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Live an abundant lifestyle: Diet and nutrition guide to a healthy lifestyle, wwight management and whole body wellness
How to choose a safe, effective fish oil supplement
Americans now swallow fish oil more often than multivitamins, according to ConsumerLab’s
recent annual survey of vitamin and supplement users. And it’s no wonder why – fish oil is
one of the best supplements anyone can take.
“Over the past 30 years, more than 7,000 scientific studies, including 900 human clinical
trials, have provided evidence supporting the effectiveness of fish oil and omega-3 EFAs in the
prevention and treatment of our most common diseases,” says Dr. Joseph Maroon, author of
‘Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory.’ “These diseases include cardiovascular disease,
stroke, cancer, hyperlipidemia, Alzheimer’s disease, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder,
rheumatoid arthritis, dry eye syndrome and many other health conditions … and they do not
have the potentially lethal side effects of pharmacological agents.”
But not all fish oils are created equal, and quality is key to receiving these important health
benefits. So how do you know you are getting a high quality, safe and effective product? What
should you look for when choosing a fish oil supplement?
“The major manufacturing concerns that separate high-quality supplements from the rest of
the pack are purity, freshness and concentration,” Maroon says.
Purity is important because all fish store environmental toxins such as mercury and PCBs in
their bodies, and some fish oil manufacturers do a much better job at removing these
contaminants than others. You can protect yourself from harmful toxins by choosing products
that are molecularly distilled for purity and verified by third-party testing, always surpassing the
strictest internationally accepted quality standards for purity and freshness established by the
Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), World Health Organization (WHO) and International
Fish Oil Standards (IFOS).
Freshness, which ensures product integrity and efficacy, may be the single most important
quality of fish oils. Oxidized oil (or rancid oil) is the cause of the fishy smell and taste that has
given fish oil a bad reputation among many people. But oxidation also results in compounds
(called peroxides) that are harmful to the body and have been linked to diseases.
High-end fish oil manufacturers have developed oxygen-free processing techniques to keep
oxidation at an absolute minimum, which ensures superior freshness levels. You can protect
yourself from oxidized fish oil by choosing fish oil products that are third-party tested for
freshness, which is measured by TOTOX values. Remember: the lower the number, the
fresher (less oxidized) the fish oil.
Concentration is crucial to getting results. Maroon says that the difference between high-
quality and low-quality fish oil supplements often comes down to the amount of EPA and DHA
they contain. Read the label carefully to determine how much omega-3s (EPA plus DHA) each
serving contains. For general maintenance, with no specific health concerns, a daily dose
would average about 500 mg of EPA plus DHA combined. If you have a specific health
condition, the recommended dosage is typically considerably higher, and should be
determined in consultation with your doctor or health practitioner. As Maroon notes, “Higher-
quality fish oil supplements will cost more … but you will be able to take fewer of these
supplements in order to obtain adequate amounts of omega-3s.” A less expensive bottle
does not necessarily mean a good bargain.
There is only one way to have confidence in a product’s purity, freshness, and concentration
— third-party testing. Any responsible fish oil manufacturer will commission an independent
testing organization, which does not benefit financially from the test results, to test their fish oil
for purity and freshness. These third-party results should be on the company website or
available upon request.
Sometimes you will find test results on public websites in the Consumer Report section. By
comparing the test results for purity and freshness levels from different brands, you can
differentiate lower quality from higher quality fish oil, thereby ensuring safety and efficacy.
“Nordic Naturals is my preferred brand of fish oil because the purity, freshness, and
concentration of their oil is unmatched. My patients have seen great results with their
products,” adds Maroon.
As a general rule of thumb, Maroon suggests purchasing from a well-established, reputable
company with a proven track record that is respected by medical and health professionals.
Look for environmentally sustainable fishing practices, a strong corporate/social responsibility
profile, commitment to fish oil education and independent research and community
involvement.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Americans now swallow fish oil more often than multivitamins, according to ConsumerLab’s
recent annual survey of vitamin and supplement users. And it’s no wonder why – fish oil is
one of the best supplements anyone can take.
“Over the past 30 years, more than 7,000 scientific studies, including 900 human clinical
trials, have provided evidence supporting the effectiveness of fish oil and omega-3 EFAs in the
prevention and treatment of our most common diseases,” says Dr. Joseph Maroon, author of
‘Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory.’ “These diseases include cardiovascular disease,
stroke, cancer, hyperlipidemia, Alzheimer’s disease, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder,
rheumatoid arthritis, dry eye syndrome and many other health conditions … and they do not
have the potentially lethal side effects of pharmacological agents.”
But not all fish oils are created equal, and quality is key to receiving these important health
benefits. So how do you know you are getting a high quality, safe and effective product? What
should you look for when choosing a fish oil supplement?
“The major manufacturing concerns that separate high-quality supplements from the rest of
the pack are purity, freshness and concentration,” Maroon says.
Purity is important because all fish store environmental toxins such as mercury and PCBs in
their bodies, and some fish oil manufacturers do a much better job at removing these
contaminants than others. You can protect yourself from harmful toxins by choosing products
that are molecularly distilled for purity and verified by third-party testing, always surpassing the
strictest internationally accepted quality standards for purity and freshness established by the
Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), World Health Organization (WHO) and International
Fish Oil Standards (IFOS).
Freshness, which ensures product integrity and efficacy, may be the single most important
quality of fish oils. Oxidized oil (or rancid oil) is the cause of the fishy smell and taste that has
given fish oil a bad reputation among many people. But oxidation also results in compounds
(called peroxides) that are harmful to the body and have been linked to diseases.
High-end fish oil manufacturers have developed oxygen-free processing techniques to keep
oxidation at an absolute minimum, which ensures superior freshness levels. You can protect
yourself from oxidized fish oil by choosing fish oil products that are third-party tested for
freshness, which is measured by TOTOX values. Remember: the lower the number, the
fresher (less oxidized) the fish oil.
Concentration is crucial to getting results. Maroon says that the difference between high-
quality and low-quality fish oil supplements often comes down to the amount of EPA and DHA
they contain. Read the label carefully to determine how much omega-3s (EPA plus DHA) each
serving contains. For general maintenance, with no specific health concerns, a daily dose
would average about 500 mg of EPA plus DHA combined. If you have a specific health
condition, the recommended dosage is typically considerably higher, and should be
determined in consultation with your doctor or health practitioner. As Maroon notes, “Higher-
quality fish oil supplements will cost more … but you will be able to take fewer of these
supplements in order to obtain adequate amounts of omega-3s.” A less expensive bottle
does not necessarily mean a good bargain.
There is only one way to have confidence in a product’s purity, freshness, and concentration
— third-party testing. Any responsible fish oil manufacturer will commission an independent
testing organization, which does not benefit financially from the test results, to test their fish oil
for purity and freshness. These third-party results should be on the company website or
available upon request.
Sometimes you will find test results on public websites in the Consumer Report section. By
comparing the test results for purity and freshness levels from different brands, you can
differentiate lower quality from higher quality fish oil, thereby ensuring safety and efficacy.
“Nordic Naturals is my preferred brand of fish oil because the purity, freshness, and
concentration of their oil is unmatched. My patients have seen great results with their
products,” adds Maroon.
As a general rule of thumb, Maroon suggests purchasing from a well-established, reputable
company with a proven track record that is respected by medical and health professionals.
Look for environmentally sustainable fishing practices, a strong corporate/social responsibility
profile, commitment to fish oil education and independent research and community
involvement.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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DIET
A-Z Weight Loss Diets
Diet & Physical Activity
NUTRITION
The Food Guide Pyramid
Healthy Eating Habits
The Superfoods
Best Foods for Anti-Aging
Best Heart Healthy Foods
Best Cancer Fighting Foods
Superfoods to Boost Immunity
WEIGHT MANGEMENT
Calculating Body Frame Size
Calculating Body Mass Index BMI)
PERSONAL CARE
Health & Nutition Resources
Web Links
| Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-inflammatory Joseph C. Maroon & Jeffrey Bost With compelling arguments and the results of thousands of clinical studies to support them. the uathors explain in plain and simple terms; How the inflammation process works and how it can evolve into a chroninc condition that is the cause of many diseases; How fatty acids work in the body; Why supplementtion with omega-3 fatty acids can restore the body's balance and mitigate the effects of inflmmatory factors; and why fish oil is the best source of omega-3 fatty acids, and how to identify good-quality fish oil supplements. Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-inflammatory |
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