Fish Oil: Giving Stress the Slip

Without stress we would be able to accomplish nothing, however too much stress forces us to do nothing. Individuals who are unable to control the stress in their lives become depressed, suffer from anxiety, are prone to outbursts of anger, and increase their rate of cardiovascular events by more than 25%. Being chronically stressed out brings out many negative personality traits and puts undue stress on your heart and nervous system as a result of the hormones released into the bloodstream. An over abundance of the fight or flight hormones such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol help to increase your chances of coronary artery disease.

The effects of stress on your physical and mental well-being are well documented. Persons who consistently demonstrate high levels of stress in their lives are less effective in their work, suffer from memory lapses, and are less able to deal with family and personal issues. Essential fatty acids play a significant role in helping people deal with emotional stress. A British study done in 2001 found that volunteers who were given 7 g of fish oil per day for three weeks were better able to deal with a series of mental stressors than the control group who did not take the supplementation.

It had been reported previously that omega-3 fatty acids may actually do more harm than good when persons were placed under mental stress, but those findings were refuted in the professional journal Free Radical Press, as their studies indicated that EPA and DHA actually reduced the oxidative stress brought about by external stressors. They further went on to mention that the elasticity of major blood vessels was improved by the addition of essential fatty acid supplementation to patients who had already been diagnosed with hardening of the arteries. The final finding of this panel concluded that the overall inflammatory response from all disease processes in the test subjects had been reduced by 23%.

Combined with anecdotal evidence from around the world this study clearly shows that cultures and individuals who have a higher than normal intake of omega-3 fatty acids either from diet or supplementation are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular events. The American Heart Association in its scientific findings on the consumption of fish, fish oil, and fish oil supplements also came to the same conclusion after years of study and follow-up. The AHA determined that the normal individual should have a minimum of two servings of cold water fish per week or they should take 1 gram of fish oil per day.

The British researchers concluded that fish oil, high in DHA and EPA content, promoted cellular repair and nerve transmission within the brain. It also help to control the fight or flight response which reduced levels of anxiety when volunteers were placed under stress. All test subjects reported they were better able to sleep and felt less depressed when taking the supplements. While not conclusive, the studies do provide baseline evidence that fish oil, and omega-3 supplementation will help you to cope with your daily life in a more effective way. The effective dose used during these tests ranged from 1 gram per day to his high as 10 grams per day. It is important to have dosages above 3 grams per day monitored by a healthcare professional.

Overall a healthy body contributes to a healthy mind. Fish oil appears to help people deal with psychological stress and maintain a more calm attitude. High levels of mental stress maintained over long periods of time have actually produced cellular damage within the brain. Patients suffering from psychological stress have reported less physical problems and are better able to cope with their day-to-day lives when taking fish oil supplements.

George M. Espinoza is an industrial engineering technician who has worked in the development of packaging and preservation equipment for the past 8 years. He is a certified natural healer and works with communities who are medically under served. He focuses on prevention of disease in his community work. Omega-3 Benefits

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