What to Look For in Fish Oil Supplements (And What to *Look Out* For!)
Countless studies in recent years have emphasized the value of omega-3s for wellness. Our bodies cannot manufacture omega-3s, so we must get them in our diet. The most common way that people obtain omega-3 is by eating fish. However, this guide shall explain the problems with deriving omega 3 fatty acids from fish, and then will clear up what to search for in fish oil supplements.
Brittany Q. Wallace is a health, with 10 years of experience and particular expertise in fish oil supplements. You can read more about fish oil supplements on her site.
Fish Isn't a Secure Source of Omega-3 Anymore
Previous to fish oil supplements, consuming fish was the exclusive way to obtain omega-3s in our diet. This was an acceptable method, but the truths of an industrialized planet means increased water contamination. The consequence is that fish have become contaminated with all types of poisonous contaminants like PCBs, mercury, arsenic, dioxins and heavy metals. These contaminants have been implicated in a wide variety of sicknesses such as blindness, cancer, birth defects and even death.
Omega-3 Supplements Are Also Adulterated
As a result of these dilemmas, more and more consumers are choosing fish oil supplements as a an answer. However, fish oil supplements are handicapped by the same problems, in spite of the fact that most fish oil companies claim that their goods are safe. A fairly new investigation by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK resulted in the withdrawal of numerous fish oil products due to toxic levels of contaminants!
Furthermore, turn your attention to this alarming report from Greenpeace about OmegaProtein, the biggest maker of fish oil products on the planet. Their investigative video shows that OmegaProtein's fish oil products were discovered to contain toxic levels of flame retardants! However, maybe we should take this information with skepticism considering Greenpeace's ideological leanings, but if true, it is extremely frightening!
So now that you are aware of many of the uncertainties inherent in fish oil supplements, what can you do about it? Fortunately, there are a handful of criterion that make it straightforward to evaluate an omega-3 supplement for strength and safety.
The Gold Standard: The International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) Program
The ideal method to ascertain if an omega-3 product is a pure, quality supplement is by picking one that's been frequently tested by the International Fish Oil Standards program, or IFOS. The IFOS program is a voluntary 3rd-party certification group that measures fish oil supplements along 5 criteria:
* Meet and Exceeds All Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and World Health Organization (WHO) Testing Categories
* Greater than 60% Concentration of Omega-3
* Levels of Oxidation Lower Than 75% of CRN Standard
* PCB Levels Less Than 50% of Council for Responsible Nutrition Standard
* Dioxin Amount Less Than 50% of WHO Standard
These benchmarks were selected because the standards used by the CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition) and WHO (World Health Organization) were not rigorous enough to allow larger doses of omega-3 fish oil. To obtain the rewards of fish oil, one must often take much more than just the 1,000 mg everyday that has been typically recommended. The rationale for why only 1 gram has been prescribed, however, is due to contamination risks. This is obviously not a dilemma if you're taking an IFOS-certified brand.
If you're not supplementing with an IFOS-tested product, you are definitely more in danger of consuming toxins. Chances are, despite the fact that your omega-3 brand may profess to be purified by 'advanced molecular distillation' (a marketing trick), it may not be harmless to take. Since the IFOS program reports the results of their certifications on their website, you can look up the best brands of omega-3 supplements on the market.
Comment on "What to Look For in Fish Oil Supplements (And What to *Look Out* For!)"
Related Articles:
What is Deep Sea Fish Oil and Do You Really Need It?
An greater familiarity of the benefits of omega-3 by the science and health community is the cause for the growing popularity of fish oil as reflected in the news and commercials Another name applied to describe fish oil is 'deep sea fish oils'
Your Health is at Risk With Out DHA From Fish in Your Diet
DHA is the most abundant essential fatty acid (polyunsaturated fatty acids) found in the brain and retina DHA is essential for the proper functioning of our brains as adults, and for the development of our nervous system and visual abilities during the first 6 months of life
Fish Oil: Possibly The Century's New Miracle Supplement
Recent research in this century has shown that the world, especially Americans, should increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acids that they consume. However, where does one find these nutrients? Well, one of the best sources of the omega-3 fatty acid is, conveniently, fish oil. The omega-3 fatty acids that are contained within fish oil can be broken down into two subnutrients that predominant the omega-3s in fish oil: EPA and DHA. EPA stands for eicosapentaenoic acid while DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid.
The Benefits Of Fish Oil Continue To Grow!
Omega-3 Fish oil continues to grow in popularity with mounting research to back it; even main stream doctors are recommending this oil to help improve cardiovascular health The active properties that give fish oil its benefit are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)