How do you get your Omega 3 fatty acids if fish is contaminated?

If you’re beginning to find out about the health benefits of Omega3 essential fatty acids you’ll find out that 2 primary Omega3 fats, namely DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), are found primarily in fish oil. And of course fish oil comes from fish. So the obvious conclusion if you wish to increase your intake of Omega3 essential fatty acids is to increase the amount of fish in your diet.

However although Omega3 oils are found in fish there are also some powerful reasons to avoid eating too much fish. One of these risks is Mercury contamination of fish, and for this reason the FDA recommend that many of us should avoid eating too much fish because of contamination with Mercury as well as other toxins.

So today lets look at Mercury contamination of fish, and consider whether fish is your best source of Omega3 fatty acids, or whether taking Omega3 supplements is a better alternative.

A 2009 study was one of the first to seriously examine Mercury levels in our marine environment and in our fish.

The conclusions of the study were concerning. It was found that 40 percent of Mercury exposure in people in the US came from tuna consumption, and that levels of Mercury in the Pacific were rising. The study found that Mercury levels in the North Pacific were 30 percent higher in 2006 than they were in 1996.

The Mercury was present in the form of methylmercury. It was found that the Mercury came primarily from 2 sources, from Asia and also from the atmosphere. It has been known for some time that atmospheric emissions of Mercury can contaminate the oceans, and this is now being combined with other Mercury sources.

Mercury is a serious toxin and can contribute to developmental problems in the fetus and the infant and has other serious health implications as well.

It was found that the methylmercury formed in mid depth water in the ocean and sank to the bottom with the help of algae, and that small organisms then picked it up, and it was then transported up the food chain to the large predators such as sharks and tuna. And of course it is these fish that we eat.

The FDA has issued warnings in the past about Mercury contamination of fish, although it has also suggested that the negative effects of Mercury intake may be outweighed by the positive effects of the Omega3 oil content of the fish.

However it seems clear that the levels of Mercury, as well as other toxic chemicals, in our fish are rising.

The American Heart Association recommends that we all have a minimum intake of fish because most of us are deficient in Omega3 fatty acids, and we should all be getting a minimum level of Omega3 oils.

Therefore there is a bit of a conundrum for those seeking to increase their Omega3 essential fatty acid intake. Do we eat more fish and risk increasing our intake of Mercury but also increasing our intake of Omega3 fish oil, or do we eat less fish to reduce our intake of Mercury thereby reducing our intake of Omega3?

Or is there another way?

This is of course an individual decision and there are no government guidelines telling us the best way to increase our Omega3 intake. However there are some considerations which should be taken into account.

The first is this. Fish is expensive, and getting increasingly more expensive over time, and fish is a declining resource. It seems quite clear that our oceans are over fished, and only recently there has been a reduction in the legal tuna catch for a number of nations involved in the tuna industry for this reason.

For these reasons, and also because of the risks of Mercury intake, people may choose not to increase their intake of fish if there is a better way to increase their Omega3 intake safely and cost-effectively. Why diminish a declining resource when there is a better way, particularly if you don’t like eating expensive fish that much?

Certainly there is a better way. The best Omega3 supplements, or what are also known as fish oil supplements, are a cost-effective way to increase your intake of Omega3 without eating more fish. The best Omega3 supplements are contamination free and tests show no detectable levels of Mercury at all. For this reason it is both cost effective and safe to take the best Omega3 capsules daily.

Note that not all Omega3 supplements are as good as others. The best Omega3 capsules have 2 1/2 times more DHA than regular capsules. Read our article about how to compare Omega3 supplements to find out more.

However if you like eating fish, and are prepared for the expense of eating more, together with the risks of increasing your Mercury intake, then eating fish is a good way to increase your Omega3 intake. Read the rest of this entry

It may pay to consider what your Omega 3 Omega 6 ratio is.

We talk a lot about Omega 3 essential fatty acids on our website, and for good reason, they’re extremely important to your health, as long as you get enough. But today we wanted to look at Omega 6 fatty acids, and what the Omega 3 Omega 6 ratio is. And how it affects you.

Omega 6 fats are also essential fatty acids. Omega6 is like Omega 3, we can’t make it in our bodies and so we need to get Omega 6 from our diet. However unlike Omega 3 fatty acids, which 90% if us are deficient in, we are not generally deficient in Omega 6 fats. Omega 6 fats are important for a number of reasons, including for maintenance of growth and for good general health. They are important for maintaining the health of the cells in the brain.

Omega 6 fatty acids can also go by the names n-6 fatty acids, w6 fatty acids and linoleic acids.

So whilst we need Omega 6 EFAs in our diet just like we need Omega 3, most of us get enough, if not too much.

Omega 6 fats come from completely different sources than the Omega 3 fatty acids. Omga 6 fats are found in plant sources like many of our oils, particularly corn oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil, sesame oil and peanut oil. Soybean oil is almost all Omega 6 fat.

And because many of these oils are used in the production of many of the processed foods we eat, like margarine, they are also found extensively in a wide range of foods we eat every day.

On top of that our meat is now higher in Omega 6 than it was. In the past our beef came from grass fed animals. Cows that eat grass are higher in Omega 3, because it’s found in grass. But now our animals are mainly grain fed, and as you can see the oils from grains are high in Omega 6. So our meat is now much higher in Omega 6 than it was.

Now on to the Omega 3 Omega 6 ratio. It is thought that some time ago we ate roughly as much Omega 3 as we ate Omega 6, That makes an Omega 3 Omega 6 ratio of 1:1.

However our diets have swung much more in favor of a higher intake of Omega 6, and a much lower intake of Omega 3, from eating less fish and from less Omega 2 in meat.

Some scientists suggest that some of us may have an Omega 6 Omega 3 ratio that is as high as 10 times as much 6 as 3. So as you can see we don’t need any more Omega 6. Some estimates are even that some of us can be eating more than 20 times as much Omega 6 as 3, and we have even seen estimates of a ratio of 30 times as much Omega 6 as 3.

Although not fully understood it is thought that a diet high in 6 and low in 3 can lead to some health problems, and that our Omega 3 Omega 6 ration should be somewhere much lower than it is now, perhaps around 1:3.

A high ratio, it is thought, can lead to thickening of the blood possibly leading to blood clots, a worsening of some autoimmune diseases and an increase in some inflammatory diseases, and more, including cancer. A lower ratio can is associated with a lower breast cancer risk. And there is a wide range of lifestyle diseases that are thought to be susceptible to a high ratio between the 2, including many that are related to inflammation in the body.

So there are 2 things you need to do if  you want to improve your ratio and lessen your risk of various diseases, some serious. You need to lower your intake of Omega 6 by lowering your intake of processed foods and oils, for instance by changing to good oils such as Olive Oil.

And you need to increase your intake of Omega 3 EFAs, by eating more fish and preferably by daily supplementation with high quality fish oil supplements.

Remember, although all essential fatty acids are essential, that doesn’t mean you don’t get enough of them. Read the rest of this entry

Can fish oil tablets help prevent colon cancer?

The health benefits of omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish oil tablets are well documented, and studies are now showing a link between an increase in intake of Omega3 fats and preventing colorectal cancer.

Studies have shown that increasing your intake of Omega3 fats is a part of cancer prevention. There are studies showing a link between fish oil and breast cancer prevention and also between fish oil and prostate cancer prevention. Now studies also showing that increasing your intake of omega 3 essential fats can help in preventing colon cancer.

A study undertaken in Scotland studied the effects of increasing the intake of Omega3 fatty acids on the risk of contracting colorectal cancer. The scientists undertaking the study found a significant relationship between increasing the dose of omega 3 fats DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and reducing the risk of colon cancer. As the intake of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids rose the risk of bowel cancer fell by up to 37 percent.

Interestingly the researchers also studied the effects of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) on the risks of contracting bowel cancer and found no relationship between increasing intake of ALA and the risk of colon cancer. ALA is an omega 3 fatty acid found in plants.

Research has established that ALA can be converted into DHA and EPA in the body however this is only true to a limited degree, and the 2 important omega 3 fatty acids are DHA and EPA. Both of these are found in fish oil and the most convenient way to increase your intake of these essential fats is to take fish oil tablets.

It was found that high intakes of EPA were associated with a reduction in the risk of cholera rectal cancer of up to 41 percent.

Because DHA and EPA are found primarily in fish oil the researchers examined the relationship between consumption of fish and the risk of colorectal cancer and concluded that those with the highest consumption of fish exhibited a 24 percent lower risk for developing colorectal cancer compared to those who ate the least fish.

It would seem from these results that there is a clear link between fish oil and preventing colon cancer. That is not to say at all that if you take fish oil tablets you will prevent bowel cancer. It is way more complicated than that however it would seem clear from this study that taking fish oil tablets containing DHA and EPA is an important part of an overall strategy to help prevent bowel cancer.

Of course there are many other things that you can do including examining your overall diet, examining your levels of exercise and more, however for the purposes of this website it would seem clear that increasing your consumption of fish oil is a valid part of an overall strategy to prevent cancer, including bowel cancer.

In another study in the Netherlands the authors conducted a review of a number of studies on the incidence of colo rectal cancer and the intake of fish oil. In all 14 studies were examined and the combined results show that the risk of cholera rectal cancer was 12 percent lower for those who consumed the highest level of fish compared to those who consumed the lowest.

In fact the authors calculated that for every meal of fish eaten per week the risk of bowel cancer was reduced by an estimated 4 percent. In other words those who ate 2 meals of fish per week had an estimated 8 percent reduction in the risk of bowel cancer.

Currently the average intake of fish in the US is way below that which would be adequate to achieve these results in helping to prevent bowel cancer.

The benefits of omega 3 essential fatty acids were established initially around 40 years ago when observations were made that populations of people who ate high levels of fish and seafood generally seemed to have much better health, and in particular heart health, then populations of people who ate a diet low in fish. Studies commenced to determine whether there was a link between fish consumption and health, and in particular whether increased fish consumption reduced various health risks.

This was in fact found to be the case and there is now significant scientific evidence that increasing your intake of omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish can reduce your risk of a wide range of health problems, and now that it can also help prevent cholera rectal cancer.

The next question then is how to increase your intake of omega 3 fatty acids. These are found in fish and in particular in oily fish, and of course you can simply increase the amount of fish you eat each week. This would seem obvious however it has it’s problems, in particular that fish is getting very expensive and is not generally a big part of our diet. It is also now well-known that fish harbors a range of contaminants such as mercury and various other heavy metals, PCBs and pesticides and more and the FDA advises us not to eat too much for these reasons.

Fish oil tablets are the obvious solution. These are capsules of fish oil which can be taken daily to ensure a regular and adequate supply of DHA and EPA in the diet, important as part of an overall diet to prevent cancer and a wide range of other health problems.

There are many brands of fish oil tablets on the market, some better than others. The very best fish oil tablets are completely free of contaminants and therefore you can take them daily confident that you are not risking your health consuming chemical toxins.

There are also considerations about the amount of active ingredients in the fish oil tablets. DHA and EPA are the active ingredients that are the source of the health benefits and there are wide variations in the amounts of these 2 fatty acids in the different brands of fish oil tablets available and for this reason it is very difficult to compare the different brands conveniently.

In our view, after doing a value-based comparison, which you can read, the fish oil tablets manufactured by Xtend Life are the best available, having up to 2 1/2 times as much DHA as many other fish oil tablets available, therefore representing much better value. Read the rest of this entry