Fish Oil and Omega-3: Is There a Downside to Taking Fish Oil Supplements?

Written by Our Expert Health Supplements Author: Werner L. Knoepp PhD

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It's virtually impossible to be alive and conscious these days and not be aware of Fish Oil as a prominent component in a health supplementation regimen. Hardly any contemporary health literature can be found that fails to extol somewhere within its pages, the boundless virtues of Fish Oil, particularly the Omega-3 Fish Oil variety. Sometimes the author's motivations are pure; a sincere desire to impart information. More often, the objective of selling a product comes into play and the truth is stretched, often beyond any reasonable bounds. So what, actually, are the facts concerning Fish Oil and Omega-3 Fish Oil?

WHAT HAS OMEGA-3 TO DO WITH ANYTHING?

A major health issue, rarely discussed anywhere and almost never discussed by your doctor is your inflammation status. We're not talking about the good kind of inflammation that occurs when your finger picks up a sliver. This is a temporary condition that helps you fight off infection. The destructive inflammation that is inherent in all of us to some degree is the chronic inflammation we don't know about. Health, brains, appearance; all are affected by chronic inflammation hiding outside the bounds of our awareness. Over time, it destroys us. Chronic inflammation has many causes; oxidants, dietary deficiencies, prostaglandins, and other factors.

Chronic inflammation builds so gradually that we cannot see or feel it happening until one day we wake up with aches and pains, "senior moments," dried out hair, itchy skin, and splitting nails. We wonder where this all comes from and our doctor doesn't have a satisfactory answer. The most likely answer is that we're short of Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs).

Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids are a unique component of fish and fish oils. To a lesser extent, Omega-3 are in eggs. Omega-3 oils have very powerful preventive and curative properties, proven time and again in laboratory and clinical studies. Here's what Omega-3 Fish oils have been shown to do :

1. Fish Oils help reduce cholesterol and triglycerides and lower the risk of heart attack and stroke.
2. Fish Oils help prevent fatal heart rhythm disturbances.
3. Fish Oils reduce the "stickiness" of blood platelets and the amount of fibrinogen in the blood, reducing the risk of clot formation.
4. Fish Oils help reduce the risk of breast cancer and possibly assist in the treatment of the disease.
5. Fish Oils provide relief from the itching and scaling of psoriasis.
6. Fish Oils reduce the body's rejection of tissue grafts.
7. Fish Oils aid in the reduction and severity of migraine headaches.
8. Fish Oils fight the harmful effects of prostaglandins which lower immunity and encourage tumor growth; help prevent breast cancer.
9. Fish Oils help in preventing arteriosclerosis.
10. Fish Oils keep hair, skin and nails healthy.
11. Fish Oils aid in alleviating rheumatoid arthritis.

SO WHAT IS THE DOWNSIDE OF FISH OILS?

As with any nutritional product on the market, there are good fish oils and bad fish oils. Purity of the fish oils is a major factor to consider, and also a very significant problem for the producer. Heavy metals, PCBs, and dioxins contaminate vast areas of our oceans and the fish caught in these shipping lanes are heavily laced with these toxins. Fish oils are particularly sensitive to pollution and to get around this, many manufacturers resort to synthetic fish oils. Even though, through technical manipulations, they can call these products "natural," they're not, and consistently fail to yield the results we're looking for.

Fish oil needs to be derived from freshly harvested fish taken in deep waters far removed from the major shipping lanes. The raw materials need to be handled with the utmost care from boat to bottle to ensure that the all important freshness is maintained. The fish themselves need to be caught by smaller vessels, not by the large factory ships that catch them and then freeze them at sea. Instead, the fish need to be maintained fresh in ice and must arrive at the processing plant within seven hours of catch. There must be no by-catch mixed in with them. Full traceability must be maintained throughout the entire process from catch to bottle.

During the formulation and manufacture of the fish oil product, bioavailability of the fish oil must be kept under close control. No corner cutting here. If the body is unable to utilize the nutrients in the fish oil, the product is worthless.

MANY FISH OIL PRODUCTS FALL SHORT

Omega-3 Fish Oil by itself contains only 50% of the nutrients we should expect to get from any fish oil product. What's missing is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) Without a doubt, DHA is the most complex and beneficial fatty acid as far as the human body is concerned and taking a fish oil supplement without it is losing out on the major benefits inherent in it. DHA is essential for the growth and functional development of the brain in infants and is absolutely required for normal brain function in adults.

Every fish oil product needs to incorporate DHA within its formulation. It it doesn't the fish oil will yield only half its full potential. This DHA is produced by molecular distillation of ethyl ester tuna oil from fish caught and handled in the same careful manner as the deep water hoki fish used in the highest quality fish oils. The result then, if all these conditions are met, will be an unsurpassed. Omega-3/DHA Fish Oil.

A VERY IMPORTANT CAUTION!

Both Fish Oil and Vitamin E are excellent blood thinners. Anyone already on prescription blood thinners is urged to communicate with his doctor before taking either of these supplements. Usually, a compounded form of Omega-3/DHA can take the place of a prescription blood thinner, but a serious discussion with the doctor is needed before making any changes. While Vitamin E is a bit less agressive as a blood thinner, anyone taking it and scheduled for surgery is urged to stop taking it at least two weeks before surgery and to let the surgeon know about this. Other than that, Omega-3/DHA Fish oil is probably the most beneficial supplement anyone can take; provided only that it is the highest quality fish oil obtainable.

WHEN ONLY THE BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH

Currently there is only a single manufacturer, in New Zealand, that consistently meets the requirements for the production of the highest quality, most beneficial fish oils. This manufacturer maintains a website loaded with informative material on numerous health and wellness subjects. Staff is available on line to answer questions, worldwide shipping is prompt and an unconditonal money back guarantee forms a part of every sale.Very well worth a visit to learn more about fish oil and other health supplements They can be reached by clicking here.

For unbiased and thoughtful commentary on Health and Wellness issues, Alternative, complimentary, and holistic medicine, pay a visit to LeQuadrillage by clicking here. Health Book and product reviews, supplement information and treatment alternatives. Nothing is sold directly here and your confidence in us is our most valued asset.

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