Omega-3 Fatty Acids Instead Of a Daily Aspirin – A Healthier Alternative
Are you one of the many people who take an aspirin a day? Many doctors recommend this regimen as it
thins the blood and helps it flow more easily through your veins, transporting nutrients to your cells and brain.
It also protects your arteries from forming plaque. Did you know that omega-3 fatty acids do the same thing without the side effects of aspirin?
Some people have conditions that may prevent them from taking aspirin, such as a bleeding or clotting disorder,
asthma, or stomach ulcers. Others may choose not to take aspirin because of the side effects and complications that
can come from taking it including hemorrhagic stroke.
While daily aspirin can help prevent a clot related stroke, it may increase your risk of a bleeding
stroke (hemorrhagic stroke). Gastrointestinal bleeding is also a risk with daily aspirin use. If you already have a
bleeding ulcer, taking aspirin will cause it to bleed more, perhaps even becoming life-threatening.
Omega-3 fatty acids lower triglycerides and make the blood cells less sticky. The heart
requires EPA (the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil) to maintain proper circulation. These nutrients have
also been found to prevent sudden death due to cardiac arrhythmia –the immediate potentially fatal stoppage of
the normal heartbeat.
Our customary American diet has a tendency to be deficient in essential fatty acids, especially
omega-3s. While fish is a valid source of protein and the omega-3 oils that protect the heart, there are some other
health concerns to consider.
Doctors have advised women who are pregnant or could become pregnant, as well as young children to
be extremely cautious about the fish they eat because of the dangers of possible high mercury content. It has been
found that king mackerel, tilefish, shark and swordfish are so high in mercury that they should be avoided
entirely, and that albacore tuna be limited to one 6-ounce serving per week. To find out more about possible
contamination of fish in your local area you can visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s Fish Advisories
website.
It appears to be a wiser option to choose to get our much-needed omega-3 fish oil in the form of
dietary supplements. They aren’t found in a typical multiple/vitamin mineral because oils don’t mix well with the
dry powders that are compressed into pills therefore you need to look for a separate fish oil supplement.
You can be assured of an excellent product if the manufacturer reveals the type of fish used, and
where it was harvested. Another essential factor to look for is if they use the process called molecular
distillation. This is a method that separates and discards toxins from the fish oil, yielding a safe and pure
product.
By using omega-3 fish oil supplements in our daily diet we can have the assurance of good heart
health from the nutrients of omega-3 fatty acids without the added worry of the side effects of aspirin.
Check with your doctor before making any changes, but at the same time add omega fish oil capsules to your daily
supplement routine.
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