Essential information to consider when purchasing and using Fish Oil to supplement your diet.
Source: KC Craichy, The Super Health Diet
- The purest forms of fish oil are derived from sardines and anchovies and purified through a flash – molecular distillation process.
- Fish oil must be rigorously tested to ensure it’s purity and safety.
- The most beneficial omega-3s are EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which can only be found in high concentration in fish oil. Plant -based omega-3 ALA (alpha linolenic acid) from flaxseed oil cannot give you all the benefits of fish oil.
- Only take a fish oil supplement that is in its Natural Triglyceride Form.
- When taking a fish oil, also take high quality full-spectrum vitamin E with tocotrienols and cocopherols, vitamin A, vitamin D, and the super antioxidant astaxanthin to protect against lipid peroxidation which can be toxic to every cell in the body.
- Along with fish oil, consider also taking GLA (a healthy omega-6) from borage seed oil or evening primrose oil, which in combination with fish oil helps balance the body’s anti-inflammatory pathways.
- Try to take your fish oil supplements an hour before a meal whenever possible, because the fiber in your meal can absorb these critically important fatty acids before they can reach your cells.
What to AVOID in Fish Oils
- Every species of commercial fish has been shown to contain unsafe levels of mercury and other contaminants.
- Farm raised fish are contaminated also as they are fed toxins.
- Super concentrated fish oils are altered from its natural triglycerides form and reconstructed into an unnatural etherified form for boosting the omega-3 index than the ethyl ester form.
- Choose fish oil instead of shellfish oils (krill oil). These oils do contain some omega-3EPA and DHA, but not nearly as much as fish oils and are far more expensive. Manufacturers claim shellfish oils are better utilized in the body, so one does not have to take as much and that they also contain some natural antioxidants to help prevent lipid peroxication. Most researchers do not believe that any enhancement in absorption is enough to offset the dramatically lower amounts of EPA and DHA.