Aside from eating a diet heavy in fish to receive the omega 3 fats and their benefits, fish oil capsules are the best option in fish oil for cholesterol reduction and cardiovascular health.

Here are some of the Cardiovascular Benefits of Fish Oil:

Fish Oil Lowers Triglycerides

Triglycerides are a form of fat that develops in the blood stream and contributes to the buildup of plaque inside the walls of arteries. Fish oil causes a decrease in the level of triglycerides in the blood. DHA in fish oil also lowers the occurrence of LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) while raising the level of HDL (good cholesterol) which actually aids in heart health.

Lowers Blood Pressure

Fish oil has been shown in clinical studies to reduce blood pressure caused by hardening of the arteries and plaque buildup inside the arteries from high cholesterol.

Prevents Blood Clots

Fish oil works to keep the platelets in blood from sticking together and forming clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Maintains Heart Rhythm

DHA in fish oil has been proven to help control the rhythm of the heart beat and prevent arrhythmia (an irregular heart beat). Maintaining a regular heart beat can reduce the risk of a sudden heart attack.

Improves Circulation

Fish oil is shown to stimulate circulation which can reduce the occurrence of varicose veins and other circulatory problems.

Helps Relieve Stress

One study shows that fish oil works to help limit the amount of adrenaline released into the blood stream under conditions of stress. This blunts the physical effects of stress on the body and reduces the chance that stress can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Recommendation for Fish Oil for Cholesterol

With all of these benefits backed by clinical studies, it is easy to see that supplementation of one’s diet with fish oil is an important move toward ensuring heart health. The product that works best for me is Omega 3 / DHA Esters from xtend-life.com.

Only one species of fish, Hoki, is used as a source of the fish oil. Furthermore, the fish is caught from the unpolluted waters of the Southern Ocean off the coast of New Zealand. All this goes to ensure that the fish oil that you get is the purest form possible without any contaminants whatsoever.

Fish oil capsules provide all the benefits of fish oil in a form that is easy to swallow. This particular brand uses only the best ingredients and quality control standards.

The ingredients used on the capsules are more expensive and better quality. Any company that cares that much about quality and safety has to produce the highest quality and safest dietary supplements.

Is Fish Oil Effective in Lowering Cholesterol?

Does fish oil lower cholesterol? To answer that question we should know a little about what exactly is cholesterol and why we would want to lower the cholesterol levels in our body.

There are different forms of cholesterol in the body. HDL is considered to be good cholesterol. It helps your immune system work properly and can prolong your life. LDL is the bad cholesterol that causes the arteries to clog up and increases the risk of getting a heart attack or stroke.

The Omega 3 fatty acids that are present in fish oil can have a very positive effect on the HDL cholesterol in one’s blood stream while at the same time they reduce the level of LDL. The important thing about taking fish oil for cholesterol is that it helps to restore the proper balance between HDL and LDL cholesterol.

Fish Oil Cuts the Risk of Stroke

Among the many fish oil benefits is the fact that it cuts the risk of stroke. A recent study shows that men who eat a seafood meal at least once per month have a 40% lower chance of having a stroke than men who never eat fish. This study shows that one meal of fish a month provides the fish oil lower cholesterol benefit without having to eat more.

Previous studies in women have also indicated that the more fish that they consumed, the lower the risk of stroke became. The differences between the two study results are not fully understood but both indicate that fish oil definitely has a positive effect on reducing stroke risk.

Fish Oil Benefits v/s Statins

One study that was done on the relationship between fish oil and cholesterol has shown that fish oil is more effective and works better than taking statins for cholesterol. The study showed that fish oil had more of a positive effect than the statin drug Lipitor on the amount of HDL cholesterol in the blood.

Statins work to reduce the total cholesterol in the body. However, higher levels of HDL cholesterol have been shone to help prevent coronary artery disease and improve the function of the immune system.

The best source of Omega 3 fish oil I have found short of eating a lot of fish is Omega 3 / DHA Esters from xtend-life . These capsules will provide the benefits of fish oil in a convenient dietary supplement.

There are a number of ways to get omega 3 fats and nutrients and fish oil capsules are probably the easiest way. Pharmaceutical grade supplements are the most potent way to buy fish oil.

What is an Enteric Coated Supplement?

Enteric coated supplements are vitamin, mineral, or trace nutrient supplements that are highly concentrated forms of the nutrients coated with a compound to keep them from dissolving in the stomach and reacting with the stomach acid.

Often, very highly concentrated nutrients, such as pharmaceutical grade fish oils, are marketed in a capsule with an enteric coating. The sole purpose for the coating is to delay dissolving of the capsule until it is past the stomach.

Why is Enteric Coating Necessary for Supplements?

Supplements are intended to replace the nutrients that many people do not get from their diet. While many of these nutrients can be obtained from diet, which does not have an enteric coating, some are changed or neutralized by stomach acid, meaning the body does not get the full benefit from them.

There are even a few nutrients provided in supplements that are not found in the diet at all, but normally made within the body. These are often neutralized completely by stomach acid.

Why Enteric Coating is not Necessary for Fish Oil

Most manufacturers of dietary supplements who use pharmacy grade fish oil use an enteric coating on their capsules. This is actually an unnecessary process because fish oil is not harmed by contact with stomach acid. The reason it is used is to cover any sign of rancidness in the oil.

The coating will basically ensure that you will not taste the oil, even if you develop gas and belch the stomach contents. However, if the fish oil used is not rancid, this should not be a problem. Therefore enteric coating is not necessary with fish oil capsules.

My Recommendation for a Fish Oil Supplement

Personally, I prefer Omega 3/DHA Esters from Xtend-Life . The fish is sourced from the unpolluted waters of the Southern Ocean so I know what I am getting is pure and healthy. Furthermore, only one type of fish, the Hoki, is used as a source. This species of has naturally high levels of Docosahexaenoic Acid or DHA, which is the beneficial ingredient in fish oils.

To purify the fish oil even more, it is processed using a method called vacuum molecular distillation and the processing is done a few minutes away from where the fish is brought ashore. This ensures that there is absolutely no deterioration of the fish at any stage.

By choosing to use Omega 3/DHA Esters from Xtend-Life I know I am getting a supplement that is pure and pollutant free. This ensures that I will get the full benefit of the nutrients in the supplements without risking my health by using a fish oil that has been got from fish sourced from unpolluted waters.