An Anti-Anxiety Pill That's Good For You
Times are tough, stress levels are running high, and it's hard to stay calm when your paycheck -- if you still get one -- isn't getting any bigger and your working hours are getting longer. Here's an easy, all-natural solution for rattled nerves: A daily omega-3 pill.
Recent research published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity found that a daily supplement of fatty acids eased anxiety in healthy young med students. They had 20% less anxiety after taking a daily 2500 mg supplement for three months than those taking a fake pill. This is the first study to show omega-3's help normal, everyday anxiety.
And there's another benefit to taking fatty acids. Not only did omega 3s give the Ohio State University students an edge on their nerves, the supplement also lowered measures of the kind of body-wide inflammation that's linked to many age-related chronic diseases.
Here are 5 ways to be sure you get daily dose:
1. Take a PCB-free supplement. If you're concerned about toxins in fish oil capsules -- and who isn't -- get your omega-3s where the fish do: from microscopic algae floating around in the oceans. According to RealAge experts, Mehmet Oz, MD, and Michael Roizen, MD, algae-based omega-3 supplements are extra-rich in DHA, one of the omega-3 fats taken by the med students in the anxiety experiment.
2. Eat safe fin food three times a week. Great choices that are low in contaminants and provide good fats include wild salmon (inexpensive trick: canned salmon is usually wild), canned white tuna, and trout. These five fish tend to contain the lowest amounts of mercury.
3. Snack on a walnuts. They have six times more omega-3s than any other nut.
4. Drizzle flaxseed oil on your salad. The good fat in flaxseed oil is alpha-linolenic acid, about 2% of which your body converts to the omega-3, DHA.
5.Choose omega-3-enriched foods. You can now buy eggs, OJ, yogurt, soy milk, and more fortified with omega-3s.
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