ESKIMO OIL: Natural Stable Fish Oil.

In the last few months I have been keeping supplies of "Eskimo Oil" in the dispensary. This is a fish oil, rich in a number of nutritional factors, including omega-3 fatty acids. Among these fatty acids are substances known as EPA and DHA.

Eskimo Oil, also known as Eskimo-3, is important because it has been shown to protect against heart disease. Deficiencies of the omega-3 fatty acids can be a prelude to heart attack. I say "can be" because there are other factors.

For example, vegans and vegetarians have a lower risk of heart attack, yet they do not eat fish. However, Eskimos and the Japanese, who do eat a lot of fish, definitely have a very low incidence of heart attacks and other diseases.

Many people take cod liver oil, to help their joints, and you may have noticed that the leading brands, in response to the emerging research, now manipulate their oil to include the omega-3s.

I have selected Eskimo Oil, which is manufactured by the Swedish company, Cardinova, because it is a stable oil, derived from deep-sea fish, and is free from marine pollutants, such as mercury. It is a little more expensive that cod liver oil and unstable fish oils*.

There was a media scare recently because of the levels of pollutants found in cod liver oil. In some respects this could be expected, as the liver in all creatures is the detoxifying organ. So any pollutants will be taken to the liver prior to excretion (which is one reason why I do not, personally, eat liver products despite the fact that they may be a good source of nutrients to protect against pernicious anaemia.

Eskimo Oil is also beneficial to people with diseases, such as diabetes, because this is a disease with an increased risk of heart problems.

It is also a natural anti-inflammatory, and has been shown to be very helpful to people with arthritic joints, skin diseases, such as eczema, and inflammatory bowel disease. Obviously there are other remedies and natural treatments for these diseases, and so it is best to think of Eskimo Oil as part of an overall programme.

One recent valuable finding is that fish oil is helpful in pancreatic cancer (and may be other cancers). Inflammatory substances in this disease (known as cytokines) induce cachexia, or wasting, in which the body loses weight.

The DHA and EPA (see above) inhibit this process and, in addition, EPA inhibits tumour growth (in laboratory studies).

In a study reported in the British Journal of Cancer, adding fish oil into the usual programme of patients with pancreatic cancer (which has failed to prevent cachexia) led to a reversal of weight loss. Instead of losing an average of almost 3kg a month their weight increased by 1kg in the first three weeks and 2kg at seven weeks. Appetite was also improved. The survival time of the patients in this study was doubled.

Depression: According to an article in the Archives of General Psychiatry (May, 1999), fish oil helps to stabilise the volatile moods of people suffering from manic depression. The conventional treatment for this form of depression is lithium carbonate.

*50 capsules costs £7.55 including p&p.

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