Fish Oil and Cholesterol

Fish oil and cholesterol can help reduce the risk of heart disease

So how does fish oil and cholesterol work together to make you healthy?

There is a connection between the properties of fish oil and cholesterol.

The main factor is the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil which help lower your cholesterol levels. Along with the other benefits of omega 3 fatty acids, you will reduce your risk of heart disease.

Let's examine cholesterol a little more

Whenever we hear the word cholesterol, we always assume it's bad. However there is a good kind of cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a type of fat. It is made in your liver, and you can also get it through your diet.

There are two types of cholesterol:

Bad cholesterol: LDL - Low-density lipoproteins
Good cholesterol: HDL - high-density lipoproteins

Lipoproteins are what the cholesterol uses to travel through you bloodstream.

If you have too much bad cholesterol (LDL) than you might be at risk of a heart attack. LDL is bad because it brings the fat into your body.

The good cholesterol (HDL) removes the fat from your bloodstream.

Having too much LDL cholesterol is bad because it builds up in your arteries. If a blood vessels that supplies blood to your heart gets blocked with cholesterol, you can have a heart attack.

Some cholesterol is needed, but too much can be dangerous.

How does fish oil and cholesterol work in reducing the risk of a heart attack?

Omega 3 fatty acids are always on the top of the list in helping you lower your cholesterol levels. It's funny how good fats (omega 3) can help reduce bad fats (LDL cholesterol).

There have been many studies that showed a reduction in the LDL cholesterol levels in participants who adopted more of a healthy diet, and started supplementing with fish oil.

It is the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil that help to lower your cholesterol.

When you consume fish oil:

Bad cholesterol goes down
Good cholesterol goes up
Fat levels drop
Blood pressure goes down
Inflammation is reduced

These are the exact things you should do to lower your risk of heart disease and heart attacks. There is a connection between your cholesterol levels and fish oil.

Fish oil helps lower the bad cholesterol, and increase the good cholesterol.

Out with the bad, in with the good :)

Measuring cholesterol levels

Here is the thing that might be confusing about your cholesterol levels. When your docotor measures your cholesterol levels, the balance between your bad cholesterol (LDL) and good cholesterol (HDL) is what is actually being measured.

So if you get a high reading, a second test finds out if the LDL levels are high, or if the HDL levels are high. If your LDL levels are shown to be high, than you may develop heart disease.

Omega 3 fatty acids will help lower your LDL levels, and increase your HDL levels. Both of these will help reduce your risk of heart disease.

You can find out more fish oil health benefits here, or read about the qualities that make the best fish oil supplements.