The omega-3s in fish oil are some of the most powerful heart support nutrients you can take and many of us simply aren’t getting enough of them. In her new PBS health special, Heart of Perfect Health, Brenda Watson reveals that an estimated that 84,000 people a year die from a lack of omega-3 in their diet.

So where do we get omega-3? It’s found in cold water fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel, in flax seeds, and in certain nuts such as walnuts. Experts recommend 1,000 mg or more of omega-3 each day for optimum heart health support, an amount that can be difficult to get from diet alone.

Many are now turning to a fish oil supplement to help boost their omega-3 intake. Omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in the overall health of the body.^ǂ They are integrated into the membranes of almost every type of cell in the body, helping to balance the excessive omega-6 fatty acids that come from the Standard American Diet (SAD).

Scientific research confirms that Omega-3 supplementation supports heart health by helping to maintain healthy cholesterol, triglyceride and blood pressure levels already in the normal range.^ǂ Omega-3s help maintain these key markers by supporting the body’s normal  inflammatory response, promoting optimal heart, blood vessel, and joint health.^ǂ

Your 4 Point Fish Oil Checklist

Not all omega-3 fish oils are created equal. Use this checklist to ensure you are getting the most heart health benefits out of your fish oil:

• Potency. Make sure each fish oil capsule contains at least 1,000 mg of omega-3, not just 1,000 mg of fish oil. Reaching your recommended 1,000+ mg of daily omega-3 is pretty tough to do if you have to take a whole handful of fish or krill oil capsules with a low omega 3 content.
• Absorption. You are only what you absorb. Choose a fish oil that is enteric coated to help deliver omega-3s to the intestines where they are absorbed.^ǂ Enteric coating also reduces the fishy burping or repeat you can get with fish oil supplements.
• Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 helps to promote the body’s healthy inflammatory response as well as supports the immune system  and strong bones.^ǂ  A fish oil with added vitamin D3 is ideal because this vitamin is best absorbed when taken with healthy fats, such as omega 3s.^ǂ
• Highest Purity. Look for a fish oil with the International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) stamp. IFOS is the industry’s most stringent independent certifier of fish oil quality that promises you aren’t getting the mercury, PCBs, and contaminants that show up in certain fish oil sources.

Norwegian Gold EPA 1000 meets all the above criteria plus it contains a pure blend of omega-3 EPA , which has been clinically researched for its specific heart health benefits.^ǂ

3 Fatty Acids, American Diet, Blood Pressure Levels, Brenda Watson, Cold Water Fish, Fish Oil, Flax Seeds, Health Benefits, Health Support, Heart Blood, heart health, Heart Support, Inflammatory Response, Joint Health, Krill Oil, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Omega 3s, Omega 6 Fatty Acids, Omega-3 Fish Oils, Perfect Health Hide

Brenda Watson, C.N.C., is nationally renowned as a digestive health educator, but this time she’s turning to heart health in her breakthrough new PBS show (airing throughout March) and book, The Heart of Perfect Health. Heart disease and its risk markers are very personal topics for Brenda. She’s seen too many of her family and friends affected by the preventable conditions that lead to heart disease, including diabetes.

The Heart of Perfect Health focuses both on prevention for those looking to maintain their good health and on a therapeutic approach for anyone already experiencing heart disease risk markers. In this revolutionary look at America’s #1 killer, heart disease, Brenda exposes how sugars in our diet contribute to heart disease risk and offers a simple formula for figuring out just how much hidden sugar is in the foods we eat. Brenda also talks about the big three risk markers we all need to watch out for:

• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• High blood sugar

The most important topic on the show, however, is the underlying contributor to heart disease, silent inflammation. Silent inflammation is happening to many of us every day. The show covers the surprising triggers of this condition, what you can do to reverse them, and silent inflammation’s connection to Brenda’s favorite topic, the gut.

Brenda debunks several health myths on The Heart of Perfect Health:

• Myth #1: All cholesterol is bad.
• Myth #2: Only diabetics need to worry about their blood sugar levels
• Myth #3: Fat is bad for you

The Fat Factor, Getting to the Heart of Good Fat

One of the most important dietary and supplement recommendations Brenda makes on the show to help reduce your risk of heart disease is to get more heart healthy Omega 3 fats in your diet every day.*

Omega 3s are found primarily in cold water fish and certain nuts and in high potency fish oil supplements.

What to Look for in a Heart Healthy Fish Oil Supplement:

1. High potency at over 1,000mg of Omega-3 per capsule. Brenda and other experts recommend up to 3,000mg of Omega-3s each day, which is pretty tough to get if your capsule only contains a few hundred milligrams of Omega-3. It is the Omega-3 that offers the heart-health benefits, not the amount of fish oil itself. Look for a fish oil supplement that contains at least 1,000mg of Omega-3 per capsule so you don’t have to take a handful of fish oil supplements each day.
2. Enteric coated capsules for better absorption and no fishy burping. An enteric coating helps the fish oils reach the intestines where they are absorbed.
3. Added vitamin D3 in your fish oil. Vitamin D3 helps to further offset silent inflammation in the body and support immune/heart health.ǂ
4. Independently certified purity. The International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) program is the industry’s most stringent independent certifier of fish oil quality. Look for the 5-star IFOS seal on the package to ensure you aren’t getting any mercury, pesticides, or contaminants in your supplement.

* Supportive but not conclusive evidence shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Blood Sugar Levels, Brenda Watson, Cold Water Fish, Digestive Health, Fish Oil Supplements, Health Educator, Health Heart, Heart Disease Risk, heart health, high blood pressure, High Blood Sugar, High Potency, Myth 2, Myth 3, Omega 3 Fats, Omega 3s, Perfect Health, Risk Markers, Supplement Recommendations, Therapeutic Approach Hide