes in your diet and lifestyle.

The relationship between fish oil and cholesterol is strong enough to make fish oil alone effective at reducing the risk of heart disease. But combined with other dietary and lifestyle changes, its effects are even more powerful.

References:

¹ Oregon State University: Essential Fatty Acids

² New York University: High Triglycerides

³ Einstein College of Medicine: New Stroke Risk Factor

⁴ Baylor College of Medicine: Fish oil may play role in heart attack prevention

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Just What Is Nitric Oxide?

Not to be mistaken for laughing gas, which is nitrous oxide, nitric oxide can be defined in simple terms as a gas naturally found in the body and whose function is conveying information between cells. It also helps in increasing blood flow by dilating vessels. Nitric oxide is also known as arginine-alpha-keto-glutarate (AAKG) as well as nitrogen monoxide.

Nitric Oxide Supplements Benefits

Because of the blood vessel dilating properties, Bodybuilders have used nitric oxide supplements in the belief that it will give them better muscle "pumps" during and after weight training sessions. These supplements come in the form of l-arginine, or simply arginine. L-arginine is an amino acid is said to help in the production of the gas. L-arginine is also said to stimulate the release of growth hormone. (See: Medline Plus).

According to Consumer Lab, the supplements will not really pump your muscles, but may "increase intense exercise endurance in older and recreational athletes." I personally belong in both these categories, therefore all for it. But don't click away just yet, there are other benefits.

As earlier mentioned, studies have shown these supplements to have health benefits beyond the gym. One recent study suggests that nitric oxide supplements can help manage hypertension in ASA (argininosuccinic aciduria) patients:

In a study published online in the American Journal of Human Genetics, researchers said that nitric oxide supplements were able to manage treatment-resistant hypertension in a patient with argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA).

Brendan Lee, PhD, of the Baylor College of Medicine, shared that treatment with inorganic nitric oxide supplements helped normalize blood pressure levels. The researchers wrote: “Our results support the contention that the investigation of nitric oxide supplementation in ASA subjects should be performed in a systematic manner.” See original story

According to Wikipedia, NO supplements (in l-arginine form) can help in tendon healing:

Nitric oxide (NO) also appears to play a role in tendon healing and inhibition of NO synthesis impairs tendon healing. Supplementing with arginine, the amino acid that the body uses to form NO, may be useful in tendon healing. The use of a NO delivery system (glyceryl trinitrate patches) applied over the area of maximal tenderness was tested in three clinical trials for the treatment of tendinopathies and was found to significantly reduce pain and increase range of motion and strength.

Due to the blood vessel dilating effects, nitric oxide supplements are thought to be beneficial for cardiovascular health and erectile dysfunction among other conditions. More studies on the benefits and possible side effects of the supplements are ongoing.

Related Video: What is Nitric Oxide?

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They call it middle-age spread. This is the increase in bulk particularly around the waist that often comes with middle age. Recent studies indicate that testosterone supplements can help tame this problem. However there are other important health benefits of testosterone supplements for men and women.

According to an article appearing on the American Heart Association website, testosterone supplements may also help patients of heart failure:

Testosterone supplements helped heart failure External link patients breathe better and exercise more, according to research in Circulation Heart Failure, an American Heart Association journal.

Researchers analyzed four randomized clinical trials of patients with moderate to severe chronic heart failure. Patients were given commercial testosterone supplements by injection, patch or gel.

Based on the analysis of these studies, those who received supplemental testosterone scored 50 percent better in a six-minute walking test than those receiving placebo.

Also, in two of the studies, the severity of heart failure as measured by the New York Heart Association classification External link system improved one to two grades in 35 percent of treated patients compared to 9.8 percent of those who didn’t receive the supplements. Researchers noted gains in muscle and skeletal endurance that appeared quickly and lasted for a least one year. See original post

According to the article, none of the patients developed signs of prostate disease, one of the contraindications of testosterone therapy.

One of the effects of aging, particularly around middle age, is a drop in testosterone levels in the body. In fact, this drop begins at around age 30 and continues at the rate of 1 percent per year, according to MayoClinic. The effect of this includes decrease in libido, increase in body fat, and decrease in muscle mass and strength among other things.

The decrease in muscle mass (which negatively impacts metabolism) and increase in body fat is what typically causes of the so-called middle-age spread. Testosterone supplements may be beneficial in stopping or slowing this "spread".

Middle-aged spread on older men could be banished by taking supplements of testosterone, according to research.

Injections of the male sex hormone can help men lose body weight if taken regularly and over a sustained period of time.

The discovery was made by 'accident' by doctors treating men who were receiving hormonal injections for erectile dysfunction.

Injections of testosterone can help men lose body weight if taken regularly and over a sustained period of time

Study: Injections of testosterone can help men lose body weight if taken regularly and over a sustained period of time

Scientists tested a group of 115 testosterone-deficient men with an average age of 61.

The average weight loss was 2.5 stone (35 pounds), according to a study presented to the European Congress on Obesity in Lyon, France, this week.

The participants' waist circumference, meanwhile, fell from 42inches (107cms) to 38.5inches (98cms). See original post

Of course since the male hormone testosterone is linked to libido in both men and women, this may be perhaps the most interesting benefit of testosterone supplements. However, this does not mean that you should run to purchase these or other prohormone supplements. These things should be taken with the supervision and direction of a healthcare professional.

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Some controversies die hard. Creatine supplementation is one of them. Some say it works like gangbusters if you will excuse the cliché. Others say it does not work that well. Yet others say not at all. Some quarters have called for its banning from sports, saying it is performance enhancing. Who is right?

What Is Creatine And How Does It Work?

According to WebMD, creatine is a natural substance that turns into creatine phosphate in the body, which helps make a substance known as Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). ATP provides energy for muscle contraction. Creatine supplementation increases formation of ATP.

Surprisingly, creatine was identified back in 1832 as a component of skeletal muscle, according to Wikipedia. Though some reports suggest its use as a supplement as far back as the 1960s, mainly by athletes from the then Eastern Block, it would really pick up in the 1990s. Creatine supplements would start flying off the shelves about then, with virtually every supplements maker jumping to cash in.

Really, Does Creatine Work?

Now for the money question, does creatine work? We have posted an article on this very subject (see Does Creatine Work?) But we recently came across a very interesting and well written post on this never-dying question. Here is an excerpt:

When I was a rookie weightlifter, I took creatine supplements because everyone else was doing it. I quit after a week for reasons you don't want explained. Suffice to say it involved the words "gastrointestinal" and "distress."

Apparently that's a rare reaction, because creatine is definitely a popular dietary supplement for the athletic crowd.

The reason? It works. For certain types of sports, at least, creatine supplementation can make the different between a spot on the podium and a mention in the also-ran column.

Permission, prevalence

Athletic organizations such as the International Olympic Committee and the National Collegiate Athletic Association permit using creatine as a dietary supplement. A 1999 survey of 806 NCAA Division I athletes by researchers at the University of North Carolina and published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine found that 48 percent of men used it (compared with only 4 percent of women). However, when the survey focused on strength and power athletes, the rate of use climbed to 80 percent.

You can read the full article (highly recommended) at the Chicago Tribune Health page.

The answer as to whether creatine supplementation works goes down to the individual and product of choice. As with anything else, creatine does not work with everybody. Also, creatine supplements differ in quality and therefore you should try small doses of various reputable brands, one at a time until you find one that works for you. The question of safety too comes down to brand and individual body reaction to the supplement.

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Muscle building stacks are combinations of dietary supplements designed to maximize muscle growth. The supplements in muscle building stacks often work together synergistically. This means that their total effect is greater than the effect of the sum of their parts. Choosing the right muscle building stack for you can be difficult because everybody responds differently to different muscle building stacks.

Creatine + Whey Protein: A Simple Yet Effective Muscle Building Stack

• Taking creatine after exercise in combination with a protein supplement is a great way to maximize creatine stores and increase lean muscle mass.¹
• Taking creatine and whey protein simultaneously is more effective than taking either one alone.

The Most Famous Bodybuilding Stack

To make this stack even more potent, you may want to add glutamine to the above mix. This is the basis of one of the most famous muscle building stacks, made so by Bill Phillips, then CEO of EAS line of bodybuilding supplements. Actually, it was the winning guy who won a Chevy Corvette in one of the contests sponsored by EAS (I forget the guy's name). The stack consisted of the following:

• Phosphagen: An EAS brand of creatine
• Myoplex deluxe: A whey protein based meal replacement powder
• Betagen: A creatine/glutamine powder

Mixed together in a blender, the above stack worked like gangbusters. I know this because I was one of its users. The downside was that it was a little pricey.

Navigating the Complex World of Muscle Building Stack Products

There are so many different muscle building stacks available that it can be difficult to decide which one is right for you. To find the best combination of supplement for you, you need to take two different factors into account: your body type and your training regimen.

Body Types

There are roughly 3 different body types²: Ectomorphs, mesomorphs, and endomorphs. Ectomorphs tend to be extremely skinny, mesomorphs have a natural athletic build, and endomorphs tend to be a little on the heavy side. If you're an ectomorph, the most important thing you should look for in a muscle building stack is lots of protein. Ectomorphs struggle more than any other body type to gain large amounts of lean muscle mass.

Mesomorphs, on the other hand, gain lean muscle mass relatively easily. If you're a mesomorph, you should worry more about ensuring that you get adequate levels of vitamins and minerals than getting enough protein. Of course you need high levels of protein, but your body will be able to utilize protein more effectively than ectomorphs, and this means that you don't need to worry about it quite as much. You should make sure that your chosen muscle building stack is loaded with all the vitamins and minerals you will need to reach your athletic peak.

If you're an endomorph, you should look for muscle building stacks that have low levels of calories. Endomorphs gain fat more easily than any other body type, and consequently, if you're an endomorph, calories are not your friend. Whatever kind of muscle building stack you choose, you should make sure that it won't make you gain additional body fat.

Training Regimens

If you have a training regimen that is geared towards producing increases in lean muscle mass and not necessarily focused on helping you to become as strong as possible, supplements that boost muscular endurance will not be as important to you as supplements that boost muscle mass alone. You should make sure your muscle building stack includes ingredients like glutamine, creatine, and vasodilators (supplements that increase blood supply to the muscles).

If your training regimen is more focused on improving strength than size, you want muscle building stacks that are loaded with nutritional supplements designed to improve the efficiency of your mitochondria. An example of one of these supplements is CoQ10.

There is no one-size-fits-all muscle building stack. You have to do the legwork to find the muscle building stack that's going to work best for you and your goals. Learning a bit about bodybuilding supplements helps a lot here. Take the time to find a muscle building stack that works with your body type and training program, and you'll soon start performing at a higher level athletically.

References:

¹ McKinley Health Center: Creatine and Whey Protein Supplements

² Center for Wellness Without Borders: The 3 Somatotypes

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Organic cabbage

You can save a great amount of money on your purchases of organic foods and other organic products when you obtain them from natural grocers who provide them online at wholesale bulk prices. Shopping online at such a wholesale specialty organic shop affords many advantages over getting them from your local organic store, such as affordability, variety and convenience.

Organic foods and products are all-natural and are grown without the utilization of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers; they also do not have any additives or preservatives and are not genetically-modified or radiated. Due to the lack of many harmful chemicals, organic food provides consumers with a lot of advantages over other conventionally grown or raised food. Organic foods do not have any preservatives, and are consequently fresher and have better flavor than conventionally grown food products. Organic products are held to very high quality standards and are produced under very stringent standards to obtain "organic" labeling.

Organic products impact the environment positively in many ways as they can help in reducing pollution and toxic chemicals; they help develop the soil, use sustainable resources, protect our future generations and promote biodiversity. It also boosts the local economy by helping local family farms.

The production of organic items is quite a labor intensive process and so the price of these products can be slightly higher. However, this increase in cost is totally offset by their several health benefits and you can find all these products at an affordable price, at online natural grocers who are able to provide them at wholesale bulk prices. You will be able to easily find and shop from a large selection of natural and organic products that can fulfill the needs of your family's healthy organic lifestyle. You can save yourself the time and money involved in driving around town for these items, by easily ordering them online and having them delivered right to your door.

This kind of special health food store offers all your organic necessities such as grains, flour, rice, beans, pasta, breakfast items, sugar, condiments, coffee, herbs and spices, oils, dried and canned fruits and vegetables as well as nutrition bars. Those with special nutritional needs and preferences can find gluten-free, vegan and kosher foods. They also offer organic skin and hair care products such as soaps, shampoo, lotions, sunscreens and moisturizing oils. You can also obtain products for your pets such as pet food and other items for health and comfort such as natural remedies and nutritional supplements.

Organic food and drinks is the best way to go, that's why many establishments hosts more natural sleep remedies or health food store.

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Virtually every healthcare professional including nutritionists and dietician will tell you this. The best way to get omega-3 fatty acids is by including fish regularly in your diet. Sounds simple enough, but it's not easy. Most people opt for the easier, quicker route; taking omega-3 supplements. But it can be tricky here too.

You see, there are different forms of omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs). Also, there are animal sources and plant sources of these fats. While vegans and vegetarians typically opt for plant sources, they can lose out on one or two very important forms of EFAs. Back to this in a moment.

Another reason for taking fish oil supplements instead of eating fish is pragmatics. Fresh fatty fish can be pricey, unless you go for the farmed varieties which will not offer you much benefit health-wise and could even harmful due to pesticides and antibiotics used in raising them. Again, omega-3 supplements to the rescue.

While the consumption of oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines may be the best dietary way to get your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, a group of cardiologists say that supplements can offer an alternative, provided consumers check the label.

At a conference hosted by the European Society of Cardiology in Dublin, Ireland, last week, attendees heard that omega-3 supplements can play a role in cardiovascular health, in spite of the controversy surrounding supplements versus dietary intake.

The condition? That patients make sure that the supplements contain adequate concentrations of omega-3 — one gram a day — to achieve any beneficial effects, physicians say.

For those who may not like fish, experts advised taking pharmaceutical grade preparations of omega-3 oil since not all over the counter preparations contain the same doses. See original post

Some of the fish oil supplements, especially the cheaper varieties, will not give you the one gram minimum of omega-3 suggested above. That is, unless you swallow multiple pills per serving. The result can be that you end up ingesting a lot of possibly unhealthy filler. And of course, since you have to take more pills to make the 1 gram, you end up spending more or less the same as you would have had you simply gone for a good quality product.

When you take a good quality omega-3 supplement you avoid ingesting worthless fillers and risking stomach upsets from these fillers. In addition, a good quality product is less likely to be rancid (that is, gone bad) as quality control will be more stringent.

As for vegans and vegetarians, taking omega-3 from plant sources such as flax seeds and walnuts may appear an alternative. However, plant sources offer a form of fatty acid known as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The most important fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA):

Experts say that DHA and EPA -- from fish and fish oil -- have better established health benefits than ALA. DHA and EPA are found together only in fatty fish and algae. DHA can also be found on its own in algae, while flaxseed and plant sources of omega-3s provide ALA -- a precursor to EPA and DHA, and a source of energy. WebMD

While ALA does get converted into EPA and DHA, much of the latter two gets lost in the process. Vegans and Vegetarians can get around this by opting for Omega-3 DHA (Amazon) made from algae. DHA is said to be the most important of the fatty acids. Others can simply find a good pharmaceutical grade DHA fish oil.

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DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid found in high concentrations in the brain and other parts of the body. Although scientific research on the health benefits of supplementing with DHA fish oil is still ongoing, many healthcare professionals recommend making sure you are getting enough DHA in the diet.

DHA appears to have a number of health boosting effects, and people who do not get enough of it their diet sometimes experience serious health issues.

What Is DHA?

DHA is an acronym for decosahexanoic acid, an essential omega-3 fatty acid. It also makes up a big part of our brain matter is essential for brain health and function. DHA is also found in high concentration the retina and is therefore important for vision.

The body cannot make DHA in sufficient amounts and therefore it must be obtained by eating cold water fish (such as tuna, salmon and mackerel) regularly or to take a fish oil supplement. Taking a supplement is the quickest and easiest way of getting this important fatty acid.

The Health Boosting Effects of DHA

• The strongest health boosting effect of DHA is its ability to reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Heart disease is a major killer, and in many nations is the leading cause of death. DHA lowers the risk of developing heart disease by lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of clot development, and helping maintain healthy arteries.¹
• DHA lowers the risk of developing postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is the scourge of pregnant women everywhere, and is a major health issue that often goes undetected. While it does not cure postpartum depression, pregnant woman should consider supplementing with DHA fish oil during pregnancy in order to reduce their risk of becoming clinically depressed after their pregnancy is over.²
• DHA appears to be positively related to some aspects of infant cognitive development. In a recent study, Infants that had plenty of DHA while in the womb outperformed infants that were deprived of DHA in the womb on some hand-eye coordination tasks. Because large portions of the brain are composed of DHA, it is likely that infants that receive high amounts of DHA develop better brains overall than those that do not.³
• Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers experience a decrease in rheumatoid arthritis symptoms when they take DHA. This is probably the case because the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis is related to excessive inflammation of the joints. Properly balancing DHA with other fatty acids enables the body to reduce excessive inflammation.⁴

The Unique Nature of Fish Oil Supplements

Fish oil is certainly not a wonder cure, but it is unique among supplements for its ability to treat so many different diseases. Fish oil also has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive. Even people with a modest budget for dietary supplements can afford to add fish oil to their diet. The main difficulty associated with using fish oil is making sure that the fish oil you use is sufficiently pure.

There are some unscrupulous manufacturers that do not adequately purify their fish oil supplements. To make sure the fish oil you are using is free from contaminants, make sure that you only purchase fish oil from well-established companies with a reputation for providing high quality products

If you buy fish oil that is of high quality, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of consuming DHA and omega three fatty acids without the impurities and toxins. These impurities include mercury, dioxins and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) commonly found in cold water fish.

Even the Mayo Clinic now agrees that fish oil is a health supplement worth taking regularly. If you want to maintain and improve your health in the long run, dieting and exercise alone are not enough. You need DHA fish oil to achieve optimum health.⁵

References:

¹ University Of Maryland Medical Center

² University Of Connecticut Health Center

³ National Institutes Of Health

⁴ Fish Oil and Rheumatoid Arthritis

⁵ Mayo Clinic

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