I've been dragging my feet about writing this article for so long. Not because fish oil isn’t awesome. It is! I’ve been procrastinating, telling myself, “Who doesn’t already know about the importance of fish oil? Everyone’s probably using it already.” In fact, the first time I wrote about it, it was 2009!



Obviously, I came around.



The reality is, you, the person reading this right now, might never have used fish oil before, and might have no clue how important it is for our health.



Or, perhaps you used it for a while, and when you ran out, you didn’t get a refill. You might have been taking fish oil for years, but you’re not using enough to make a difference. Or, you use it consistently but haven’t figured out how to convince your family or friends about why they need to take it too.



Whatever your situation, I’ve got you covered with this article.





What Are The Benefits of Fish Oil?



Fish oil is often advertised for its heart health benefits, but it does so much more than that (not that the health of your heart isn't important). But I'm getting a little head of myself. Let's start with a little primer on fish oil, omega-3s, and essential fatty acids, as there's a lot of confusion out there.



Along with omega-6 fatty acids, omega-3s are part of a special group of fats called essential fatty acids. Like essential amino acids, essential fatty acids are nutrients you need in your diet because your body can't make them on its own.



You don't need to give much thought to eating enough omega-6s. They're prevalent in the diet. Omega-3s...not so much. However, that's not how things have always been. Long before the days of eating beef and chicken, humans ate a lot more fish, and the average diet was much more balanced with omega-6s and omega-3s.



The imbalance with which we eat those fats today contributes to numerous health problems. But it's not just about eating less omega-6s. We need more omega-3s in the diet than we consume each day.



Plant foods like flaxseeds, walnuts, soybean, and wheat germ do contain a pretty decent amount of omega-3s, but it isn't the ideal type of omega-3s for humans. The omega-3 fatty acid in these plants is called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).



Some animals easily convert ALA to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA). Humans do not. And it's DHA and EPA that provide the health benefits fish oil is known for.



We need to consume EPA and DHA directly, either by eating fatty fish or through supplementation.



Of course, if you overeat fatty fish, you do risk eating too much mercury. And high-quality fish oil is filtered to virtually eliminate mercury. So your best bet is to eat wild Alaskan salmon once in a while and take high-quality fish oil regularly.



Fish oil is part of my Foundational Five, the best supplements to support health. If I had to narrow my list down to just two supplements, it would still make the cut.



You’re about to find out why.



An online survey completed by Equation Research showed that only 26 percent of Americans said they take fish oil supplements, even though 63% of the respondents said they felt their diet did not have enough omega-3 fatty acids.



1. Enhances Fat Loss



If you’re into Keto, you’ve no doubt heard people say, “Eat fat and lose weight.” And while