7 reasons for taking Fish Oils

It’s Friday, woo-hoo! Here is this week’s Blogger in the Spotlight (BITS) Marian Eu, who is more famously known for her weekly food reviews in The Malaysian Insider!

FISH was always a big part of our diet when I was a child and I’m so grateful for that now that I know all about fish and fish oil, and what it does for our brain.

I remember my mother “grilling” ikan belanak or “ chai yue” in a wok, after removing the gills and entrails, but with the scales and skin intact. She would sprinkle some salt over it, add a little water and cover it. The fish was ready when the water dried up and the skin slightly burnt where it touched the wok. Then we would peel off the skin, and eat the fish with mango sambal – small unripe mangoes pounded into a pulp and mixed with sambal belacan, dark soya sauce and a bit of sugar. Yum!

There was the Teochew Steamed Fish which my father, being Teochew, was such a deft hand at. He would do this with a large garoupa or white pomfret, to which he would add strips of pork fat, ginger, salted vegetables, tomato, sour plums and a dash of Chinese wine. It always tasted out of this world.

We also had this fish called “thair herr” in Teochew, a small white fish with a long sharp head, that has almost fine threads for its bones. When you boiled it in soup with just fried garlic and toong choy and garnish with coriander, it would be so sweet and lovely. The fish had a creamy melt-in-the-mouth texture and you could swallow it, fine bones and all.

Am I brainy after a diet like this? I don’t know but I haven’t done too badly. Nowadays we hear of kids with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and I can’t help thinking they should have a diet of fish and fish oil, with less fast food, and no fizzy drinks! Below are my 7 reasons for taking Fish Oils!

1.Fish Oils help improve Dyslexia

Studies have found that children with such disorders (together with dyslexia and dyspraxia) have experienced improvements in their condition thanks to the Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil.

2.Fish Oils have a calming effect

Fish oil is known to have a calming effect on the brain, giving you better concentration on whatever task at hand. It gives you better memory, good recall and reasoning.

3.Fish Oils help with cell and nerve repair

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are vital structural components in cell membrane, brain and nervous tissues which we need for the normal functioning of the nervous, cardiovascular and immune system.

4.Fish Oils are good for the heart

It has been established that fish oil is good for the heart. It helps lower cholesterol, increasing the HDL good cholesterol and lowering the bad LDL. It gives you protection from stroke and heart attack. The fatty acids break up blood clots before they can cause damage.

5.Fish Oils are anti-inflammatory

Fish oil also helps in inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, prostatitis and cystitis.

6.Fish Oils improve intelligence

Pregnant women and nursing mothers should take fish oil as it will have an impact on the intelligence of their babies.

Now I take daily a Bio-enriched fish oil (in capsules) that is molecularly distilled so that there is no mercury in it. It’s marine fish oil derived from the body oil of sardine and anchovy that has Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

7.Fish Oils help prevent memory loss

Lastly, you should eat more cold-water oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring and sardines to help prevent memory loss and stroke, according to a recent study by Finnish researchers.

Books you might like:

About this weeks Guest Writer:

Marian is a good friend who is also an incredibly talented and accomplished writer. She writes under both the names Eu Hooi Khaw and Marian Eu, with a weekly food review for The Malaysian Insider and contributing articles to corporate woman magazine Madam Chair, parenting magazine My Child Malaysia, Retail Asia and New Straits Times. Marian has also been writing about alternative health for a long time and totally believes in it. (Look at her gorgeous complexion.. I am a total believer just by looking at her too!)