2008 - Has It Included Omega 3 Fish Oil Supplements?

For a while, the world has been privy to the following information: Omega 3 Fatty Acids are good for you! They are part of the polyunsaturated fatty acid family and consumption may have the potential to reduce the risk of coronary disease. You can find these potentially health promoting fatty acids in fish.

If your diet does not include fish you may be the perfect candidate for supplementation. Some people can't tolerate fish and some people just don't like the taste. Fish like lake trout, albacore tuna, salmon and mackerel are all high in omega 3 fatty acids, but because they are also host to toxic substances like mercury, chlordane, dioxin and PCBs, most people get their fish oil through dietary supplement pills. The process of getting the oil from fish has come along way where supplements are pure and non-toxic. Some companies offer documentation on their process and product to ensure you are receiving safe and effective fish oil that you can take and share with your family.

Although omega-3 fatty acids can be obtained from sources other than fish oil, two of the most beneficial forms are only available from fish. Docosehexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) are long chained fatty acids which cannot be found in any other source. Consequently, fish oil has gained a lot of popular, as well as scientific, attention in recent years. The body needs EPA to produce prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances that help to protect the heart and the cell membranes. DHA is necessary for the normal development of the brain, the eyes, and the reproductive system.

There are a couple of rich plant-origin sources of these essential fatty acids like flaxseeds and soybeans, but they are not easy to include in a regular meal, are even less palatable, and maybe available only in special health stores. Moreover, for longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) in particular, which are the more valuable forms of omega-3 for the human body, fish is a far better source