Want a Smart Child? Give Them Fish Oil Pills

Want a smart child? Give them fish-oil pills. Omega 3 significantly improves a youngster's ability to read, a study finds.

Every parent wants their child to achieve their dreams.

And now scientists believe they may have found the magic potion to give them a step up in life.

Children who consumed fish oil pills significantly improved their ability to read in just three months, a new trial shows. Read more

How to Turn Fat-Storing Cells into Fat-Burning Cells

A Japanese study found that omega-3 fatty acids can turns fat-storing cells into fat-burning cells.

Losing weight is often associated with eating less of certain foods, but a relatively recent study shows that people who add more omega-3s to their diet may shed more calories.

Researchers in Japan found that oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids turned “bad” fat cells into healthy ones that burn calories. That’s great news for people who are in their 40s and older, as “good” fat cells start to decrease around middle-age.

The findings may explain why people who eat a Japanese or Mediterranean diet rich in fish generally lead longer, leaner lives. Read more

Feeling Down? Try a Tuna Sandwich

Eating tuna fish was found to reduce the risk of depression by 25% - but only if you are a woman.

The secret to happiness could lie in something as simple as a tuna sandwich or cod and chips.

Eating fish can keep the blues at bay, according to a new study – but only in women.

Researchers discovered that having seafood on the menu at least twice a week reduces the risk of depression among females by 25 per cent.

However, for men, fish had no protective effect. Read more

Take More Omega-3 to Prevent Diabetes

Want to prevent diabetes? Take more omega-3 fatty acids, say two recent studies..

Consuming omega-3 fatty acids may help lower your risk of diabetes, according to two recent studies. The studies, one based in the US, the other in Singapore, found adults with higher levels of omega-3 fats were less likely to develop diabetes.

Researchers suggest people avoid interpreting the study as evidence of omega-3's as a "magic bullet" health solution. They note that omega-3 fats may only be markers for some other dietary or lifestyle aspect which helps protect against the diabetes. Rather than stocking up on fish oil tablets, they suggest a better way to avoid this disease is a diet based on whole foods. "Approaching your dietary intake with this 'big picture' approach should take care of the small things, like essential nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids," notes Andrew Odegaard of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, one of the researchers on the Singapore study. Read more

Eating Fish Helps Prevent Eye Disease Later in Life

Many people develop eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, as they age. A new study has found that eating fish helps prevent eye diseases later in life.

A study that recently appeared in the journal Ophthalmology has found that people who eat fatty fish at least once a week are less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease that gradually causes vision impairment and blindness in senior adults. The study findings add to the growing list of health benefits gained by eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Read more