Omega 3 May Be The Buzz Word But All Fish Are Not Created Equal!
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Europe and all our neighbors on the other side of
the pond have been well aware for decades,
perhaps centuries, making fish an every day
staple was keeping them a lot healthier. As
American researchers began to catch up about five
years ago, and doctors began telling their
patients to take Omega 3, fish oil supplements
sprang up on shelves from Walgreens to Costco.
As we perused the shelves, often grabbing the
first one thinking they were all equal, for the
best price of course (I love those good deals,
too), took them home feeling proud we took an
active role in our health.
I tried so many knowing it would help with
painful inflammation, bring blood pressure down,
lower cholesterol, recommended by the American
Heart Association for a healthier heart, the list
of why we ought to take fish oil is endless. But
the indigestion from every one was more than I
could bear and benefits not coming through. I
would ask my doctor which one, what brand and he
said he didn't know, just take one daily.
I tried all priced fish oil, from inexpensive to
most expensive, until one day a capsule got
squashed on my kitchen counter and the odor had
me fleeing the kitchen. The smell was so
overpowering, determined to get to the truth and
my search began in earnest.
I looked at labels on the bottles in my cabinet.
I had blended fish oil, cod liver oil, EFA blend
capsules, balanced essential fatty acids, and as
I began to research, soon realized the source of
fish was the most important. It had to be a fatty
fish and if it wasn't fatty, specifically, salmon,
sardines, tuna or mackerel, it wasn't going to
help. Neither blended, cod nor white fish fit
the bill. Cod is a lean fish, blended is just
that, a mixture. While all those fish are good
for us, it is the EPA and DHA from fatty fish
that hold healing properties we are looking for.
And that is today's textbook science.
Then I began to ask those manufacturers about
their fish source, lab and purification process.
A few I reached by phone, and in some cases, no
one replied. Of those who did respond, much to
my chagrin, replies were a bit nebulous. Most
contracted out to fish oil suppliers from a
number of different sources. Yet their labels
said, "pharmaceutically licensed laboratory."
Licensed where? Somewhere in Europe was the most
often heard reply.
Well here's what I learned. If that fish oil was
truly distilled in a pharmaceutical grade lab,
using a molecular distillation process there
wouldn't be an odor causing you to run from the
kitchen or suffer indigestion. Remember the
capsule that squashed on my kitchen counter? It
specifically said "distilled in a pharmaceutical
grade laboratory."
I was on an airplane the other day and of all
things, sat down next to a fellow I graduated
high school with 38 years ago and hadn't seen
since. With a long ride to Dallas, we talked
about our lives, health, and learned he just had
a quadruple bypass. As our conversation turned
to fish oil, he said his wife was a trauma room
physician and he was presently taking the new
prescription fish oil, OMACOR®, prescribed by his
cardiologist. He took out a capsule; we pricked
it, and had to flush it down the plane lavatory.
He had been complaining of indigestion every time
he swallowed one and was told in a few weeks he'd
get used to it.
Check, check and re-check the source of your fish
oil. Prick it! If it has any odor whatsoever,
throw it out for it has not been properly
purified. There are miraculous healing benefits
to be had but remember, all fish are not created
equal nor are all purification processes what
they say they are. Seems everyone has rushed in
jumping on this band wagon creating fish oil
supplements with few passing the prick test. But
rest assured, there are some great ones out there.
More articles from this pro: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Lois Smithers
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