My thoughts on Omega-3 supplementation:
Food is medicine. Medicine is food. Honestly, I don't take a daily multivitamin since I attempt to eat all my RDA in the vitamins and minerals in food. I do encourage those to be on them if there are chronic health conditions, problems with digestion, or special circumstances (like pregnancy), when needs are higher or absorption is compromised.
However I do take Cod Liver Oil daily for omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. Omega-3s, particularly EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), promotes anti-inflammatory eicosanoid production. Eicosanoids are signaling molecules for inflammation and immunity. We need the pro-inflammatory AA (arachidonic acid) to promote inflammation when fighting off bacteria, viruses, etc. However, because our diets are more deficient in omega-3s than our ancestors, we are more "inflamed". There's a need to supplement (unless you have a diet high in omega-3s, like fish).
There are many diseases associated with a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids:
- acne
- allergies
- Alzheimer's
- atherosclerosis
- arthritis
- autoimmune disease
- cancer
- diabetes
- eczema/psoriasis
- heart disease
- hyperactivity
- schizophrenia
- many others
If you have further questions, please contact me.
