More on fish oil--tips from a librarian--me

Several days ago when I posted about bursitis and Fish Oil someone asked me about brand or dose. I've found 2 good articles, and if you're linked to a Public Library with databases, here are the titles, "Groundbreaking study reveals new mechanism behind fish oils' health benefits," Life Extension, Sept. 2012; and "Report: Maximizing Omega-3 health benefits," Life Extension, June 2014. Both articles have extensive bibliographies--over 200 citations between them. Covers metabolic syndrome, asthma, COPD, cardiovascular disease, cognition (happy to know it might stop cognitive decline of aging), and cancer. The 2nd article talks about using both fish oil and Krill oil (I thought they were the same). 

Penny pincher tip: when I print from a database off site, I always check the page arrangement, and sometimes depending on layout, you can save 4 pages of printing. 

The database I used was Ebsco's Alt Health Watch, and the only limiter I used was Full Text because I don't like to read on screen and knew I'd print if I found something.

Leg pain, two problems, two solutions (I hope)

About two and a half years ago I developed bursitis (inflammation of the bursa) in my right hip. Although it seemed to happen overnight, I recognized it as a pain that I had off and on since childhood. After it seemed to heal in a year, it started in my left hip, probably because so much dependence on it. I did the ice and exercise routine again, but always took a folding cane with me, avoided stairs and any incline if I were walking. Then in June I read several articles on fish oil being an anti-inflammatory, so figuring it couldn't hurt, I tried it. Maybe it's a placebo, but I'll take it and leave the cane at home, because I can now walk miles and even do the stairs in my home without pain (although I would NEVER do stairs for exercise like I used to). No more Advil. Last week I was talking to my daughter about it, and I guess we'd never discussed it. She'd done the same thing, but for auto-immune related problems and she's been able to give up Aleve, and move without pain. She also said her fingernails were strong for the first time in her life, and I looked at mine, and what do you know, mine were too, and I hadn't even noticed.

 Apparently, I have a mild form of peripheral neuropathy--although I haven't really had an exact diagnosis. I have none of the usual indicators--no diabetes, I'm not overweight, and I don't have high blood pressure, kidney disease or thyroid problems. I'm not missing any vitamins, and I'm not an alcoholic. After all the tests and my doctor coming up with nothing, she sent me to a sports doctor (really fancy facility for all the important athletes). I don't recall him saying neuropathy, but I looked up the prescription, gabapentin, and that's what it's used for. I had no relief for 2-3 months, but finally, I can sleep without leg pain waking me up, so I'm crediting gabapentin. There is a side affect I've had to get used to; I feel a little tipsy in the morning, and that goes away by afternoon. In researching this I figure the neuropathy (if that's what it is) may be from falls, which is another underlying cause. I've never broken anything, but I have gone down stairs bumpty bump and fallen off my bike. And of course, my age. It seems a lot of aches and pains come with age.

Let's pretend we're moving!

On my list of New Year's Resolutions is #11--clean out and rearrange the kitchen cabinets by pretending we're moving! We're not, of course, we absolutely love it here and haven't missed our home of 34 years even one day. So today, I'm standing on a chair cleaning a cabinet I can't reach unless I'm on a chair. Top shelf had only the waffle maker and my mother's decorative ceramic pie holder. But the next shelf down, the one I can reach, Oh My! Empty containers and a ton of supplements.

I found CVS Natural Fish Oil 120 mg, 100 softgels, probably about 90 left in the container. I looked it up here and here and here. So, I guess I'll keep them. We don't eat a lot of fish. Burp.