There are no two ways about it. High blood pressure is a serious health issue that can lead to various 
problems like heart failure, coronary heart disease and even kidney failure if left unchecked. The question is – can fish oil help reduce high blood pressure?
The facts
Numerous studies have conclusively proved that fish oil can indeed help control blood pressure levels. According to a study done at Harvard School of Public Health which covered over 1300 subjects, high dosages of fish oil (> 4g per day) helped lower the blood pressure levels in hypertensive people. The even better part is, there was no effect on blood pressure in healthy people. Which means they can also take this healthy supplement and enjoy all its other health benefits.
No side effects
The great thing with fish oil is – if you choose right, there is no risk of any side effects. On the other hand, common prescription medications used for high blood pressure like Diuretics, Beta-blockers, ACE Inhibitors etc. can cause numerous side effects like –
- Potassium deficiency in the body
- Increased blood sugar levels in diabetics
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Skin rashes
- Kidney damage etc.
Now, low quality fish oil supplements do carry a risk of contaminants like Mercury and PCBS. That’s why you need to make sure you choose a quality fish oil containing highly purified oil which is free from all impurities.
Which one to choose
Molecular Distillation is the correct way of purifying the oil and concentrating it to a high degree, so that even at lower dosage you get high quantities of the DHA and EPA omega 3 fatty acids, which are responsible for the fish oil blood pressure reduction effect. So make sure your supplement contains only molecularly distilled oil.
The freshness of the oil is also important. The problem with many supplements is, by the time they process their fish catch for extracting the oil, it has already started getting oxidized. The oil derived from such fish is rancid and causes that fishy aftertaste commonly associated with many fish oils. Some companies try to mask this taste by adding in artificial flavors.
Look for a supplement that contains pure oil derived from fresh fish. Xtend Life is one such company that is located on the eastern coast of New Zealand and has the capability of quickly processing their fish as soon as it is caught. This makes for fresh, pure oil that has all its nutritious powers intact.
So there you have it. You can reduce high blood pressure using natural methods like fish oil. Just choose wisely.
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