Fish oil with fishy smell is a general term for body oil, liver oil and other oils of deep-sea fish.

In recent years, with the popularity of various "health experts", the original plain fish oil has also turned into a magical "liquid gold", which can improve immunity and intelligence, prevent cancer and lose weight.

But is "fish oil" really that magical? Let's talk about this article.

From the core components, fish oil mainly contains ω-3 unsaturated fatty acids, including EPA and DHA.

* EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), whose main function is to regulate blood lipids; Studies abroad have shown that taking higher doses of fish oil (3-4g/d) can reduce the level of human triglycerides.

* DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) mainly acts on the brain and can promote the development of the brain and vision. For middle-aged and elderly people, the significance of DHA is more to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

In addition, studies have shown that no matter what kind of fish oil you eat, no matter how much you eat, it has no obvious effect on the blood sugar metabolism of diabetic patients. (Eating it by diabetics is not helpful to control blood sugar. )

As for the anti-cancer and weight-loss effects of fish oil, there is no clear research to prove its effectiveness.

Although fish oil looks "beautiful", it doesn't mean that everyone is suitable to eat it as a "tonic".

First of all, the most common side effect of excessive intake of fish oil is gastrointestinal dysfunction, such as nausea. The greater the amount of food, the higher the incidence of gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Secondly, some people may eat fish oil without the expected benefits, but there are potential risks.

* A study of 200 patients with cardiac pacemakers.

A study on 200 patients with pacemakers in JAMA, a medical journal, showed that fish oil did not show the effect of reducing the probability of cardiovascular symptoms. On the contrary, these patients have increased the risk of "arrhythmia" because of the intake of fish oil.

* Children should be alert to the risk of mercury poisoning when eating fish oil.

Before taking fish oil, you should also be alert to the pollution risk of fish oil-fish oil may be contaminated by lead, mercury, bacteria and so on. Moreover, DHA and EPA will be lost during the processing of fish oil, and the health care effect will be greatly reduced. (The effective contents of DHA and EPA in health products may be lower than 30%)

Considering the mercury poisoning risk of fish oil and the unsatisfactory DHA content, parents are not advised to supplement their children with "fish oil".

(Mercury poisoning can cause damage to the cranial nerves)

If it is not particularly necessary, you really don't have to deliberately eat fish oil.

If you want to supplement omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, the best way is actually to "eat fish" directly, and all kinds of foods rich in omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, such as flaxseed, walnuts, salmon, tuna and sardines. It is generally recommended to eat at least 1~2 servings of oily fish every week.

In addition, for pregnant women and children, if DHA supplementation is needed, it is recommended to take it from algae and foods rich in DHA. (Salmon, sardines and other marine fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish, kelp, seaweed, etc. They are all good sources of DHA and taste better. )

In short, instead of spending a lot of money on all kinds of "deep sea fish oil", it is better to save some money and buy more fish to eat. what do you think?

Later, I will write something about disease rehabilitation, drug use and Chinese medicine health care.