Fish Oil

The two key omega 3 essential fatty acids in fish oil are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docohexaenoic acid (DHA), the latter being a major component of brain tissue. Perhaps the old wives tales were right in calling fish "brain food."

Fish oil decreases anger, anxiety, and improves mood and  vigor — while improving various types of cognitive and physiological functions. It fights dry eyes and may help promote heart health while decreasing stroke risk.

Pregnancy

Fish oil intake (containing omega 3 fatty acid) during pregnancy may boost a baby’s growth rate. Research suggests the benefits may extend throughout a child’s life — helping prevent asthma, as well as decreasing the risks of bipolar disorder and cancer (in females). It also helps prevent postpartum depression. Many consider fish oil deficiency to be the most important nutritional deficiency in pregnancy, but do not want to recommend increasing fatty fish for fear of their having high mercury levels. Taking pure and mercury free fish oils avoids this problem. Better yet, use just the omega 3 part.

If you would not eat a piece of fish that tastes like the oil, then the oil is rancid and don’t use it.

There has been a remarkable leap forward in fish oil science, which has changed how I use it! Here are 3 key things you need to know:

• Only a small part of fish oil is made of omega 3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA), with the rest of the oil being no more helpful than eating soybean oil. Yet, this unnecessary component makes up most of each capsule, and is what gets rancid (causing fish oil burps) and carries the toxins and mercury. The solution? Toss the fish oil and go with the pure omega 3 EFAs.
• An under appreciated yet critical fact is that most omega 3s have been changed by harsh extraction methods so that they are no longer bioidentical. Just as with hormones, it is important that these be bioidentical.
• The phospholipid components that make up the brain cell walls also play a key role in omega 3 function.

If the these 3 areas are addressed, the total dose of omega 3s becomes much less important. By taking advantage of these 3 areas, people I treat now get the benefits of 8+ mega fish oil caps from 1 small pill each day — at lower cost, no toxicity, and without the fish oil burps.

I do this by using Vectomega by EuroPharma. One tablet a day replaces 8 caps of most fish oils! There’s no fish oil burps, and it’s lower cost.