Fast Food or Fish oil; Harm or Health?

Could it be a clear choice? It might depend on how important your liver is to you.

In a study published today (Kechagias, et al, 2008), when adults ate fast food hamburger, fries and coke once or twice a day, their liver enzymes became elevated, putting them at risk for liver disease - within a month. “Fatty liver” as it is known, occurs unrelated to alcohol intake and it may be heavily influenced by what we eat.

On the contrary, fish oil supplements protect the liver. Purified fish oil supplements are known to support healthy liver function and proper metabolism of fat. You may know that fish oil supplements can reduce blood triglycerides by 30 – 40% (triglycerides are a fat in your blood, and high levels put you at risk for heart disease). To achieve this remarkable reduction, you have to take enough. The American Heart Association recommends 2 to 4 grams of EPA and DHA (that’s not grams of fish oil, it’s grams of omega-3 fish oil supplies) from products that are guaranteed purified and fresh.

Our liver tends to be ‘under attack’ by all kinds of pollutants and toxins in today’s world, so even if you don’t have high triglycerides, fish oil promotes good fat metabolism and healthy liver function.

I don’t know anyone who completely avoids fast food, but we do know that a good amount of EPA and DHA is good for you. We need a healthy liver; our life depends on it.