You never used to worry about keeping two feet on the floor. But with each passing year, falls become more of a risk. And avoiding taking a tumble isn’t as easy as it may sound.
It’s not your fault. Aging can create a perfect storm of sorts that leads to your rising risk for falls. Medications we take, muscle loss, neuropathies, and even dehydration can combine to make it tougher to stay upright.
The proof is in the numbers. There are about 100,000 falls EVERY day among older Americans. And every year, three million seniors are treated for falls in ERs, and, tragically, 32,000 die because of injuries from those falls.
But new research reveals a simple cheat that could help keep you on your feet. It’s a single natural supplement that you almost certainly should be taking anyway for its many other health benefits.
Now, you can add one more to the list… reducing your risk for falls.
Reduce falls with fish oil? Signs say, “YES!”
Falls can lead to some of the most devastating and debilitating injuries in seniors.
Nearly every hip fracture, for example, is caused by a fall (over 95 percent of them, according to the CDC). And falls are a top cause of disability, loss of independence, chronic pain, and a lower quality of life.
But the new study shows one way you may be able to reduce your chances of ending up on the floor. And it couldn’t be easier. Simply swallow some fish oil.
In the new study, just one gram per day of EPA and DHA fatty acids combined was associated with a healthy 10 percent drop in the risk for falls. And that drop could make a major difference given those three million annual ER visits.
A reduction of 10 percent means humble, ordinary fish oil could potentially help prevent 300,000 trips to the emergency room (not to mention all the pain and misery that follows falls).
And the true benefit might even be bigger for some folks. The study finds that patients who had higher omega-3 levels before the study began… in other words before they were given the supplements… were even less likely to fall.
For them, the odds of falls plunged by 17 percent.
That strongly suggests that a bit more may be better in this case. Higher levels of omega-3s… whether from diet, supplements, or best of all from both combined… could deliver a much bigger benefit.
Boost omega-3s for bunches of benefits
Many people may need more than one gram per day in any case. The prescription omega-3 “drugs,” for example, have a suggested daily dose of 2-4 grams per day to reduce triglycerides.
That’s generally not an unsafe level but talk to a doctor before taking that much on your own. Because if you’re on blood thinners or certain other medications, you need to be more cautious.
Along with potentially cutting the odds of falls, daily omega-3 supplements could also help reduce your risks for heart attack, stroke, dementia, diabetes, and more.
For more on omega-3s, including how to make the most of their benefits, see my earlier report, Natural omega-3 fatty acids PROVEN to save lives.
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