An Expert Discloses The Blueprint To Acquiring Prime Fish Oil Supplements
Countless studies in recent times have underscored the significance of omega 3 fatty acids for health. Our bodies cannot produce omega-3s, so we must acquire them in our diet. The most common way that people obtain omega-3 is by ingesting fish. However, this article shall illustrate the trouble with deriving omega 3 fatty acids from fish, and then will clear up what to search for in fish oil supplements.
Fish No Longer a Secure Source of Omega-3
Previous to fish oil supplements, eating fish was the exclusive way to get omega-3s in our diet. This was an effective method, but the realities of an industrialized planet means increased water contamination. The unfortunate outcome is that fish have become tainted with all sorts of poisonous contaminants like mercury, PCBs, dioxins, arsenic and heavy metals. These toxins play a part in a broad range of chronic conditions such as blindness, cancer, birth defects and even death.
Fish Oil Supplements Are Also At Risk of Contamination Because of these dilemmas, more and more consumers are looking to fish oil supplements as a remedy. But, fish oilsare handicapped by the same risks, in spite of the fact that most fish oil manufacturers claim that their products are clean. A fairly new study by the UK’s Food Standards Agency instigated the removal of numerous fish oil products due to excessive levels of contaminants!
Furthermore, turn your attention to this surprising report from Greenpeace about OmegaProtein, the biggest producer of fish oil products on the planet. Their investigative video reveals that OmegaProtein’s fish oil merchandise were found to contain toxic quantities of flame retardants! However, perhaps we should take this news with skepticism bearing in mind Greenpeace’s ideological stance, but supposing it is true, it is particularly alarming! Now that you are aware of some of the dangers possible in fish oil supplements, what can be done about it? Luckily, there are a handful of guiding principles that make it straightforward to evaluate an omega-3 supplement for potency and safety.
The Gold Standard: The International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) Program The preeminent method to know if an omega-3 product is a sound, quality supplement is by choosing one that has been consistently certified by the International Fish Oil Standards program, or IFOS. The IFOS program is a voluntary third-party testing organization that measures fish oil supplements according to 5 guidelines:
* Meet and Exceeds All Testing Categories by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and World Health Organization (WHO)
* Greater than 60% Concentration of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
* Oxidation Levels Less Than 75% of Council for Responsible Nutrition Requirement
* PCB Amount Less Than 50% of Council for Responsible Nutrition Requirement
* Dioxin Amount Lower Than 50% of World Health Organization Requirement
These standards were picked because the standards used 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 rewards of omega-3, one must frequently take much more than simply the 1 gram everyday that has been normally recommended. The rationale for why only 1 gram has been prescribed, however, is due to adulteration risks. This is plainly not a dilemma if you’re consuming an IFOS-tested product.
If you aren’t supplementing with an IFOS-certified brand, you are definitely more in danger of ingesting impurities. Chances are, in spite of the fact that your fish oil supplement may claim to be purified by “advanced molecular distillation” (a marketing ploy), it may not be harmless to take. Since the IFOS organization publishes the findings of their certifications on their website, you can research the best brands of omega-3 supplements obtainable.
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.