fish oil

Fight pollution... with FISH!

There are plenty of things within your control when it comes to your health.

You can control what you eat. You can control how much movement you get. You can control your nutrition, from both diet and supplements.

But it could all go out the window because of the things you CAN'T control... especially if what's out your window is polluted air.

Healthy foods in your belly might not matter all that much if your lungs are loaded with damaging particulate matter.

Fortunately, new research shows a simple step you can take to fight back -- and you don't have to hold your breath, wear a mask, or move out into the middle of nowhere.

All you need is some fish oil!

The study on mice finds that omega-3 fatty acids can block the inflammation and oxidative stress caused by toxic pollutants inside your lungs.

Blocking those processes could stop the particulate matter from crossing the pulmonary barrier and entering the rest of your body.

This is critical; once they break in and start traveling around your insides, these common pollutants can speed aging in the arteries by 20 percent, increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Another recent study linked that same particulate matter to dementia.

And of course pollution can also lead to other diseases, including cancer.

Don't assume you're safe from these risks because the skies are blue most of the time.

Odds are, you're not as safe as you think you are!

One study last year found that more than half of all Americans are breathing air with high levels of particulate matter, most of them people who live in and around cities and the surrounding suburban sprawl.

If that sounds like where you live, maybe it's time to stock up on fish oil. Sure, the new study was on mice, but there's no harm in boosting your intake since this stuff is also critical to heart, brain, eyes, and more.

The amounts used in the study were the human equivalent of about 2 grams per day. It's more than what most people take, but it's not a "dangerously" high level by any stretch.

Since it can thin the blood, however, speak to a doctor first, especially if you're already on blood thinners.

Along with boosting your intake of fish oil, be sure to use plenty of olive oil.

It's not just tasty and healthy.

A human study found it can block the damage of particulate matter in the arteries even more effectively that fish oil.

Why choose one over the other? For maximum protection, get both.

Every New Year diet should begin with this

I know you THINK the goal of your diet is to lose some weight -- and stepping on the scale is certainly a quick and easy way to check your progress.

But there's something even more important, and you won't see it in the numbers on the scale.

Inflammation is just as deadly as the extra weight your body's been hauling around -- and if you've spent a few too many years with a few too many pounds, odds are you've got plenty of it hidden deep inside.

Losing weight alone will attack that inflammation, but new research spots something else that can help you do the job even faster: the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil.

In the new study, obese women put on the same diet were given either fish oil supplements or a placebo.

Over three months, they all got slimmer, losing the same amount of weight... no matter which capsules they took.

But when it came to reversing the invisible damage of inflammation, the fish oil made all the difference in the world.

Women who took the supplements had lower levels by just about every measure, including a drop in the dangerous C-reactive protein linked to heart problems, dementia, and more.

They also had lower levels of inflammation markers linked to rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, acute coronary syndrome, and even some forms of cancer.

And, as we'd expect in folks given fish oil, they had lower levels of triglycerides, a dangerous blood fat linked to serious heart risks.

Big Pharma has been trying to create drugs to attack triglycerides, and so far they've mostly come up empty.

But fish oil can do what the drugs can't and slash those levels dramatically.

That's reason alone to add fish oil to any new diet or take it even if you're not trying to lose weight -- but I've got one more for you today.

Being overweight or obese can practically turn your once-flexible blood vessels into stone, leading to hardened arteries.

Fish oil can turn that dangerous condition around, with a 2013 study finding that dieters who take omega-3 supplements get more elasticity in the arteries as they lose weight.

These healthy fatty acids can also fight pain, improve the heart, protect the brain and even help boost your vision.

The folks in the new study took supplements with 1,290 mg per day of DHA and 270-450 mg per day of EPA, which is a good start. But what you need will depend on your diet, lifestyle, and risks.

Ask your doctor for advice on the right dose -- and right mix -- for you.