Dont't Go Fish

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Fish oil is widely marketed and promoted on the internet and throughout the media. It is touted as the best source and sometimes the only source of long chain esential fatty acids. omega 3. Are these commercial fish oils actually a sound choice for the essential fatty acids that we as well as our animals are deficient in?  Are the proponents of fish oil factual in their claims? I would like to discuss the following concerns:

Palatability

Pure, unrefined fish oil is not palatable for human, horse or pet consumption. You would be lucky to get within three feet of the container before, let me say, turning your nose up. In order the make it palatable,the producers must do much more than simply adding a flavor. The oil must be manipulated which includes heating, deodorizing, bleaching and “distillation”.

A beneficial source of omega 3 which is manipulated in any way and changed from its natural state changes the configuration of the molecule. This will render it ineffective.

Any form of manipulation including the “molecular distillation” processes which is proclaimed by fish oil producers will change the configuration of the long carbon chains rendering it ineffective. This is why EFA-3 must be kept in the refrigerator. It will be affected by heat and light because of the fact that it is in a natural pure state.

 

Toxicity

We are all aware that our polluted water are polluting our fish. This pollution shows up as toxins such as pcb’s, dioxins, and mercury.

These pollutants are contained in the liver, organs and subcutaneous fat in the fish. By extracting oil, these concentrations of toxins are increased many fold. Again, in order to remove these toxins, the oil has to be processed.

 

     .     Jess Halliday (13/04/2006). Dioxins prompt second UK fish oil withdrawal. Retrieved on 2007-02-08.

     .    Pollutants found in fish oil capsules (6 April, 2002). Retrieved on 2007-02-08.