Benefits of Fish Oil

Fish oil capsules are widely available in the market these days. Most of it contain omega 3 such as DHA and EPA. Small fish are used to produce the fish oils and omega 3 is a type of fatty acid that is found in it. DHA and EPA are two types of Omega 3 that’s found in marine animals such as fish. Many researches are being done on benefits of fish oil.

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Heart

Omega 3 is widely believed to have beneficial effects on heart. Heart attacks normally happen in people with hardened blood vessels of the heart (atherosclerosis). Blood cholesterol plays an important role in this hardening process. Thus reducing blood cholesterol level should reduce the hardening process of the blood vessels. 

There are some evidence to suggest omega 3 helps in reducing the blood cholesterol level, especially triglyceride. Triglyceride is a type of cholesterol in our blood, LDL and HDL being the other two. A group of scientists from University of Kansas did a research on this issue. They looked at all the research done on this matter from 2005 to 2015. After looking at all the results, they concluded that omega 3 oil will reduce the level triglyceride if taken 4 g per day. 

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Omega 3 also seems to have anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is also a key role in hardening of blood vessels, so by reducing inflammation the hardening process should be dampened.

Thus theoretically taking omega 3 fish oils should help protect the heart. But does it?

Cochrane reviewers who are experts in looking for the best evidence searched researches that were done to prove benefits of fish oil in heart health. 

They concluded that “There is not enough evidence to say that people should stop taking rich sources of omega 3 fats”. It’s not clear if omega 3 helps in reducing heart attacks or deaths related to heart problems. 

More high quality evidence is needed to strongly say omega 3 helps in cardiovascular health.

Dry Eyes

Among those who are working on computers most of the time, dry eye is a very common problem. Dry eye is caused by two important groups of diseases. Our tears have two components; water and fat (lipid). One group of disease causing dry eyes is due to tear glands not producing enough water component in the tears, and another group is due to the glands not producing enough fat component. The diseases that are due to lack of fat component in tears are called evaporative dry eyes, and is the commonest cause of dry eyes.

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This research done by eye surgeons from Ohio Medical Centre looked at 105 patients with evaporative dry eyes and how they benefit from omega 3 oil. After 12 weeks of supplementing patients with re-esterized omega 3, they saw benefits in the patients’ dry eyes symptoms. But this research was done using re-esterized omega 3 oil. 

Omega 3 that is available commercially comes in two forms; as ester or triglycerides. Ester forms are not so common everywhere with most brands use triglyceride form of omega 3. So does the triglyceride form of Omega 3 helps in reducing dry eyes symptoms as well? 

According to a research done by Indian scientists, after taking 600mg of omega 3 oils (2 capsules per day of normal fish oil capsules), most patients had improvement of their dry eyes problems. This research was done mainly on those who use computers for more than 3 hours per day. They concluded that taking 2 capsules of fish oil per day with a total of 600mg DHA and EPA will cause improvement in dry eyes symptoms after 3 months. 

Another group of scientists repeated this in contact lens wearers. They chose 496 contact lens wearers, and looked at how omega 3 containing fish oil supplement twice a day helps in dry eye symptoms. After 6 months of supplement, patients’ symptoms were under control, and lens wear comfort level also improved significantly.

Mental Health

 

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Dementia is a problem that commonly affects elderly people. It is a disorder of memory, behavior and functioning. There are many causes of dementia, commonest being vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s dementia.

Omega 3 oil has been suggested to protect people from dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease. Many researches appear to support this fact, but the evidence they offer isn’t strong. Cochrane group of researchers did two different study on this matter.

In one research, they concluded that supplementation of omega 3 oil for patients with Alzheimer’s disease do not improve their mental function, nor reduce depression in them. Another Cochrane review tried to find if omega 3 can be used to prevent onset of dementia.

They concluded that there is no evidence to say omega 3 helps in prevention of dementia. 

Natural food rich in Omega 3 

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Do we have to consume omega 3 capsules to get the benefit of it? No, there are plenty natural sources of omega 3. 

There are three main types of Omega 3. ALA, EPA and DHA. Most fish oil capsules contain EPA and DHA and many studies that check the benefits of omega 3 focus on these two types of fat.

EPA and DHA are animal source of Omega 3, thus it’s rich in animals such as fish. Anchovies, and Salmon have some of the highest amount of omega 3 in them. Caviar also has high omega 3 content, especially EPA and DHA. Steaming or cooking the fish does not seem to affect the level of omega 3. 

For further reading

Heart and Omega 3

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4957330/

Cochrane Review on Fish Oil 

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003177.pub2/full

Dry eyes and omega 3

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27442314

Difference between esterized omega 3 vs triglyceride

https://www.ascentahealth.com/omega-3-and-you/the-science/fish-oil-triglycerides-vs-ethyl-esters-comparative-review-metabolism-absorption-stability/

Dry Eyes among computer user

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25697893

 

Dry eyes among contact lens user

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25719253

Dementia and Omega 3

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27063583

Dementia Prevention and Omega 3

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22696350

Home remedies for common cold

Common cold or medically known as viral upper respiratory tract infection is a common problem. It affects many children and adults on daily basis. Common cold usually presents with runny nose, sore throat, mild fever, sneezing and cough. Many health websites offer advice on natural remedies for common cold. Is there any evidence behind those claims?

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 Honey

Produced by bees, honey is full of vitamins and minerals. This sweet liquid has been used for it’s medicinal properties since the age of ancient Egypt.

Honey is also useful for those who are suffering from common cold. Cough is a common symptoms and can be troubling, especially at night.

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A research by a group of scientists in Israel looked at 300 children up to the age of 5 who had common cold. Some of them received different types of honey 30 minutes before going to sleep, and their parents were asked to comment on the quality of their children’s sleep and how severe was the cough. In the research, parents found that those who were given honey 30 minutes before sleep, had a better sleep quality and coughed lesser compared to others.

In another research, a group of scientists from Pennsylvania State University treated 105 children with common cold with either honey or regular cough syrup(dextromethorphan). At the end of the research, they concluded that “Honey may be a preferable treatment for the cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood upper respiratory tract infection.”

So there is sufficient evidence to suggest honey can be used as an alternative to cough suppressant for children with common cold. Be sure to use it 30 minutes before sleep.

“Honey may be a preferable treatment for the cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood upper respiratory tract infection.”

 Saltwater gargle

Salt water gargle has always been told as home remedy for sore throat relief. Table salt, or scientifically known as sodium chloride is a common household item.  Unfortunately, there is no evidence behind using salt water gargle. Salt has always been said to have anti septic properties but no studies have been able to prove its usage as mouth gargle.  Other mouth washes especially those containing essential oils, or povidone-iodine and chlorohexidine have been heavily studied for other uses for example to be used in after surgery. But mouthwashes do not appear to play a role in common cold.

Steam inhalation

This is a popular method among us. Hot water often mixed with essential oils are used for this. It is said to relieve the congested nose and make breathing easier. The fact is that high temperature can effectively reduce the growth of some viruses that can common cold. But is there any evidence?

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To search for evidence behind this, a group of scientists from Cochrane looked at 6 researches done on this matter. Among these 6 researches, one specifically looked at the amount of virus present in the nose in those given steam inhalation compared to those who weren’t. The research did not report any difference between them. In terms of relief of congestion and pain, some studies reported benefits and some did not. So the authors concluded that “there is not enough evidence to support steam inhalation for the common cold.”

But all the 6 researches done on this issue did not include children. So is it effective in children? We don’t know. But it’s best to be careful when using steam inhalation in children. There are many reports on scalds and burn injury.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a popular common cold remedy among us. Many believe taking vitamin C everyday can prevent and treat common cold. Cochrane reviewers looked at this claim by pooling all the researches done on this matter. They found 29 researches on this. Based on these 29 researches involving 11,306 patients with common cold, 0.2g of Vitamin C regularly was not sufficient in preventing common cold.

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What about treating it? Will taking 0.2g of Vitamin C treat common cold? Unfortunately it doesn’t. After the onset of symptoms, starting Vitamin C shows no effect on the severity and duration of common cold, according to the Cochrane researchers. But the same research also says that 8g of Vitamin C might be able to reduce common cold if taken after the cough and runny nose start.

For comparison, one orange fruit contains 45mg to 60mg of Vitamin C. To get the curative effect of Vitamin C, one has to take 130 to 180 orange fruits per day. The easier method would be to buy the Vitamin C tablets. One Vitamin C tablet normally had 500mg vitamin C. 

The only proven benefit of Vitamin C in regard to common cold is that, regularly taking Vitamin C supplement at 200mg per day reduces the seriousness of common cold if you get it. So for example taking 3 orange fruits per day or half Vitamin C tablet per day will be helpful if you often get common cold. 

"regularly taking Vitamin C supplement at 200mg per day reduces the seriousness of common cold if you get it."

Conclusion

Common cold is caused by viruses. The main treatment is symptomatic; taking enough rest, drinking sufficient fluids, fever reducing medications, and prevention of spread. Most people recover in 2 weeks but cough might last up to a month. The only home remedy with evidence for common cold is Honey which is proven to reduce night time cough during common cold.

For further reading

       Honey for acute cough in children

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22419319

Vitamin C and common cold

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23440782

Steam inhalation for common cold

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23733382                

Honey & Cough

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18056558

Alternatives to Sugar?

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White sugar is the commonest sweetener used in our daily life. From morning coffees to evening tea, sugar plays a very crucial role in our cuisine. But the sweet lifestyle is also the main reason for increase in obesity, diabetes and other health problems among us.

"brown sugar is not healthier than white sugar, as the mineral content is very little to have any beneficial effect"

Sugar is made out of sugar beet, a type of plant which contains a thick syrup that’s converted to sugar. Refinery processes remove molasses (a dark brown by product) and the thick dark syrup is converted to white sugar. If the molasses is left in the mixture, then brown sugars are made.  

Brown Sugar VS White Sugar

The difference between White Sugar and Brown Sugar is the refinery process involved as mentioned. Brown sugar has some molasses left, while white sugar is well refined.

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In terms of nutrient content, brown sugar has more minerals compared to white sugar. Thanks to molasses it has iron, magnesium and other mineral whereas white sugar has none. Calorie value of both types of sugar are the same. So, one teaspoon of white sugar gives same amount of energy as white sugar, and increases blood sugar level equally.

Essentially, brown sugar is not healthier than white sugar, as the mineral content is very little to have any beneficial effect.

Alternatives to sugar

Honey

Is honey a healthier alternative to sugar?

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The short answer is no. 

Honey contains sugar too. Before the creation of sugar from sugar beets or sugarcane, honey was used as sweeteners. The calorie value of honey is almost similar to sugar, if not more depending on the manufacturing process. But honey also contains many vitamins especially Vitamin B and minerals such as calcium.

"The calorie value of honey is almost similar to sugar, if not more depending on the manufacturing process"

So, adding honey instead of sugar might give the additional benefits of vitamins and minerals but it does not make much difference in terms of calorie and the rise in blood sugar level. 

Thus honey is not a good alternative for people with diabetes or those who want to prevent diabetes.

Artificial sugar

Artificial sugars such as saccharin and aspartame (Equal brand) are commonly used as sugar alternatives. How does it work?

Artificial sugars are not absorbed in our gut, thus it carries zero calorie. It does not cause an increase in blood sugar level.

Aspartame has been heavily used until studies suggested the linkage between artificial sugars and cancers, especially bladder cancer and blood cancers such as leukemia. Association of bladder cancer in rats with saccharin (a type of artificial sugar) was first reported in 1978 by Reuber MD. 

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He reported that high dose of saccharin leads to bladder cancer in rats. In response to this, the US Congress mandated that saccharin carries a hazard label stating it’s possibly hazardous for consumption at that time.

But many other studies fail to prove the same among humans. It was found that rats respond to chemicals in the urine differently than human, so humans have no risk of bladder cancer when saccharin is consumed.

What about Aspartame? 

Heavy artificial sweetener use (>1680 mg per day) leads to an increased relative risk of 1.3 for bladder cancer in humans

Aspartame is the common artificial sugar used in brands like Equal. Aspartame has been linked with blood cancers previously but many subsequent studies have failed proof that claim.  A review on artificial sugars in Annals of Oncology concluded that there is no risk of cancer by using Aspartame or Saccharin as artificial sugar. 

But the author also warned that “Heavy artificial sweetener use (>1680 mg per day) leads to an increased relative risk of 1.3 for bladder cancer in humans” but no specific artificial sweetener can be identified as the culprit. For comparison, one packet of Equal brand artificial sugar contains 1000mg of sugar. FDA recommends us not to take more than 40mg/kg of aspartame.

According to American Cancer Society, after looking at several strong researches, people who drink aspartame containing beverages did not have increased risk of cancers.

So, the studies are controversial. Most say it’s harmless, some say it’s harmful.

But are they beneficial? Not many scientists agree that it is. For example, Swithers SE in Appetite journal argue that artificial sugar is not the answer to reducing the prevalence of obesity among children. 

He claims that artificial sweeteners will lead to overeating as people won’t be worried about adverse effects of sweetened food or beverage anymore.  A team of scientists recently discovered that artificial sweeteners can actually lead to diabetes by causing changes to the bacteria that live in our digestive tracts. 

This is supported by Taylor Feehley from University of Chicago, who wrote a commentary piece on this issue. She mentions that “artificial sugar consumption correlated with disease markers linked to obesity, such as elevated fasting blood-glucose levels and impaired glucose tolerance”. Both are related to diabetes mellitus.

In conclusion, there is no evidence based healthier alternatives to sugar. Honey and brown sugar are often called as natural sweeteners and people assume it’s healthier than white sugar. It is not. Artificial sweeteners on the other hand do provide zero calorie sweetness but it’s safety is very controversial, till today.

The best method would be to reduce the amount of sugar in our food and be mindful of what we consume. We must keep in mind high carbohydrate diet also be converted to sugar in our body. So, even if we go sugar-free, we still need to keep in mind on how much carbohydrate we consume per day.

For further reading

1.       FDA Article on Artificial sweeteners

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm397711.htm

2.       Review on Annals of Oncology on artificial sweeteners

http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/content/15/10/1460.full

3.       Artificial Sweeteners linked to change in gut microbiota

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25231862

4.       Artificial Sugars and Childhood obesity

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25828597

5.       American Cancer Society on Aspartame

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/aspartame

6.       Commentary on artificial sweetener

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4449731/