Countless studies in recent years have emphasized the value of omega 3s for wellness. Our bodies cannot manufacture omega 3s, so we must get them in our diet. The most common way that people obtain omega 3 is by eating fish. However, this guide shall explain the problems with deriving omega 3 fatty acids from fish, and then will clear up what to search for in fish oil supplements.
Fish Isn t a Secure Source of Omega 3 Anymore
Previous to fish oil supplements, consuming fish was the exclusive way to obtain omega 3s in our diet. This was an acceptable method, but the truths of an industrialized planet means increased water contamination. The consequence is that fish have become contaminated with all types of poisonous contaminants like PCBs, mercury, arsenic, dioxins and heavy metals. These contaminants have been implicated in a wide variety of sicknesses such as blindness, cancer, birth defects and even death.
Omega 3 Supplements Are Also Adulterated
As a result of these dilemmas, more and more consumers are choosing fish oil supplements as a an answer. However, fish oil supplements are handicapped by the same problems, in spite of the fact that most fish oil companies claim that their goods are safe. A fairly new investigation by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK resulted in the withdrawal of numerous fish oil products due to toxic levels of contaminants!
Furthermore, turn your attention to this alarming report from Greenpeace about OmegaProtein, the biggest maker of fish oil products on the planet. Their investigative video shows that OmegaProtein’s fish oil products were discovered to contain toxic levels of flame retardants! However, maybe we should take this information with skepticism considering Greenpeace’s ideological leanings, but if true, it is extremely frightening!
So now that you are aware of many of the uncertainties inherent in fish oil supplements, what can you do about it? Fortunately, there are a handful of criterion that make it straightforward to evaluate an omega 3 supplement for strength and safety.
The Gold Standard: The International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) Program
The ideal method to ascertain if an omega 3 product is a pure, quality supplement is by picking one that s been frequently tested by the International Fish Oil Standards program, or IFOS. The IFOS program is a voluntary 3rd party certification group that measures fish oil supplements along 5 criteria:
* Meet and Exceeds All Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and World Health Organization (WHO) Testing Categories
* Greater than 60 Concentration of Omega 3
* Levels of Oxidation Lower Than 75 of CRN Standard
* PCB Levels Less Than 50 of Council for Responsible Nutrition Standard
* Dioxin Amount Less Than 50 of WHO Standard
These benchmarks were selected because the standards used by the CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition) and WHO (World Health Organization) were not rigorous enough to allow larger doses of omega 3 fish oil. To obtain the rewards of fish oil, one must often take much more than just the 1,000 mg everyday that has been typically recommended. The rationale for why only 1 gram has been prescribed, however, is due to contamination risks. This is obviously not a dilemma if you’re taking an IFOS certified brand.
If you’re not supplementing with an IFOS tested product, you are definitely more in danger of consuming toxins. Chances are, despite the fact that your omega 3 brand may profess to be purified by “advanced molecular distillation” (a marketing trick), it may not be harmless to take. Since the IFOS program reports the results of their certifications on their website, you can look up the best brands of omega 3 supplements on the market.
Author Resource:-
Brittany Q. Wallace is a nutritional authority, with expertise in Omega-3 Fish Oil. You can read more on her site: http://www.fishoilblog.com/
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