Numerous studies in recent decades have called attention to the value of omega-3s for well-being. Our bodies cannot produce omega-3s, so we must acquire them in our food. The most common way that people consume omega-3 is by consuming fish. However, this guide shall explain the difficulty with deriving omega 3 fatty acids from fish, and then will go into detail what to aim for in fish oil supplements.
Fish Is Not a Safe Source of Omega-3 Any Longer
Previous to fish oil supplements, eating fish was the exclusive way to obtain omega-3s in our diet. This was an effective method, but the actualities of a post-industrial world means added water pollution. The consequence is that fish have become adulterated with all types of poisonous contaminants like PCBs, mercury, arsenic, dioxins and heavy metals. These toxins play a part in a wide variety of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, blindness, birth defects and even death.
Omega-3 Supplements Are Also Adulterated Due to these dilemmas, many more people are choosing fish oil supplements as a an answer. But, fish oil supplementsare handicapped by the same shortcomings, despite the fact that the majority of fish oil producers claim that their fish oils are uncontaminated. A recent study by the UK’s Food Standards Agency instigated the withdrawal of several fish oil brands because of extreme levels of contaminants!
Also, think about this alarming report from Greenpeace about OmegaProtein, the biggest manufacturer of fish oil products on the planet. Their investigation attests that OmegaProtein’s fish oil merchandise were discovered to contain poisonous amounts of flame retardants! However, maybe we should take this information with a grain of salt bearing in mind Greenpeace’s ideological stance, but if accurate, it is very scary! So now that you know many of the uncertainties possible in fish oil supplements, what can you do about it? Luckily, there are a handful of criterion that make it simple to judge an omega-3 supplement for potency and safety.
The Gold Standard: The International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) Certification Program The best technique to ascertain if a fish oil product is a pure, quality supplement is by picking one that has been frequently tested by the International Fish Oil Standards program, or IFOS. The IFOS program is a voluntary third-party testing organization that evaluates fish oil supplements according to 5 parameters:
* Passes All Testing Categories by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and World Health Organization (WHO)
* Higher than 60% Concentration of Omega-3
* Oxidation Amount Less Than 75% of Council for Responsible Nutrition Requirement
* PCB Amount Less Than 50% of CRN Requirement
* Dioxin Quantity Lower Than 50% of World Health Organization Standard
These guidelines were picked because the standards applied by the CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition) and WHO (World Health Organization) were not stringent enough to let higher intake of omega-3 fish oil. To obtain the advantages of omega-3, one must frequently consume more than just the 1,000 mg a day that has been normally advised. The rationale for why only 1 gram has been recommended, however, is due to adulteration risks. This is obviously not a problem if you’re ingesting an IFOS-tested product.
If you’re not supplementing with an IFOS-tested product, you are most likely more at risk of ingesting toxins. Chances are, despite the fact that your fish oil brand may claim to be sterilized by “superior molecular distillation” (a marketing phrase), it may not be safe to take. Since the IFOS program posts the outcomes of their certifications on their website, you can research the best brands of fish oil supplements available.
Read more about fish oil supplements by visiting Brittany A.M. Wallace’s website. Brittany is a health and nutrition expert that studied fish oil omega 3 benefits for nearly a decade.
