How Does Fish Oil Work?

Fish oil provides your body with needed nutrients called omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil containing EPA, short for eicosapentaenoic acid, and DHA, known as docosahexaenoic acid, help lower your health risks of a heart attack and stoke, Drugs.com reports. Before you begin a fish oil supplement, talk to your doctor. This supplement may interfere with blood thinners you take.

Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters

Omega-3 is an important fatty acid found in fish oil. This fatty acid contains EPA and DHA, both of which help lower your blood pressure and influence clotting of platelets. Entering the membranes of cellular platelets, these fatty acids separate the platelets helping to reduce clumping. Clumping can lead to blood clots that can cause you to have a stroke or a heart attack.

Adding Fish to Diet

The American Heart Association indicates that if you eat fish at least twice a week, you will decrease your risks of getting heart disease. All fish contains omega-3 fatty acids. The fattier fish, such as salmon, contain an increased amount of omega-3 that provides more health benefits than some other fish.

Diabetes and Your Heart

If you suffer from diabetes Type 1 or 2, you have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease related to plaque build up, Drugs.com indicates. Most people who have diabetes have problems with circulation causing higher blood pressure and problems with high triglycerides, a part of cholesterol. Fish oil helps to decrease fatty lipids in your blood and promote increased circulation in your blood vessels.

Breast Cancer

Registered Nutritionist Gale Maleskey states in her book, "Nature's Medicines: The Definitive Guide to health Supplements," that in a women's case, study results indicate that omega-3 stored in your breast stops further cancer growth. This increase in omega-3 was brought about by ingestion of 10,000 mg of fish oil daily over a three-month period by 25 female patients. No indication of the time or exact study performed were indicated in Maleskey's text. Further documented studies need to be performed to confirm this data.

Colon Cancer

MayoClinic.com reports in preliminary studies that the effect of colon cancer diminishes with the administration of fish oil. More studies need to conclude this finding.

Depression

Your nervous system may receive therapeutic effects from fish oil. Over the years, research has indicated a lack of omega-3 in a person's system increases signs and symptoms of depression, Maleskey states.