There has been much discussion lately about whether taking fish oil pills can be dangerous to your health. But why in the world could fish oil supplements be dangerous, aren’t essential fatty acids meant to be good for your health?

There is ample evidence that taking Omega 3 supplements containing fish oil, which is high in the essential fatty acids known as DHA and EPA, is good for your health. The health benefits of essential fatty acid supplementation are well recognized and such organizations as the American Heart Association recommends that we all have minimum levels of intake of essential fatty acids, because doing so attracts a wide range of heart health benefits.

Of course we can do that by eating plenty of oily fish but for most of us this means taking fish oil pills.

And as well as the beneficial effects of essential fatty acid supplementation to the heart there is also a wide range of beneficial health effects more generally. In fact the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids go on and on.

So why could taking fish oil pills be dangerous to your health? The debate raging over the last few days is about the presence of PCBs in fish oil supplements.

PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl) are industrial chemicals that are man made. They have been linked to various types of environmental contamination as well as to a range of health risks to people who consume foods containing PCBs. They are considered to be carcinogenic and can also lead to reproductive toxicity and are extremely persistent, meaning that they do not break down in the environment and that they can make their way up the food chain.

This has been well-known for quite some time and the manufacture of PCBs has been banned in the US for around 30 years.

The reason that there is a current discussion about PCBs in omega 3 fish oil pills is that a lawsuit has recently been launched against some manufacturers of fish oil supplements alleging that contrary to the provisions of Proposition 65 under California law they have failed to alert the public to the risks of PCBs in their products. The law requires that consumers be warned where the fish oil supplements contain levels of PCBs in excess of a prescribed amount.

Although not all brands of fish oil capsules have been tested a number have and there is a wide discrepancy between different brands of omega-3 fish oil pills in the levels of PCBs discovered. Some brands had significantly higher levels than others.

Under proposition 65 there is a recommended maximum level for PCBs as a cancer risk but the risks of PCBs to reproductive toxicity are less well understood and there is no maximum levels set.

Therefore it would seem to make sense, when consumers are seeking to buy omega 3 fish oil supplements, that they seek to buy the supplements with the lowest level of PCB contamination. This seems to be the object of the lawsuit and in the backgrounder it states that “the only guideline consumers can follow is that less is safer”. This would make sense.

How do you determine the level of PCBs found in your essential fatty acid supplements? If you’re looking to buy high quality omega 3 fatty acids supplements you should be able to find a Certificate of Analysis for the fish oil used in the capsules, which would commonly be available on the website, and it should specify the level of PCBs detected on testing.

A different question is how much PCBs are acceptable. There are different organizations offering different maximum levels of PCBs to be found in fish oil pills. You can find a comparison table of the different maximum recommended levels here.

This table comes from the website of  Xtend Life who make what we consider to be the finest as well as the cleanest fish oil supplements available on the market. If you examine the table you will see that the maximum level for PCBs set by Xtend Life is almost 10 times lower than that of the International Fish Oil Standards and almost 20 times lower than the standard set by the Council for Responsible Nutrition.

In addition if you examine the most recent Certificate of Analysis (from the 23rd of February 2010) of the fish oil used in their Omega3 supplements you will see that PCBs are not detected. That does not mean that they are not present however it does mean that current science is unable to detect any PCBs in the fish oil samples.

The testing that led to the court action has found significant levels of PCBs in a number of different brands of fish oil pills.

This suggests to us that as well as being the best fish oil supplements on the market they also have an extremely low level of PCBs present under current methods of scientific testing, substantially lower than the brands tested, and perhaps none at all.

However to satisfy yourself should visit the website of Xtend Life and read their information about the cleanliness of their fish oil supplements yourself. And you will see their explanation on that page of why their test results are so clean.

So to summarize, there are clear benefits of fish oil supplementation. There is little doubt about that. However there can also be risks of contamination from PCBs (and other toxins too) in some brands, and it pays to do your research to find out the cleanest fish oil pills on the market. For the reasons previously stated it seems clear to us that the Omega-3 fatty acids supplements from Xtend Life fit the bill and, after spending some time on their website you should see why.

But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. There are clear fish oil benefits, there is now little doubt about that. Don’t let the current controversy about PCBs convince you that you should stop taking fish oil pills. Just make sure that your essential fatty acids don’t come with some unwanted additions.

If you’ve spent some time researching the benefits of Omega 3 polyunsaturated essential fatty acids you will inevitably come across odorless fish oil capsules. Today we want to look at what odorless fish oil capsules contain and consider whether you need to buy them.

As you may be aware the health and heart benefits of omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish are well-established, and there are good reasons why all of us, with the exception perhaps of those amongst us who eat a lot of oily fish, should be taking Omega-3 essential fatty acid supplements to reduce the risk of various diseases, to improve our overall health and in particular to reduce our risk of coronary heart disease.

However reviews of various fishoil products by customers of these products have mentioned a particular problem with various brands of fish oil softgels. The problem is what is known as “fishy burps”, or in other words repeating of the fishy taste, or that the person who has taken the omega 3 supplement experiences a form of fishy aftertaste some time after taking the capsules.

For this reason it is now possible to buy “odourless omega 3 supplements”, or odourless omega 3 liquid softgels. However we question whether it is important to find fish oil supplements that are odorless or whether the truth about odorless omega 3 capsules is a little more fishy.

The question that needs to be asked is what is it that causes that fishy aftertaste. If the fishy aftertaste is merely an inevitable result of taking any form of omega-3 supplement and there may be nothing that can be done about it, but we do not believe that to be the case. There are excellent brands of omega 3 supplements that are not specifically marketed as “odorless” but which are not reported in user ratings as causing a fishy burps sensation.

So why is it that some brands of omega 3 capsules repeat and others do not? It all comes down to the quality of the oil used in the softgels. Fish oil can oxidize, or go rancid, just as seafood can go off after a period of time. The highest quality Omega3 supplements use oil which has come from fish which are extremely fresh. Fresh fish oil does not smell “fishy” but oil which has been allowed to go rancid with age will do. If old oil is used in omega 3 softgels then there is a good probability that it will smell fishy.

If you take an omega 3 capsule and break it open there should be no smell. If there is then the oil used is rancid. Some brands of Omega 3 capsules actually use masking agents to help mask the smell of rancid oil. You are most likely to get that fishy aftertaste from these capsules. There is no need to look for odorless fish oil supplements. What you do need to find is high quality supplements that use oil from fresh fish that has not had time to go rancid. This oil will, by definition, be odorless.

If you’re in doubt about any supplements that you may have just cut one open and put it to the smell test.

Or if you’re feeling particularly scientific you can visit the website of the manufacturer of those Omega-3 supplements and examine the Certificate of Analysis of the oil used. Any manufacturer of high quality Omega3 capsules should publish regular Certificates of Analysis on their websites so that customers and prospective customers can see for themselves exactly what they are getting. It is the oxidation level in the Certificate of Analysis that will tell you whether or not the oil is rancid. The lower the figure oxidation the fresher the oil.

And if the manufacturer doesn’t publish a Certificate of Analysis buy different capsules.

If you’d like to find out more details about Omega 3 capsule freshness then you can find a much more detailed explanation of oxidation values and more information about freshness of your capsules. Read this page from Xtend Life which we consider make the best (and freshest) fish oil capsules.

But the bottom  line is that there is no need to buy odorless fish oil capsules. High quality capsules should not repeat, if yours are then change your brand.

Hopefully now you know a little more about odorless fish oil, and why, if you’re searching for odourless fish oil supplements because of a fishy aftertaste you need to consider changing your brand of supplements. There is no doubt that omega-3 fatty acids are good for you, but you don’t need to be suffering from a fishy aftertaste when you take your capsules.

Help support and maintain your health. Just about everyone needs to supplement their diet with Omega 3 polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. Odorless capsules, though, are unnecessary. The truth about odorless fish oil supplements is that they are just stale.

The scientific evidence linking fish oil intake with improvements in various types of cancers is increasing. There is now good evidence that anyone suffering from cancer should be taking Omega 3 supplements containing fish oil. Cancer sufferers can benefit in a number of areas from omega 3 supplementation.

For instance research in Scotland has found a clear link between increasing your intake of fish oil and bowel cancer risk reduction. The Scottish study examined whether there was a relationship between increasing the intake of omega 3 essential fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and a reduced risk of colon cancer. The results were that increasing Omega 3 fish oil intake could result in a reduced risk of colon cancer by up to 37 percent.

There is also an emerging omega 3 breast cancer link. Researchers from Indiana University have found that it is possible to reduce the growth of breast cancer cells by a combination of Omega3 fatty acid intake together with a drug called Propofol. Research published in the Journal of Breast Cancer Research suggested that this combination actually triggered some of the cancer cells to die spontaneously.

Another study undertaken in the National Cancer Centre in South Korea found that increased intake of Omega 3 fats can decrease the risk of breast cancer.   The conclusion of this study was, and we quote,”These results suggest that high consumption of fatty fish is associated with a reduced risk for breast cancer, and that the intake of ω-3 fatty acids from fish is inversely associated with postmenopausal breast cancer risk.”

On top of this it would seem that there is also an omega 3 prostate cancer link. Studies are also showing a link between Omega 3 essential fatty acid intake and prostate cancer reduction.

In fact there is a range of studies showing a fish oil cancer reduction link for a range of different cancers. Whilst in most cases it is probably too early to say that it is clearly shown that increasing your intake of fish oil can prevent or reduce the risk of some cancers there is no doubt that there is growing evidence linking increased omega 3 intake with a reduction in the risk of cancer.

It has long been known that better nutrition lowers the risk of certain cancers and it is also known that omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish are extremely important for our good overall health. It would therefore make sense that by increasing our level of good nutrition by increasing our intake of Omega3 fats we may well be able to reduce our risk of a number of cancers. And it is known that the average American has a diet way too low in the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA.

Whilst it is probably too early to state specifically that increasing your intake of Omega3 fats will lower your risk of cancer there is now clear evidence that for a range of other health reasons we should all be eating more fish, which in itself brings risks to our health because of chemical contamination of fish, or supplementing our diet with high quality Omega3 supplements every day. Whether or not our risk of cancer is reduced our general health, including our heart health will certainly be improved.

But whilst researchers have been studying fish oil and cancer reduction, others have been studying reduction in the risk of cancer from other natural substances. There is now also growing evidence that natural substances such as lycopene which is an ingredient of tomatoes also has a role in helping us prevent certain cancers. We quote from one of these studies, which says : “Numerous studies have demonstrated the anticancer activity of the tomato carotenoid, lycopene”.

Specifically there is now evidence that increasing the intake of lycopene can have a role in helping reduce the risk of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.

Along with very good scientists who study these things there is also some excellent health companies that are able to take the results of this research to produce products that take advantage of the health benefits of ingredients such as lycopene. One of the best of these companies has now released a new range of premium omega 3 supplements containing lycopene to increase the cancer fighting possibilities by combining these 2 natural ingredients, both of which are proving to be very important in improving the health of our citizens.

Clearly there are good reasons for all of us, unless we eat lots of fish, to supplement our diets with fish oil. There’s a huge range of reasons why we should all seriously consider reversing our inadequate intake of fish oil. Cancer sufferers also have powerful reasons for omega 3 supplementation, and in particular now using high quality Omega3 supplements which include lycopene as an active ingredient.

If you’ve been wondering what all the fuss is about fish oil and cancer, or just about fish oil and health improvements generally, we invite you to spend some time reading our website where you will find out lots more about most of the specific health improvements that you should experience if you increase your daily intake of omega 3 essential fats.

Super omega 3. Ever heard of it? From time to time you may see references to super omega 3. Some omega 3 products call themselves “super”. However it’s not that easy to know exactly what super omega 3 is.

It would seem reasonable to assume that anything that is supposed to be “super” omega 3 has to be better than regular omega3 capsules.

If that’s the case then the Omega3 capsules from Xtend Life, having up to 2 1/2 times more active ingredient (DHA) than “regular” Omega 3 capsules certainly qualify. However Xtend Life have now introduced a new premium Omega3 capsule that is even better than their regular omega 3 supplements.

Lets have a look at the new premium Omega3 capsules from Xtend Life and see why they are even better than their regular fish oil supplements, which until now have been the best on the market anyway.

Just about all women, as they age, are interested in anti aging skin care. Keeping yourself, and your skin, looking great right into old age is the goal of millions of American women, for good reason. Good looking skin is healthy skin, and Xtend Life have always made the worlds best natural skin care products.

And as they point out on their website taking regular omega 3 supplements is not only good for your general health but is also very good for your skin. The oils in Omega 3 supplements are very similar to the natural oils produced by your skin itself and keeping your skin hydrated and better moisturized by taking Omega 3 fatty acids is an important part of an overall skin care routine and is also very important to your general health as well.

(If you’re interested in the general health benefits of Omega 3 then there’s plenty of information here about those, just read some of the articles under the categories on the right.)

However Xtend Life has decided to increase the effectiveness of their omega 3 supplements even more. Modern research is now uncovering a range of naturally occurring ingredients which have substantial benefits to the skin. An example of this is lycopene. You may have heard of lycopene before. It comes from tomatoes and cutting edge science is starting to discover that lycopene has a range of health giving properties. For example there is now evidence that increasing the intake of lycopene can help prevent prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women.

However it has also been found that lycopene has significant benefits to your skin. For a start it acts as a natural sunscreen, increasing your skin’s resistance to the effects of the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight.

This helps prevent the incidence of what is known as photo-aging. Photo-aging is the technical name for the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation on your skin over time. The more you are exposed to UV radiation and in particular to sunburn the more damage is done to your skin, over time.

Science is now starting to discover that lycopene can help reverse some of the damaging effects of UV radiation on the skin, and can therefore reverse the effects of photo-aging.

Another ingredient in the new premium capsules containing omega3 as well as lycopene, is Astaxanthin. This is an antioxidant and you may have heard of it in relation to krill oil, as it is found in krill oil. Astaxanthin, according to the studies, has a wide range of health benefits, and in particular it also acts as a natural sunscreen and helps reverse the effects of photo-aging on your skin as well.

If you’d like to find out more about the studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of lycopene and Astaxanthin for improved skin health as well as for a range of other health benefits then you can read the studies if you click here.

Xtend Life have now released their premium Omega3 capsules containing omega 3 essential fatty acids, again at about 2 1/2 times the concentration of DHA found in regular Omega 3 capsules, but which also contain lycopene and Astaxanthin. All of these ingredients have a wide range of health benefits but in particular all 3 have specific benefits to the health of your skin and help reduce the effects of sun damage on your skin, the most damaging cause of premature skin aging.

There are obvious reasons why women interested in the best anti aging skin care should be taking the premium Omega3 capsules rather than the regular capsules. But there are also a wide range of other health benefits which science is showing can also be obtained from increasing the amount of lycopene and Astaxanthin in the diet, including, for women, a reduction in the risk of breast cancer.

We encourage you to read some of the studies showing these benefits from lycopene and Astaxanthin. You may be surprised to find out some of the benefits that these ingredients may offer to you, both your skin and general health.

Modern science is doing an extremely effective job at isolating important substances naturally found in such sources as plants and establishing if they have any health benefits for us, and if so what they are. Lycopene, found in tomatoes, is a fine example.

And the best modern anti aging skin care companies are finding ways to incorporate these natural ingredients in a range of products offering us benefits for our health and for our skin. The new premium capsules which contain Omega 3 fats together with lycopene and Astaxanthin, released for sale in early February 2010, are a good example.

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.

Of course it varies from person to person, however Omega3 supplements are the fastest-growing nutritional supplement in history, and so it would seem that the majority are voting with their wallets by buying Omega3 capsules rather than eating more fish. Fish intake levels in the US are still way too low to provide an adequate level of essential fatty acids in our diet.

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. It seems clear that we get quite enough Omega 6 fats, and that we need to be getting less of them.

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.

These are the fish oil tablets that we take ourselves.

High blood pressure, or what is otherwise known as hypertension, effects a significant proportion of our population, particularly, though not confined to, men. Today we want to examine whether there is an omega 3 blood pressure link.

It is now clearly established that the omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish oil, namely DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), have a range of benefits for our heart. This is sufficiently established that the American Heart Association now recommends that we all should have a minimum intake of fish, or fish oil via omega 3 supplements, every week for good heart health.

Particularly for people with coronary heart disease they recommend a minimum intake of Omega 3 essential fatty acids as there is now significant evidence that a higher intake of Omega3 fats found in fish oil reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease. This includes helping prevent heart disease in people who do not have it.

So we should all have a minimum intake of Omega3 fats found in fish oil. Blood pressure also, it seems, responds to an increase in omega 3 fats.

There have been studies that have asked the question can you lower blood pressure with fish oil. For instance the American Heart Association refers a study conducted on 120 men who were given a 12 week dietary intervention using fish oil, fish or a combination. There were 5 groups that were assigned to take various combinations of fish oil capsules or fish, or both, or a placebo.

The conclusion of the study was that there was a bigger fall in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in subjects who were allocated fish or fish oil compared to the control group.

Other studies also suggest a link between fish oil and lowering blood pressure although the studies suggest that DHA may have a more beneficial effect on lowering blood pressure than EPA. This study concluded that EPA had no significant effect on blood pressure but that DHA reduced blood pressure in mildly hyperlipidemic men. The conclusion was that it is DHA which is responsible for the blood pressure lowering effects found from increasing Omega3 intake.

A further study studied the effects of omega 3 on ambulatory BP in hypertensive men who were already overweight. As obesity contributes to hypertension (as well as cardiovascular disease) it is clearly a risk factor for many people. The conclusion of the study was that regular consumption of fish and omega 3 fatty acids can lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular risk in overweight subjects.

And in particular a significant result of the study was that the requirements of overweight people for taking antihypertensive drugs would be lowered “substantially” by increasing the intake of omega 3 fatty acids together with a weight loss regime in overweight hypertensives who were already medicating for hypertension.

These studies give us encouraging results about the abilities of omega 3 fatty acids to lower blood pressure and demonstrate a clear blood pressure fish oil link. Anyone who suffers from high blood pressure should take these results seriously.

Other than lowering blood pressure there are powerful reasons to take daily fish oil capsules. As previously mentioned the American Heart Association clearly indicates a minimum requirement for Omega3 intake for cardiovascular health, and there are also a range of other health conditions would benefit from an increase in intake of essential fatty acids.

Studies suggest that over 90 percent of the US population, including children, are deficient in dietary intake of Omega3 fats and for this reason almost all of us should be increasing our intake of omega 3. Blood pressure reduction, where needed, and good cardiovascular health are just the start of the health benefits that follow from an adequate intake of essential fatty acids.

However there is a conundrum when considering how to increase your intake of Omega3 fats. Obviously you can do this by eating fish. However fish is contaminated with toxins such as mercury, PCBs, pesticides and heavy metals and the FDA recommend against eating too much fish for this reason. And it is only certain types of fish, namely oily fish, that are high in omega 3. And fish is very expensive.

There is however a safe and cost-effective way to ensure that you can increase your daily intake of omega 3 from fish oil and this is by undertaking daily supplementation with high quality omega 3 capsules. The best omega 3 supplements are completely free of contaminants and can safely be taken daily, and are much more cost-effective than trying to eat fish regularly, even if you want to take the risk of eating contaminated fish.

Note that there are wide variations in the quality of various omega 3 capsules available. DHA is the most important omega 3 fatty acid and the amount of DHA found in the various capsules varies wildly. The best fish oil supplements contain more than twice as much DHA as average supplements.

So it is clear, if you suffer from hypertension, that there are good reasons to increase your intake of fish oil. Blood pressure results should be positive and you also have a wide range of other health reasons to supplement your diet with daily fish oil capsules. Lower blood pressure is only one of the benefits.

The benefits of increasing our intake of omega 3 essential fatty acids are well-established, for both adults and children. Omega 3 essential fatty acids are very important for a wide range of health reasons.

Omega 3 fats are found in fish oil. Kids, or at least their parents, need to ensure that there is an adequate supply of Omega3 fats in their diet. Lets examine the link between Omega 3 and children’s health.

A new Australian study from the University of Wollongong’s School of Health Sciences, undertaken by associate Professor Barbara Meyer, has found that most children do not eat enough fish and are deficient in the omega 3 essential fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) , both found primarily in fish oil. Professor Meyer has now submitted a paper for publication in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition publishing her findings.

These findings include that 3 year old children in Australia consumed, on average, just 47 milligrams of omega 3 essential fats and 4 to 8 year olds just 55 milligrams. Her description of these intakes of Omega3 fats was that they were “desperately low”. And these figures represent less than 10 percent of the Australian National Heart Foundation recommended intake of 500 milligrams per day. She says that only 6 percent of Australian children are meeting the recommended dietary intake.

Clearly our kids should increase their intake of omega 3. Kids can do this by increasing their intake of fish, as well as increasing their intake of some omega 3 fortified foods. For example there are omega 3 fortified eggs available, though they are sometimes hard to find.

The best way to increase the dietary intake of Omega3 fats is from supplementation with fish oil. Kids can take omega 3 supplements, though in some cases may struggle with the capsules, these often being too large for kids to take. The author of this article has children, and overcomes this problem by cutting the end off the capsule and pouring the fish oil into a teaspoon, and giving it to his children with their breakfast.

So let’s examine some more of the information provided by Professor Meyer about the importance of increasing the intake of omega 3 in children. Omega 3 essential fatty acids are important to a whole range of children’s health issues.

Firstly Professor Meyer suggests that children’s intake of Omega3 fats should begin during pregnancy, and that pregnant women should ensure they ate fish during pregnancy, though she warns about the problem of mercury contamination in fish. This can be overcome conveniently by supplementing the diet of pregnant women with high quality fish oil supplements, many of which (though not all) are adequately decontaminated and do not harbor nasty toxins like mercury, PCBs, pesticides and heavy metals routinely found in fish.

Professor Meyer also points out that the last trimester of pregnancy is extremely important to the growing fetus as this is the time when the fetus is developing its brain, and omega 3 essential fats are highly important to brain development. And Professor Meyer also notes that the first 2 years of an infants life are equally important to brain development. However it is not just brain development that is benefited by an increased intake of fish oil. Children have other developmental requirements that are also benefited by an adequate level of Omega3 intake.

An inadequate level of intake of omega 3 in children can place them, over time, at increased risk of asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), retarded brain development, reduced development of the vision and even at the risk of heart disease, and more.

Clearly there are powerful reasons for us to ensure that our kids have sufficient dietary intake of fish oil. Kids, in our modern society, do not eat enough fish, if any, and this is placing their health and proper development at risk.

It is too late to start omega 3 supplementation when children are old enough to start taking Omega 3 capsules. As the author does, it is better to ensure, right from birth, that we are maximizing the chances of children’s brain development and better health in our children. Omega 3 can be conveniently given to them merely by removing the oil from the capsule and sprinkling it on their breakfast. They don’t even know it is there.

Of course it is quite possible to increase children’s intake of fish. However there are some issues with this. The obvious one is mercury contamination of fish, as previously mentioned, and for this reason the FDA recommends that we limit our intake of fish. Pregnant women should be especially careful, and some cans of salmon carry warnings about intake by pregnant women.

Secondly fish can be very expensive and high quality fish oil supplements can be much more cost-effective. And thirdly, in the author’s experience, it can be particularly difficult to convince young children to eat fish. Of course fish can be disguised in food however it is difficult to ensure an adequate intake of fish every week in this way.

The best way to ensure an adequate level of intake of omega 3 in children is supplementation. That is why the author supplements the diet of his own children with fish oil.

It is also important to understand that there are big differences between the various omega 3 capsules available on the market. There are differences in the amount of DHA, (the most important of the omega 3 fatty acids) found in most capsules. Some capsules have way more DHA than others, and for this reason it is very difficult to compare the price of the different Omega 3 capsules available, because one capsule cannot adequately be compared with another.

There are also issues to consider about the effectiveness of the fish oil in the capsules, and in particular its freshness, as many omega 3 supplements use rancid fish oil. Fish oil can oxidise very quickly.

In our view the fish oil capsules from Xtend Life are the best available. They are the capsules that the author uses for his own family, merely emptying the oil out before giving it to his children.

After extensive research including consideration of the freshness of the fish oil used, the effectiveness of the fish oil mixture, the amount of DHA in the capsules and a range of other factors the author has decided that the fish oil capsules by Xtend Life are the best available anywhere in the world.

As you can see there are powerful reasons to increase the intake of omega 3 in children. Omega 3 essential fatty acids are important to our health from conception right through to our old age. And although this study focused on Australian children there is no doubt that American children are also equally deficient in the essential fatty acids known as omega 3. Kids need their good fats just like the rest of us.

For quite some time now the benefits of breastfeeding have been well recognized. However it is now becoming equally well recognized that there are many benefits to a growing baby from an adequate consumption of DHA. Breastfeeding is how a growing baby sources it’s DHA, the most important omega 3 essential fatty acid.

There are 2 principal Omega 3 essential fatty acids, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) that are now well recognized as essential to the health of all people, including growing babies and even including fetuses. An adequate intake of DHA is very important for the health of a growing fetus right from day one and we have written about the importance of an adequate intake of omega 3 during pregnancy.

But maintaining an adequate supply of omega 3 fats for the mother should not just stop at the end of pregnancy and birth of the baby. One of the most important breastfeeding tips is for the mother to maintain an adequate intake of DHA and EPA for the health of the growing baby during breastfeeding.

Omega 3 essential fatty acids are not produced in the body and the only source of these essential fats is food. Of course the only food that a baby eats is milk, and for breastfed babies it is breastmilk. So if DHA and EPA are important to the development of growing babies then it’s essential that they be found in the mothers breastmilk. This is one of the most important aspect of breastfeeding. Diet is very important to all of us, including babies.

Why is it essential that a baby get an adequate supply of DHA from breastfeeding? DHA is very important for a range of reasons including improving learning ability, improving memory, improving vision and more.

Here’s a quote from the website of Dr. Bruce Holub, a noted Emeritus professor in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelf, and previous president of the Nutrition Society of Canada.

“Supplementation of breast-feeding women with 200 mg DHA/day for four months after delivery resulted in higher circulating levels of DHA in their blood plasma phospholipid and higher scores on the Bayley Psychomotor Development Index at 30 months of age. Positive relationships have also been reported for high levels of DHA in mothers’ milk and visual development in term infants as well as optimized arousal in newborn infants. A Norwegian study indicated that women who supplemented their diet with 1183 mg DHA and 803 mg EPA per day for a 3 month period after delivery, after supplementing at a similar level from week 18 of pregnancy, gave rise to young children at four years of age who exhibited more favourable mental development based on the augmentation of their IQ assessments.”

Studies have shown that the average American, in fact over 90 percent of us, are deficient in the important omega 3 essential fatty acids. These important fats are found in fish. A diet high in fish and other seafoods should produce adequate levels of Omega3 fats in the body, however almost none of us eat sufficient fish for this to be the case.

Fish is not a huge part of our diet for a number of reasons. It is expensive and it is also well-known that most fish is now contaminated with a range of toxins including mercury, and for this reason the FDA recommends that we do not eat too much fish.

It is possible to get an Omega 3 fat, called ALA, from plant sources however this is nowhere near as beneficial as DHA and EPA and a diet high in plants containing ALA is not sufficient to produce sufficient Omega3 fats, including DHA, in the breastmilk.

DHA is found in fish oil. Breastfeeding mothers should not eat too much fish for reasons of contamination however the best way to get an adequate dietary intake of DHA is taking high quality fish oil supplements. These are contamination free, are relatively cost-effective and can be taken daily. By taking daily supplements of fish oil breastfeeding mothers can ensure adequate levels of DHA in their milk.

As can be seen there are significant benefits to growing babies from the essential omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil. Breastfeeding mothers ought be aware of the importance of maintaining a daily intake of DHA and EPA.

As noted the best way to do this is taking daily fish oil capsules. Omega 3 supplements are a simple, inexpensive and safe way to maintain adequate levels of Omega3 fats. However it is also important to note that not all Omega 3 capsules are as good as others.

There are wide variations in the amount of DHA present in the different brands of fish oil capsules and also variations in the effectiveness of the fish oils. In our view the fish oil capsules from Xtend Life represent both the best value and most effective available.

We have also written an article on how to compare fish oil capsules if you wish to read it.

It’s never too late to start and if you’re a breastfeeding mother, even if you’re not doing it now, you ought to begin supplementing your diet with fish oil. Breastfeeding mothers should be doing this as a matter of course right from birth, after 9 months of omega 3 supplementation during pregnancy.