Prevention of illnesses in adulthood and older age

It is no longer controversial to state that Omega-3 should be a part of our diet. Omega-3 fatty acids can be provided by eating fat fish, functional foods with marine Omega-3, or fish oil supplements. The preventive effect by eating right is important, and as opposed to many drugs used for various illnesses, intake of high-quality Omega-3 fatty acids has virtually no side effects.

Cardiovascular diseases

The awareness of the omega-3 fatty acids importance for heart health started when a study in the 70ies showed that Greenland Inuits with a traditional lifestyle had significantly lower incidence of coronary heart diseases compared to Danes who ate an industrialized diet. Inuits and Danes had approximately the same intake of total fat, but there were some clear differences in the fat composition. The Inuits ate fish, whales, and seals, whereas the Danes’ diet were mainly land-based with meat and dairy products This gave the Danes a high intake of saturated fat and low intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, whereas the Inuits got an average of 14 g/day of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids . Later studies have shown that 1-2 meals of fish per week are associated with a 50% decrease in risk of developing coronary heart diseases.

Cancer

Omega-3 fatty acids may protect against the development of certain types of cancer. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to inhibit initiation, growth, and metastasis of various cancer cells.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids reduce the morning stiffness and number of swollen joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This has been shown in several studies  Although the effect of the omega-3 fatty acids may be somewhat less than the medicine use, it is significant, and there are virtually no side effects.

Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may have beneficial effects for some patients with psoriasis. Studies of patients with atopic dermatitis generally show the same trends, in some instances no effects are found, while in other cases the patients may observe positive effects on subjective experienced symptoms.

Crohn's disease

As for the inflammatory conditions, omega-3 fatty acids have positive effects in some, but not all, instances of Crohn's disease.

Depressions, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorders

Supplementation of marine omega-3 fatty acids appears to be important for treatment of various diseases related to the central nervous system like schizophrenia, depressions, and borderline personality disorders. More scientific research is needed to conclude in these areas.

Cognitive decline and Alzheimer

Alzheimer disease is rare among persons under 60, but the incidence increases dramatically with age. The estimates vary, but it is thought that approximately 25 percent of all 80-year-olds suffers from Alzheimer. Increasing documentation from recent studies indicates that long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may protect against dementia and cognitive decline among the elderly.