Omega 3 fish oils have received some negative publicity recently. 

There have been scares over potential contamination in fresh oily fish by mercury, though this has been refuted as an excessively exaggerated issue. 

And more recently, a meta study, which may be a 'study of studies', was published online that appeared to suggest that omega 3 benefits for heart health and cancer weren't true.

But Dr Ray Rice, a food scientist, dismissed the results. 

He said that despite the claim that 48 studies were reviewed, only 12 actually were, and of that 12, 3 or 4 shouldn't are included. 

He described the report as being "conceptually flawed", having a faulty technique, and being misleading to the general public .

There is an abundance of scientific data to support the health benefits of omega 3 fatty acids. 

Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish oils, from oily fish like salmon, and in fact , good quality (non rancid) animal oil supplements.

General omega 3 benefits include:

* protecting against disorder and improving heart health
* improving joint health
* improving moods and behavior , including ADHD
* good development of the fetus during pregnancy
* the inhibition of some cancer cells

The Omega 3 Benefits For Heart health

The omega 3 benefits for heart health are well documented. 

The Food Standards Agency and therefore the British Nutrition Foundation recommend that folks eat 2 servings of fish every week , one being an oily fish like salmon that's rich in omega 3 fatty acids.

A small study of 18 white men, from ages 68 onwards, who had a attack from 3 months to five years previously, found omega 3 fish oils benefited their hearts and potentially reduced the danger of further heart attacks.

These men took a supplement containing 810mg of animal oil each day for 4 months, and people taking a placebo took a mix of vegetable oil and vegetable oil . 

The participants didn't know whether or not they were taking a placebo or not.

Their resting pulse at rest and after exercise was measured. it had been found that those taking the omega 3 fish oils had a lower resting pulse , and their pulse returned to normal more quickly after exercise. 

Those men that have a high pulse when resting have a greater chance of getting a attack , and dying from one.

A study designed to assess the mixture of three supplements that are found to individually protect against disorder found that when used together, the benefit was much stronger. the three supplements were omega 3 fish oils, niacin, and vitamin E . Niacin, thanks to side effects at high doses, was a coffee dose component. 

Despite this low dose, the study found that those taking the niacin, fish oil, and vitamin E combination had a greater benefit than those taking animal oil and vitamin E alone.

The study was a test , placebo controlled study, with an impact group taking none of the supplements. 57 volunteers took the supplements over a 4 month period. 

After this era , it had been found that the entire antioxidant capacity of the volunteers taking either 2 or 3 of the supplements increased, with the best increase being within the group taking the omega 3, niacin and vitamin E combination. 

This third group also had significantly higher levels of vitamin E , whereas those not taking niacin didn't have this benefit. 

This is often because niacin, and another component of that supplement, gamma-oryzanol, preserve vitamin E within the body.

The study also found that cellular agents that are involved in inflammation, were reduced in both of those groups taking the supplements. especially , tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) was reduced for both, but only within the group taking the extra niacin and gamma-oryzanol component was the reduction of the inflammatory agent interleukin 1-beta (IL 1-beta) significant.

Combination Omega 3 Supplements

It's not just omega 3 fish oils with the advantages however. For specific conditions, a mixture of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are very helpful.

A study recently published found that teenagers aged 12 to fifteen years taking a supplement containing both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids had a remarkably improved span . 

These teenagers had been clinically diagnosed with moderate to severe ADHD and had persistent problems with both impulsiveness, and a spotlight and concentration.

At the beginning of the study, the inattentiveness of those students was measured at a mean of 94%. 

After 3 months of taking a supplement containing a top quality omega 3 animal oil and therefore the omega 6 carboxylic acid , herb oil, the inattentiveness of the scholars had fallen to a mean of 17%.

With regards to impulsivity, there have been similar benefits. 

From a mean score of 89%, impulsivity scores fell to a mean of 28% by the top of the trial.

The herb oil was also a top quality one, being made up of virgin herb oil. and therefore the study participants were aware they were taking the supplements, so it had been not a test study. 

But the results are still excellent. 

The EPA content of the animal oil component was 500mg taken per day, which during this case was the equivalent of 6 capsules, though this may vary consistent with different formulations. 

EPA simply means omega-3 fatty acid , and may be a quite active constituent in animal oil essential fatty acids.