Supplement? Why can’t I just eat more fish?
Fish quality is so variable. We know the testing for fish oils, but there is no testing requirements for contaminants in fish from the market. We know that smaller fish are safer, but it’s not a guarantee. Usually we don’t know the source of the oil itself—what ocean did the fish come from? What part of the fish did the oil get extracted from? For example, Cod is such a flaky fish because the oils come from the liver. Cod itself is not a good source of Omega 3s, but Cod liver is an excellent source.
But I already take a fish oil supplement? Why spend more?
Quality. When you take a concentrated medicine, it is very important that it does not contain contaminants. Otherwise, you get concentrated contaminants. Just because it is “GMP approved” does not mean it is good quality. There are various qualities of fish oil out there, even from the same vendor. A reputable company will test each batch for pesticides, heavy metals, PCBs and dioxin. Does your company go that extra step for safety? Do you have validated sources of the fish oil you take—Norwegian, Atlantic, Pacific, what type of fish?
I take flax seed oil, why do I need fish oil?
While flaxseed is healthy, it is precursor oil. It must go through several conversions in the body to raise active EPA and DHA levels. Our body does not convert this very well. We have to consume huge quantities of flax oil to get any increase in EPA and DHA in blood. Flax does have benefits, but for the active form of EPA and DHA, the best source of Omega 3 fatty acids is fish.
Is Krill Oil better?
There is very little information about the bioavailability and absorption of the EPA and DHA in Krill Oil. The bulk of the information from the past 40 to 50 years about the benefits of Omega 3s is found in fish, not krill oil. Krill may be an excellent source of EPA and DHA but it does not appear to be absorbed better than fish. Therefore, due to lack of scientific validation about Krill Oil, we do not recommend its substitution.
