Supplements are essential in today’s era, especially in our fast-paced lifestyles where we are constantly overworking, under sleeping, overtraining and under recovering on top of poor stress management and poor nutritional habits, and maybe even a sedentary lifestyle. Supplements make a huge difference on health because a vitamin and mineral deficiency can lead to health issues. For men, this could be prostate issues and low testosterone or even poor heart health. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements are recommended for an overall improvement in men’s health.
Omega-3 is an integral part of cell membranes throughout the body and affect the function of the cell receptors in these membranes.
They provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation.
They also bind to receptors in cells that regulate genetic function. Likely due to these effects, omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help prevent heart disease and stroke, may help control lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis, and may play protective roles in cancer and other conditions.
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Omega-3 supplements are also highly beneficial for testicular health.
In a study published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, associations of fish oil supplementation use with testicular function in young men was investigated.
The study noted: “Many young men have poor semen quality, and the causes are often unknown.
“Supplement intake of omega- 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid has been found to improve semen quality among men with infertility.
“This cross-sectional study included young Danish men from the general population recruited between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2017, at compulsory examinations to determine their fitness for military service.
“Young, unselected men were approached after the examination and invited to participate in a study of reproductive function, regardless of their fitness for military service.
“Among 1679 young Danish men recruited to participate, 98 men reported use of fish oil supplements during the past three months, of whom 53 reported intakes on 60 or more days.
“After adjustment and compared with men with no supplement intake, men with fish oil supplement intake on fewer than 60 days had semen volume that was higher, and men with fish oil supplement intake on 60 or more days had semen volume that was higher.
“Similarly, testicular size in men with supplement intake on fewer than 60 days was larger and in men with fish oil supplement intake on 60 or more days was larger compared with men with no supplement intake.
“After adjustment, men with fish oil supplement intake had a 20 percent lower follicle-stimulating hormone level and 16 percent lower luteinizing hormone level compared with men with no supplement intake.”
A large body of scientific evidence says that the “good fats” in salmon, nuts, and chia seeds are absolutely essential to the healthy functioning of your body—especially for active guys, said Kylene Bogden, sports dietician at the Cleveland Clinic’s centre for functional medicine.
He continued: “Omega-3s can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which then leads to less muscle soreness post-workout.
“It’s especially effective for endurance athletes, who incur more oxidative stress because of their long-distance training. If you’re an endurance athlete, you should probably be taking an omega-3 supplement—it’s a little hard to get what you need through nuts, seeds, and fatty fish.”
As with most supplements its strongly advised to consult your GP before taking them.