Enteric Coated Fish Oil and Exercise

Posted: March 15th, 2009 | Author: Dr. Bill | No Comments »

This morning I ran out to the bookstore to get  Barry Eisler’s new book, “Fault Line.” If you haven’t read Barry Eisler before, he is the  author of the very successful “John Rain” series, which is about an ethical modern day assassin. That may sound very strange, like a contradiction in terms, but once you start  reading Eisler, you aren’t going to want to put the books down.

“Fault Line” is Eisler’s first departure from the John Rain series, and I’m writing this now, because if I pick up the book and start  reading I’m not stopping until I finish.

On the other side of the world, in what we  call “Down Under,” (Australia), researchers have found that they agree with me, and scores of other physicians in the United States and Europe, about the added benefits of pharmaceutical grade fish oil and regular exercise.

At the University of South Australia in Adelaide, (about 1000 miles SW of Sydney), a study group  found that overweight adults, (those with a body mass index over 25), with high blood  pressure, and abnormal triglycerides or cholesterol, who took pharmaceutical grade fish oil on a daily basis, and did moderate exercise, (walking briskly 3 days per week for 45 minutes), experienced the following results:

1. Lowered triglycerides

2. Increased HDL (good) cholesterol

3. Significantly improved arterial vasodilation

4. Significantly better heart function

5. Significantly reduced body fat

These results do not include any changes in diet, and I would consider the level of exercise as minimal.

Just think of the gains you could make if you combined enteric coated fish oil, with even moderate exercise, and some much needed changes in your diet. You have to start sometime, and the best time is NOW.

The great thing about this study from “Down Under” is that it shows significant changes are possible,  with just a minimum of effort. None of these folks hit the gym, hired a trainer, or really went “whole hog.”

They just walked 3 days a week. Walking is vastly underrated as an exercise, and I believe exercise is something we all need to do daily. You don’t have to lift heavy weight, cycle till they have to mop the floor under you, or run until your bones get really aggravated with you.

Just do something that moves your body every day, as opposed to the Homer Simpson School of Exercise (eating donuts while wearing an “S” groove in your couch).

And here’s the thing about really getting into an exercise routine: Once you get rolling, your body won’t let you stop. You programmed yourself healthy, and your body will send you signals to stay that way.

You don’t want to get into an argument with your healthy body.

You’ll lose.

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