Fish Oil and Cholesterol - Benefits

Is there a beneficial link between consuming fish oil and cholesterol reduction? Can you use fish oil to lower cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a kind of lipid, or fat, which is found in certain bodily tissues. It is both made in the body and ingested through foods. Cholesterol is carried through the blood by high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). HDLs carry cholesterol away from arterial walls and help prevent deposition on them, which explains why HDL cholesterol is referred to as "good" cholesterol. Conversely, LDLs carry cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. Elevated levels of LDL cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease, which is why it is called "bad" cholesterol.

Technically and strictly speaking, it is thus not accurate to say that "high cholesterol is bad". Rather, it is an unhealthy cholesterol profile, containing too much LDL cholesterol and too little HDL cholesterol, which is undesirable.

The beneficial link between consuming fish oil and cholesterol reduction is grounded in the fact that fish oil is rich in the omega 3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA. These essential fatty acids have a host of important health benefits, including the improvement of brain health, joint health, and cardiovascular health. They are also used to prevent or fight against serious illnesses like cancer and multiple sclerosis.

On top of that, hundreds of studies have shown the presence of omega 3 cholesterol and triglyceride lowering effects. These studies include ones carried out on diabetics. This fact was brought forth in ND Michael T Murray's book, "Textbook of Natural Medicine (2nd Edition Volume 2)".

Excessive amounts of triglycerides, a type of lipid similar to cholesterol, can damage arteries. Fish oil can improve cholesterol profiles by boosting the supposed "good" cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) and lowering the supposed "bad" cholesterol (LDL cholesterol).

The positive link between eating fish oil and cholesterol reduction results in some very important follow-on effects - lowered risk of suffering heart attacks and strokes. Elevated cholesterol levels, after all, increase such risks. Using fish oil for lowering cholesterol is thus very beneficial.

Besides helping to regulate cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the body and keep them in balance, omega 3 fatty acids also protect cardiovascular health in other ways. For example, DHA and EPA make prostaglandins in the body which make the blood less "sticky", and this in turn lowers the likelihood of blood clotting. This effect again lowers one's risk of getting heart attacks and strokes. With these two ailments claiming an enormous number of lives each year, this is an important benefit.

To further boost the positive effects of consuming fish oil and cholesterol profile improvement, it is a good idea to reduce or cut out one's intake of saturated fats, which are tremendously unhealthy fats. Combining these measures will greatly magnify their benefits on cholesterol profiles.