An Expert Unveils The Recipe To Obtaining Exceptional Fish Oil Supplements
Numerous studies in recent years have called attention to the significance of omega 3 fatty acids for health. Our bodies cannot produce omega-3s, so we must obtain them in our diet. The most prevalent way that people obtain omega-3 is by eating fish. However, this article will break down the trouble with acquiring omega 3 fatty acids from fish, and then will clear up what to look for in fish oil supplements.
Fish No Longer a Secure Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Prior to fish oil supplements, consuming fish was the exclusive way to get omega-3s in our diet. This was an acceptable method, but the truths of an industrialized world means more water contamination. The end result is that fish have become tainted with all sorts of poisonous contaminants like mercury, PCBs, dioxins, arsenic and heavy metals. These pollutants contribute to a wide range of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, blindness, birth defects and even death.
Fish Oil Supplements Also Polluted Because of these problems, many more people are looking to fish oil supplements as a an answer. But, fish oil capsulesare handicapped by the same shortcomings, despite the fact that most fish oil companies claim that their fish oils are clean. A fairly new study by the Food Standards Agency in the UK instigated the withdrawal of numerous fish oil brands due to extreme levels of toxins!
Also, reflect upon this shocking report from Greenpeace about OmegaProtein, the biggest producer of fish oil products in the world. Their investigation attests that OmegaProtein’s fish oil products were discovered to be contaminated by poisonous quantities of flame retardants! However, perhaps we should take this information with skepticism bearing in mind Greenpeace’s ideological leanings, but if accurate, it is very frightening! So now that you know some of the risks inherent in fish oil supplements, what can be done about it? Luckily, there are a handful of guidelines that make it straightforward to assess a fish oil supplement for potency and safety.
The Cream of The Crop: The International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) Testing Program The ideal technique to know if a fish oil product is a pure, quality supplement is by choosing one that has been frequently tested by the International Fish Oil Standards program, or IFOS. The IFOS program is a voluntary 3rd-party certification group that evaluates fish oil supplements according to 5 guidelines:
* Meet and Exceeds All Testing Categories by the CRN and WHO
* Higher than 60% Concentration of Omega-3
* Amount of Oxidation Lower Than 75% of CRN Standard
* PCB Amount Lower Than 50% of Council for Responsible Nutrition Standard
* Dioxin Quantity Less Than 50% of WHO Standard
These standards were picked because the standards required by the CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition) and WHO (World Health Organization) were not stringent enough to permit higher doses of fish oil omega-3. To obtain the rewards of omega-3, one must regularly consume much more than just the 1,000 mg a day that has been usually recommended. The basis for why only 1 gram has been recommended, however, is due to pollution risks. This is obviously not a problem if you’re consuming an IFOS-tested supplement.
If you aren’t taking an IFOS-certified brand, you are clearly more in danger of ingesting impurities. Chances are, in spite of the fact that your fish oil product may profess to be purified by “superior molecular distillation” (a marketing phrase), it may not be harmless to take. Since the IFOS program reports the findings of their studies on their website, you can look up the best brands of omega-3 supplements on the market.
Read more about fish oil 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.
Tags: fish oil, fish oil supplements, health, omega 3