Fish Oil

Fetuses and infants simply must get enough omega-3 oils for ideal brain development. In a research study of premature babies, those who were fed breast milk had eight points higher IQ at age eight than those fed a standard bay formula. This suggests that the higher amounts of DHA in breast milk can attribute to increased intelligence.

Physicians also advise expectant mothers to add omega-3’s into their diet particularly during the last trimester where most critical brain growth happens. Studies also show that boys with lower levels of omega-3 fat have greater tendencies of behavioral problems like hyperactivity, anxiousness or temper tantrums.

Brain cells simply need DHA to function at their highest levels. If our diets are low in omega-3 fatty acids and the brain cells do not get enough, our brains will suffer and inevitably, we will also. But when it is supplied with what it needs, the brain can function much better. The brain
is kind of like a relay race. Thought travels thru electrical signals through the brain, getting passed like a baton from one neuron to another. For a signal to enter a neuron, the signal needs to pass through the walls of the neuron, called cell membranes. These walls consist exlusively of fats and twenty percent of these are essential fatty acids like omega-3’s.

Omega-3’s are claimed to strengthen our synapses, making it easier for signals to cross the space between the brain cells.
Since omega-3’s are essential fats,the question becomes: Where can we get this vital material?

Although long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in somewhat small quantities in foods like walnuts, flaxseed and a few others, the most beneficial form of Omega-3’s, the fatty acids DHA and EPA, can only be found in fish like salmon, tuna, herring, anchovies, mackerel, sablefish and bluefish, etc.

Oddly, omega-6 oils like those found in corn and sunflower seed oils as well as the majority of margarines often neutralize the benefits of omega-3’s, so one is well advised to take olive oil and canola oil in their place. Sadly, most Americans consume a dangerously inadequate supply of omega-3’s and an excess of omega-6 fatty acids.

Let us just say that the ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be around 1 to 1, but the average American ratio ranges from 20 to 1 to 50 to 1.

In addition, fish oil in the form of daily supplements has proven to be a superb replacement, particularly for those that do not eat fish at all or very often, those who simply do not like fish, those pregnant and nursing who should be avoiding mercury or those that are allergic. Speaking of mercury, this issue should be taken into serious consideration, as fish of all types from all waters are now demonstrating hazardous levels of tasteless but toxic mercury. Some physicians are beginning to inform their patients about this metal which is taking up residence inside the bodies of fish because of our polluted environment. There is some salmon which that you can buy for an enormous price which has been lab tested for mercury and other toxins.

Although there is no established RDA for Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA and DHA), much of the medical research on the benefits of these nutrients is conducted using amounts of one thousand mg and more.

For instance, according to GISSI-Prevenzione Investigators: “Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E after myocardial infarction: Results of the GISSI-Prevenzione trial.” Lancet 354:447-455 (1999). This study was conducted using approximately one thousand milligrams of Omega-3 fatty acids. For more data about fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids, visit Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil and find out more.

Ryan Joseph is a write/researcher. For more information visit http://www.theultimatefishoil.com

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The research in support of dietary omega-3 fatty acids (such as in fish oils) continues to flood the scientific literature. This is perfectly predictable given our genetic roots. In the wild, eating natural raw foods, we would be consuming large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids daily. But today, on processed, grain-based diets, we get little.

Instead, we have dramatically increased the consumption of omega-6 fatty acids. Although these too are essential in the diet, their excess results in a pro-inflammatory response that lies at the base of a mix of modern degenerative diseases such as arthritis, autoimmunities and heart disease. The natural diet should have a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 of about 1:1, but today is more like 20 or 30 to 1! See a problem?

Certain fish, algae, some vegetables, grass-fed meats, wild meats, high omega-3 eggs, seeds such as flax and supplements help. Variety is always important. Any food may contain toxins, so varying the diet gives the body an opportunity to detoxify.

For example, fish can contain the toxins methyl mercury and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), both by-products of our industrial age that gravitate into water. These are lipophilic (fat loving) and thus are present in fish oils and then tend to accumulate in our fat depots when consumed. This is a consideration for dieters since the lipophilic toxins in fat stores that are being rapidly melted away can flood the body, potentially creating a toxic shock. (Not an excuse to not lose weight here, just a caution on radical weight loss or repeated yo-yo dieting.)

This is also of particular concern for pregnant and nursing moms since these toxins can transfer to and accumulate in the fetus, increasing the risk of abnormalities, disease and weakness.

Increasing the amount of omega-3s is not easy and requires a purposeful shift in dietary habits. Official dietary agencies are recommending about 0.65g/day of omega-3s (EPA, DHA) for pregnant and lactating women, and about 1g for people with cardiovascular risk. (These are conservative. In the wild we would naturally consume much more.) To obtain the 1g/day level, 210g of canned light tuna in oil would need to be consumed or about 50g of farmed Atlantic Salmon. Fish type is important, with the cold-water species having the highest concentrations of omega-3s.

Other fish such as tilefish, swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tuna steaks increase the risk of mercury exposure. One can estimate that PCB intake parallels fish consumption.

Omega-3 dietary supplements vary widely in omega-3 content, ranging from 50% to 150% of label claims. Supplements can as well contain mercury and PCBs. Omega-3s are very fragile and can easily convert to toxins themselves when exposed to heat, light, air and water so supplements should be chosen carefully and stored properly.

My feeling is the risk from the toxins is less than the risk of not increasing omega-3s in the diet. For example, the concentration of PCBs in supplements ranges from 2% to 43% of recommended safe levels. If fish are eaten as the main source of omega-3s, variety is what will decrease the risk.

The wise course is to follow the Optimal Health Program

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