The Health Diva

Taking a daily fish oil capsule could save up to 10,000 lives, it was claimed this week by Professor Martin Cowie, of Imperial College London and the Royal Brompton Hospital in London; speaking at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Stockholm.

Prof Cowie, based his conclusions on a review study of almost 7,000 people with chronic heart failure and randomly assigned them to take 1 gram of fish oil capsules per day on top of their usual medication or a dummy pill.

There was a nine per cent reduction in deaths among those taking the fish oil after two years. There was also a cut in hospital admissions for the condition.

It is thought that the Omega 3 Essential fats found in fish oils helps regulate heart rate and have an anti-inflammatory action which may help to relax blood vessels to ease the workload on the heart.

Each year Chronic Pulmonary heart failure is thought to kill 100,000 people. Survival rates are worse than for breast and prostate cancer.

68,000 people will be diagnosed with chronic pulmonary heart failure this year, with the total amount of sufferers to be around 700,000 Britons.

Prof Cowie, said that if 500,000 patients took supplements regularly around 10,000 lives a year might eventually be saved.

This is great news indeed, however we need to think about sustainability, our fish stocks are declining, and alternative options need to be sourced if we are to take full advantage of the health benefits that a daily dose of omega 3 oil has to offer.

Krill oil has been seen as a sustainable fish oil option. There are just nine ships currently licensed to fish for krill in the Antarctic, and as of last year half of them are required to have scientific observers on board to ensure that the catch limits are not being surpassed.

Catch limits are in place to minimize the risks to krill and its predators. Firstly, CCAMLR scientists have determined that the total sustainable catch for krill is 3.47 million metric tons per year. Secondly, even further safeguards have been put into place, mandating that when the catch reaches a “trigger level” of just 620,000 metric tons the fishery must close for the season.

Still many people are concerned about the dangerous levels of contaminants found in our water, and getting into our food chain, which has lead to recommendations of fish consumption as low as twice per week.

An alternative Omega 3 option includes Flax (Linseed) Oil. Fish oil contains two omega-3 fatty acids known as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Flaxseed oil, on the other hand, is rich in alpha-linolenic acid, which is the “parent” fatty acid to DHA and EPA. Your body converts alpha-linolenic acid rapidly into EPA, and more slowly into DHA.

Flax seed oil has been held in high regard since the original work of Dr. Johanna Budwig in the 1950′s. Her patients were given two tablespoons of flax oil per day combined with cottage cheese. Dr bugwig reported that her patients thrived and vital energy was restored.

You should consume every day small portions of flaxseed or flaxseed oil. However if flaxseed oil is used in the diet for longer than six months, without other oils, it may cause Omega 6 LA deficiency symptoms. So the best bet is to blend flaxseed oil with other oils that contain more Omega 6.

Organic hemp seed oil, is considered to be the #1 nutritional oil for health, because it has the highest and most complete profile of essential fatty acids (EFA’s, good healthy fats). First cold-pressed organic hemp seed oil is Nature’s own healthy blend of omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids.

Hemp oil is also #1 on the sustainability front too. Offering a truly ecological source of omega 3 essential fats.

The debate continues wether you choose to supplement with a standardized dose of omega 3, or choose a more holistic approach and choose to take 3 teaspoons of hemp oil per day, it’s a personal choice, however one thing is sure, essential fats are defiantly back on the menu.

Thursday, September 02, 2010 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer Natural News

Mainstream nutritionists often claim that conventional produce is no different than organic produce. But a new study recently published in the online, peer-reviewed journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) One proves otherwise, revealing that organic fruits and vegetables pack a greater nutritional punch and produce better, healthier soil than their conventional counterparts.

John Reganold, professor of soil science at Washington State University Regents and author of the new study, and his colleagues conducted the most comprehensive analysis of its kind on commercial produce soil and the strawberries that grow in it. (Conventional strawberries, as many now know, are one of the most pesticide-laden fruits available for sale.)

Reganold and his team analyzed 31 different chemical and biological soil properties–including soil DNA–and performed tests on the quality, nutritional value and taste of 26 different strawberries from both conventional and organic fields. And what they found is truly astounding.

Organic strawberries contain far more antioxidants, vitamin C and beneficial polyphenolic compounds than conventional strawberries, and they have a longer shelf life. Organic strawberries also contain more dry matter per volume–meaning more actual strawberry–than conventional ones do.

In an unbiased taste test, samplers indicated that organic strawberries taste better overall, both in terms of sweetness and general strawberry flavor. And when viewed side-by-side, organic strawberries are more visually appealing.

But it does not stop there. In soil tests, organic soils tested extremely rich in key nutrients, enzymes and biological and chemical elements, that are otherwise lacking in conventional fields. Such soil nutrients are vital for producing nutritionally-rich fruit, as well as for maintaining healthy soil conditions that preserve and promote environmental integrity.

The study also revealed that organic produce can be raised with the same–or better–yields as conventional produce, but without all the harmful chemicals and pesticides that destroy both human health and the environment.