If you have paid any attention to my eNewsletter or to the media lately you have heard that Omega 3's are something that everybody should add to their diet. Omega's are essential fats that our body utilizes for many different things. Omega's are considered essential because they are something that our body does not produce and therefore we need to obtain these fats through our diet. Foods high in good Omega's are things like fish, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, etc... (with fish being probably the best source). This was all good until coal mines, pollution, and other things came along. These things have polluted not only our air but also our water supply. Therefore, our best supply of Omega 3's is swimming literally in "a see of pollutants."

Fish Oils - EPA & DHA                                                                          

The benefits from fish oils include:

• Better Immunity from common colds/flu's
• Reduced or lowered Cholesterol levels
• Improvement in Alzheimer's and Dementia
• Better Brain Development in Infants/Children
• Reduction in ADD/ADHD symptoms

These benefits are from the EPA and DHA in the fish oils. EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) is a very good fighter of Inflammation. Inflammation is associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular problems, diabetes, arthritis and even mortality!

Many things contribute to higher amounts of inflammatory markers (trauma, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, lack of vegetables, etc...) but EPA is your natural fighter against all of these diseases/problems

DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) is a fat that is used in the development and maintenance of our Neurological tissues. For example, our brain is made up of about 60% fat. Of that fat half of that is DHA. This is why it is absolutely essential that every pregnant women take a high quality Omega 3 supplement! Fish oils have been shown to help pregnant women in preventing low birth weight babies and it has shown that women who take these fats while pregnant have children who's IQ's are higher later in life.

Fish Oils have also been shown to be very beneficial in persons with Dementia or even those with ADD/ADHD. It has been shown that children with ADHD have lower amounts of EPA & DHA in their systems. The possible reason for this is:

• To high consumption of "Bad Fats" (Omega 6 or 9)
• Poor conversion of other fats to EPA/DHA

A study found in 2006 found fish oils to be more effective against ADD/ADHD than pharmaceuticals Ritalin or Concerta. This is especially important because of the many side effects of ritalin, specifically as it is similiar to cocain on the brain.

ALA - Your Flax benefit

ALA stands for Alpha Linolenic Acid. ALA is another essential fat found in Flaxseed and Chia seeds (among others) and is another member of the Omega's 3 Essential fatty Acids. ALA has many positive effects for our body. Some of the ALA that we obtain in our body is converted in the EPA/DHA so our body can use it for the above benefits. ALA also provides many more benefits such as:

• Many Cardiovascular benefits such as improved blood pressure and prevention of Cardiovascular disease and Stroke
• Protection from Cancer
• Beneficial for IBS, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus
• Normalization of Blood Lipid Levels and Triglyceride Levels

GLA - Your Good Omega 6

99 percent of the time you will hear me say that we should not consume Omega 6 fats as studies have shown that we (American's) have a 1 to 16 Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio (this should be 1 to 1). Well GLA is a major exception! GLA stans for Gamma Linolenic Acid which is found in Black Current Seed Oil, Evening Primose Oil and Borage Oil. A very good study on GLA in The Journal of Nutrition 1998 (Vol 128 No 9, 1411-1414) shows the benefits of GLA in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. The authors comment that GLA should be strongly considered, especially due to the RA patients chances of developing complications with traditional medical treatment (Corticosteroid Shots & NSAID's).

Another HUGE benefit of GLA is with patients who have skin problems. A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 77, No. 4, 943-951, April 2003) looks at the benefits of GLA in patients with Eczema. It concludes "Early supplementation with GLA in children at high familial risk does not prevent the expression of atopy as reflected by total serum IgE, but it tends to alleviate the severity of atopic dermatitis in later infancy in these children." I have personally seen this supplement not only help in Eczema but also Acne too.

GLA has also been shown to benefit people with Cardiovascular problems, Cancer prevention, and possibly even weight loss.

One of the most common things I hear when recommending a fish oil supplement is "Oh I already take one and I'm sure it's the same thing." Well, nothing could be further from the truth!  Not all supplements are made the same, in fact many are made pretty poorly. One of the things I like most about Complete Omega 3 Essentials is the fact that the ratio of EPA to DHA 2 to 1! I used to not know the difference here but many Omega 3 supplements have a 3:2 ratio. While this is not bad it is not the best in my opinion. A study done on "Fish Oil and Childhood Depression" in American Journal of Psychiatry (June 2006) showed that fish oil had therapeutic benefits and also said that their were no side effects shown! This is important as this study used the same ratio of EPA:DHA (2:1).

Another study in The Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition (2005 Apr-Jun;89(3-6):203-7) found that dog with Atopy had very good responses to Omega 3 supplements with a 2:1 ratio. I should also note that along with the Omega 3's they also supplemented with GLA.

Complete Omega 3 Essentials Summary

After reading all of this information you can see why it is so strongly I recommend this as your primary Omega supplement as it is the most complete Omega supplement that I can find!

I also need to share one more thing with you regarding this supplement! It contains Vit E. Many Omega supplements do not contain an Antioxidant to protect it. The fact is that many of these valuable fats are very vulnerable and need to be protected by something strong like an Antioxidant because it contains strong double bonds! If you really want to protect your Omega supplement I encourage you to look at Complete Omega CoFactors as it is meant to be even more protective for those Omega fats.