Something’s Fishy… Choose your fish oil supplement wisely
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past several years, you’ve heard about Omega 3 fatty acids… Probably quite a bit about them. For a very quick synopsis, our bodies need a certain balance between Omega 6 fatty acids (which are pro-inflammatory), and Omega 3 fatty acids (which are anti-inflammatory). The ideal ratio of Omega 6s to Omega 3s is thought to be less than 4:1, but the typical American diet has nearly twenty times more Omega 6s than Omega 3s! This improper ratio causes chronic inflammation at the cellular level and has been linked with heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer’s, ADHD and more.
Earlier in human evolution, our diets provided the correct balance between Omega 6s and Omega 3s, but today (especially in American culture) the 6s are prolific and the 3s are scarce. While it is important to eat foods that are high in Omega 3s – fatty fish like salmon, walnuts, flax seed and leafy green vegetables – taking a daily supplement to ensure a consistent dose is a pretty darn good idea. Omega 3 supplements can come from several sources, but fish oil is very common and probably the most beneficial. This is because fish oil provides two specific types of Omega 3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. Without boring you with more details (that’s what the Wikipedia links are for), these puppies are remarkably good for your brain, your heart and your health in general.
That brings me to choosing a fish oil supplement. These days you can find them nearly everywhere, including the grocery store, the pharmacy and even Wal-Mart. But not all fish oil supplements are created equal! I suggest taking fish oil, but I suggest being very selective about which brand you choose – don’t go for the cheapest one you can find, because quality counts.
My most important piece of advice is to make sure the label states that the product is free of toxic heavy metals like mercury and lead. If it doesn’t say this somewhere, don’t buy it. Toxic heavy metals are present in our everyday environment already (think air pollution and acid rain). Our bodies are managing them to an extent, but why take a daily dose if you can avoid it? Better quality fish oils are made from fish harvested in non-polluted waters, so they are free of these toxins.
Here are some excellent brands to look for:
Spectrum (some “regular†grocery stores carry this brand, in addition to Whole Foods)
Nordic Naturals (look for this brand at Whole Foods or other health food stores)
Res-Q 1250 (available online)
My product of choice at the moment is Spectrum Fish Oil Softgels (1,000 mg) – I find them to be a great value and easy to find.
Other Pointers:
- Even if the label doesn’t tell you to, always refrigerate your fish oil after opening. This goes for any fatty acid supplements you take (like flax oil, for example). It seems that the healthier the fat, the more unstable it is, and refrigeration helps retain freshness.
- The fish oil shouldn’t smell fishy – if it does, it is poor quality and/or has gone rancid, so throw it out.
- I would recommend capsules over liquid (unless you can find the liquid in a glass bottle or something other than plastic?) because I’ve recently heard there is concern about BPA and other bad chemicals from plastic leaching into liquid oil supplements. Plus, capsules are easier to take, if you ask me.
- Lastly, I highly recommend feeding an Omega 3 supplement to dogs, cats and horses, but please apply these rules when choosing a product for your animals as well! And yes, horses benefit from fish oil, even though they are herbivores. Consider a combo of flax seed and fish oil for the horses in you life.
Lastly, for my vegetarian friends, Spectrum also makes a vegetarian DHA! Scroll to the bottom of this page to check it out.
 Little Thing #3 « MainelyHealthy wrote @ [...] Read my tips for choosing a good fish oil supplement (because they are not all created equal) [...]
没有评论:
发表评论