Take Fish Oil for Yourself & Your Pets… No Matter what some study says!
There are basic facts about the health value of giving generous amounts of omega-3 fish oil every day to your pets (and yourself and your two-legged children, too!). I’ve been singing the praises of omega-3 fish oil for years, to anyone who would listen. I have found that pet owners are quicker to start putting fish oil in their pets food than to give it to themselves! But hey, you have to start somewhere. I highly recommend Iceland Pure fish oils for pets, but more on them at the end of my appeal.
You might have recently read a big article in the New York Times about the health benefits of fish oil in reducing cardiovascular events for people with a history of heart disease. The conclusion of the study, which got “major ink” in the Times, was that “large doses of an omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil sharply reduced the rate of cardiovascular events in people with a history of heart disease or Type 2 diabetes.” That shouldn’t be a big surprise — given the long-standing research about omega-3 fatty acids. There is a whole body of knowledge that concludes that many disease processes can be considered an inflammatory response — arthritis, cancer, digestive problems — which can be avoided, eliminated or improved by adding omega-3 fatty acids to the diet.
The value of omega-3 fatty acids to perfectly healthy people and pets is every bit as important for people and pets who aren’t totally well. I wish it didn’t take a big article about an impressive medical study to get the attention of people who need nutritional awakening. We all desperately need omega-3 fatty acids in our bodies to prevent the very inflammation that leads to health problems. No person or pet is too young, or too old, to start incorporating fish oil in their diet: no matter what medical challenges they might have, or how healthy they are (and want to remain). The body’s cells absorb the omega-3 fatty acids, which they need every day.
Nuggets of wisdom about fish oil for you and Your Pets:
#1) Keep inflammation to a minimum and you’ll be doing a favor to your body and your pets’, especially the joints, brain and circulatory systems.
#2) Omega-3 fatty acids function as an anti-inflammatory in our bodies and those of our pets.
#3) Disease processes in the body are caused by, or worsened, by inflammation, right down to a cellular level. Reduce inflammatory responses and you increase wellness.
#4) Nobody is getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in their diet. The food we eat is heavy in omega-6’s and omega-9’s, while our diets are deficient in omega-3’s, which need to be in balance with 6’s and 9’s for optimal health.
#5) The source of fish oil and its handling are critical to the value of omega-3’s. Fish oil has to be harvested in an ecologically responsible manner, and the oil produced under strict guidelines, like those in Iceland, Norway and Sweden where the cold waters, strict fishing guidelines and carefully regulated fish oil production make their products the gold standard.
#6) The dispensing system for fish oil is very important: it should never be bottled in plastic, which degrades the oil. Glass or aluminum bottles with a pump are the optimal containers, although fish oil capsules are equally protective of the oils purity and freshness. .
#7) Liquid fish oil is better for pets than capsules because it is more cost-effective, you can dose it according to their weight, and you don’t have to struggle with giving them capsules.
Since pet wellness and nutrition are my bailiwick, here’s my solution to the decision of how to best incorporate fish oil into their diets.
Have a look at how shiny my Maisie is after only a few weeks on Iceland Pure fish oil in her meals — and the outside health reflects the internal wellness.
And do I have a deal for you!
Go to the website of my Radio Pet Lady Network sponsor ICELAND PURE and you can buy directly from them with the discount code ice10, which you put in at check out. The oils are odor-free and packaged in tall pretty green aluminum bottles, protecting the oil.
—Tracie Hotchner
P.S.
So I’ve got your dogs and cats covered — but what about you? You’re on your own! Capsules make the most sense for people — or chewable for human children — and there are lots of quality choices of fish oil for people. Just make sure you know the source and the handling history.
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Iceland Pure is a sponsor on Radio Pet Lady Network, by our invitation.
