Fish oil is a fatty oil made from various types of fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, anchovies, herring, or mackerel. They contain a high percentage of the polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
High-fat fish is considered one of the best sources of unsaturated fat, but meat, vegetable oils, nuts, and avocados are also high in these long-chain, healthy fats. Supplemented with vitamin E, which binds individual oxygen particles – the so-called free radicals – in the body and thus helps to prevent inflammation.
Supply of the body with unsaturated fatty acids
Anyone who doesn’t like fish but suffers from arteriosclerosis – the increasing narrowing and stiffening of blood vessels due to cholesterol deposits – could use fish oil to improve the transport of oxygenated blood. Unsaturated fatty acids support the flexibility of the cell membrane, and the brain also consists largely of fats. The polyunsaturated DHA plays a key role here. In addition, unsaturated fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect, are precursors of hormones, and ensure increased cell division.
Unsaturated fatty acids – often also referred to as “good fatty acids” – have a high proportion of omega-3 fatty acids or alpha-linolenic acid and omega-6 fatty acids or linoleic acid, which are considered good fats from a health point of view because they help lower cholesterol levels in the body. If the cholesterol level in the body is too high, cardiovascular diseases are the result. Therefore, many doctors are demanding that such fats should be included in the diet – also because the human body cannot produce them itself, but has to absorb them through food.
Fats are necessary for everybody – they provide energy and, together with proteins and carbohydrates, are one of the three basic building blocks of human nutrition. But the fats are also divided into three groups:
Saturated Fatty Acids
Saturated fatty acids consist primarily of highly processed animal fats. Butter and cheese are classic examples here. If too much butter is consumed, the cholesterol level of the damaging LDL cholesterol in the blood rises.
Monounsaturated fatty acids
Monounsaturated fatty acids can be produced by the body itself, but are also found in rapeseed and olive oil. With their help, the blood cholesterol level can be neutralized again or at least improved.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential, i.e. they cannot be produced by the body itself. It is, therefore, necessary to supply them with food. Omega-6 fatty acids are mainly found in high-quality vegetable oils.
The “German Society for Nutrition” (DGE) recommends that between 7 and 10 percent of the total daily energy intake should consist of unsaturated fatty acids. However, studies have shown that people are increasingly consuming so-called “bad” or “saturated” fats and that this eating behavior leads to more health problems.
Fish oil for the supply of unsaturated fatty acids
Longer-term studies observing the effects of regular fish consumption (once or twice a week) have clearly shown heart health benefits. If you like to eat fish, however, you should not resort to dietary supplements such as fish oil, but adjust your own diet accordingly. If you can’t taste fatty fish and seafood and still want to eat more unsaturated fatty acids, there is high-quality fish oil for you or you can reduce your meat consumption.
Fish oil also has an antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory effect. As a dietary supplement, it is taken in the form of soft capsules to ensure a sufficient supply of essential omega-3 fatty acids and to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids are also a good way to achieve healthy cholesterol levels. However, fish oil capsules can also lead to side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, or belching.
