Keep Your Mind & Body Young, Active, And Fully Functioning
With the Miracle of Omega 3s
Fish oil is the most widely used dietary supplement. Whether you are currently taking a daily fish oil supplement or you are just starting to think about buying one, there are some things that you need to know.
You need to know
- About the benefits
- About the risks
- How to choose a good fish oil supplement
Those are the things you will learn about here on this page.
The Benefits
You have probably heard or read about some of the benefits. That's probably what brought you here in the first place.
Some people want to know why supplementation is necessary. What makes fish so important?
Fish probably was not as important in years past as it is today. Modern farming practices have created a dietary imbalance that is believed to be largely responsible for many chronic and life-threatening diseases. Most of the so-called age-related diseases are among them.
Mass production of food was necessary to meet the needs of a growing population. Farmers had to take certain steps in order to keep costs down and ensure that everyone in the US and other developed nations could afford to eat.
One of the steps they took was to feed livestock corn and other grains to fatten them up quickly. Livestock allowed to graze on grass remain lean. Finding enough grass to feed large herds of cattle was another problem.
Beef and chicken are two of the most popular foods in the American diet. Because they are fed mostly grain, the fats in those foods are mostly omega-6 fats. People need omega-3s, too.
Ideally there would be a balanced intake of omega-6s and 3s. Research has shown that some people consume 30 times more omega-6s than 3s due to the popularity of specific foods.
As you may be aware, frying foods increases the fat content. What's even worse is that most restaurants use corn oil or peanut oil for frying. Corn oil contains 46 times more omega-6s than 3s. Peanut oil contains no omega-3s at all.
Canola is probably the best choice for frying, but it still contains twice as many omega-6s as omega-3s. In fact, if you look at all of the fats typically consumed in the modern diet, all of them are greatly skewed towards the omega-6s.
In the modern diet, fish is the only food that contains more omega-3s than omega-6s. Yet it is not possible to eat enough fish to correct the imbalance and not all fish contain omega-3s. Fish oil is the only solution for correcting the dietary imbalance.
Okay, so what health problems does the imbalance cause? Why are omega-6s so bad?
Omega-6s are actually essential to the human diet. The body needs them to create hormones and cellular structures. So, they are not "bad" if consumed in correct quantities.
The problem is that omega-6s are converted into pro-inflammatory hormones, while omega-3s are converted to less inflammatory ones. If consumed in fairly equal quantities, they would balance each other out. The result would be a body free of inflammation.
In addition, certain kinds of fish oil have anti-inflammatory activity. So, if inflammation is already present in the body or there are too many omega-6s in the diet, fish oil specifically helps to correct the problem.
What's the big deal about inflammation?
Inflammation is a cause or at least a symptom of practically every health problem you can think of including:
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Crohn's disease
- Colitis
- Dermatitis
- Arthritis
In addition, chronic inflammation contributes to heart disease and plays a role in cancer.
It is one of the causes of cellular aging. It is even a cause of sagging skin and wrinkles.
Fish oil supplementation has proven to be beneficial for treating or preventing all of the health problems mentioned above, but that's not all.
The omega-3s found in fish oil are unique. They are not found together in any vegan source of omega-3s, nor are they present in large amounts in any other kind of meat.
The most common omega-3 is ALA. That's what you will find in flax seed oil. Although flax seed oil is also a popular dietary supplement, there are no known health benefits. . . none!
The unique omega-3s in fish oil are DHA and EPA. The two are essential for normal brain development and function. . . essential!
If you don't get DHA and EPA, you are likely to suffer from:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- ADHD
- Learning disorders
- Behavioral disorders
Fish oil supplements may be beneficial for any of those conditions, too. 
If you looked at a list of all of the health problems for which the supplements have proven to be beneficial, you might think it was some kind of miracle drug. You might also wonder why doctors don't recommend it more often.
Currently, the only health problem for which fish oil is prescribed in the US is very high blood triglycerides; too many fats in the bloodstream. It seems ironic that consuming more fat actually lowers circulating fats in the bloodstream, but it works.
The American Heart Association recommends 2000-4000mg of EPA and DHA per day in capsule form in order to lower blood triglycerides. The association also recommends 1000mg per day for anyone who has suffered from a heart attack or has known heart disease.
In other countries, fish oil supplements are recommended as a first line of treatment for men with fertility issues; low sperm count or slow sperm motility. Other conditions for which the supplements may be beneficial include:
- Huntington's disease
- Schizophrenia
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Alzheimer's disease
- PMS
- Cancer
The supplements are also recommended to help counteract the effects of cancer treatments, including poor appetite and loss of muscle mass.
There is reason to believe that taking a fish oil supplement every day will reduce your risk of stroke, heart disease and various kinds of cancer. By the time you read this, there may be other known benefits. Researchers are publishing new studies on a continuous basis.
Now let's talk about. . .
The Risks
Every drug known to man is accompanied by risks. When the benefits outweigh the risks, the drug hits the market; in some cases, only to be recalled.
The risks of dietary supplements are minimal, as long as you do not exceed the recommended dosage and you choose a good brand.
In the US, it is up to the manufacturer to ensure that the supplements are safe. Safety factors to consider depend on the ingredients in the supplement and the contaminants that may be present. Here, we are talking only about fish oil.
The risks of fish oil supplements include an increased risk of bleeding. It is a natural blood thinner, which is why it may reduce the risk of stroke.
A dosage of 1000mg per day is generally safe for all individuals. That is more or less equal to consuming one serving of salmon.
People taking warfarin or other blood thinners should consult their doctor concerning dosage. Everyone else should know that consuming more than 3000mg per day is not recommended.
The only other risks have to do with lack of freshness and the presence of contaminants. Consumption of rancid (rotten, not fresh) fish oil can cause a variety of symptoms.
It all depends on how old the oil was when it was encapsulated. A slightly rancid supplement would cause fishy tasting burps and indigestion. A really rotten supplement would cause nausea and vomiting. All rancid oils contain free radicals, which are a cause of cellular aging, cancer and age-related diseases.
Because of water pollution, fish are often contaminated with mercury. In recent surveys, fish of all species from all around the US contained some level of mercury.
The risks of mercury consumption include acute poisoning (which means death) and chronic poisoning caused by constant exposure to small amounts of the heavy metal. The symptoms of chronic poisoning may include:
- Irritability
- Tremors/shaking hands
- Fatigue
- Memory loss
- Depression
- Nightmares
- Insomnia
- Hallucinations
- Hair loss
- Chest pain
- Psychosis
- Antisocial behavior/social anxiety
- Breathlessness
- Coughing up blood
Dozens of other contaminants could be present in the fish oil.
Analysis of numerous brands by the Environmental Working Group indicated that many contained high levels of PCBs. PCBs were banned decades ago, but they are still found in the water, because they are not biodegradable. PCBs cause cancer.
By choosing a good brand, you can avoid all of the risks and still get the benefits. So, without further delay, here is. . .
How to Choose a Good Fish Oil Supplement
Look for a Certificate of Analysis (COA) from an independent laboratory.
Laboratories can analyze a sample from each batch of fish oil to check for contaminants like mercury and PCBs. At the same time, they can check for the anisidine value and the peroxide level, which indicates whether or not the fish oil is fresh.
Manufacturers are not required to adhere to specific standards for freshness or contaminant levels. Many adhere to the International Fish Oil Standards, which just aren't that good.
Some companies do not pay for laboratory testing, because it is expensive and not required by law. If you see a really inexpensive brand on the market, you must be suspicious that safety testing has not been conducted.
Check the omega-3, DHA and EPA content.
The laboratory analysis will also show the total omega-3 content, the DHA content and the EPA content. A 1000mg capsule does not provide 1000mg of omega-3s.
The average brands provide 300 total milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids. The best brands provide a minimum of 500mg of omega-3 fatty acids per 1000mg of fish oil.
Has the anti-inflammatory activity been tested?
As you have read, the main benefit of fish oil supplementation is to keep inflammation within the body to a minimum. Manufacturers in the US and many other countries are prohibited from mentioning the anti-inflammatory activity on the label due to regulations concerning drugs.
However, it is possible to measure the anti-inflammatory activity of fish oil. One brand is more than twice as effective as other brands.
That brand is Xtendlife.
Xtendlife omega3/DHA fish oil is the best in terms of purity and freshness. The company is so confident in freshness that they guarantee that you will not have any fishy tasting burps. If the supplements cause you to burp, you can return the bottle for a full refund.
Xtendlife publishes a copy of their COA on their website. Each batch is tested for contaminants. Their standards are higher than the International fish oil standards. In fact, they have the highest standards for purity of any manufacturer in the industry.
I am convinced that Xtendlife is the best brand available today. I have taken it for years and have experienced many benefits including better mood, improved ability to concentrate and less pain in my joints.
Click here to order the best fish oil supplement in the world. Soon, you will be enjoying the benefits, too!
PS - If you're still unsure about whether Omega 3 Fish Oil is right for you, I urge you to subscribe to my five-part report on Omega 3. In it you'll learn: