Fish Oil Toxins
Fish Oil Oxidation

Let's face it, fish used to be a very healthy food and important to include in our diets, but nowadays, with so many fish oil toxins, even the FDA advocates a limited consumption of fish, especially types of fish that are susceptible to accumulating toxins in their flesh.

Now, fish oils and eating fish are different.

And in this short article we'll explain.

You see, because of all the pollution in the Ocean waters, the majority of fish have varying levels of toxins like mercury and PCB's.

Therefore, the fish oils that are extracted from them also harbor these impurities.

But before we discuss what you can do about these toxins, let's address the question of fish oil oxidation.

Fish Oil Oxidation

Most fish oils that are used in fish oil supplements are transported long distances in tankers. Oftentimes, the fish is harvested in one country and transported to another. Fish oil is highly susceptible to rancidity....meaning it goes bad quickly because it's fragile.

In short, freshness for most fish oils is an issue -- which is just another way of saying that the fish oil can become oxidized and go bad.

To get around this, many manufacturers of fish oil put additives in their product to counter the fish oil from going rancid. As you are probably aware, the less additives and preservatives you get from your food sources, the better.

Not all fish oils require additives, however, such as those that souce the fish and manufacture the product in close proximity.

Fish Oil Toxins

Now, the other issue is toxicity. Because fish oils themselves can retain the toxic impurities of the fish, it's vitally important that you only purchase what are known as "molecularly distilled, pharmaceutical grade" fish oil supplements.

These have undergone a purification process that removes any potential contaminants.

The other issue you should be aware of is that not all fish are equally high in the important omega 3 fatty acids that we all need. The two most important of these are DHA and EPA omega 3 fatty acids, and DHA is arguably the most important one.

In summary, you should only use a fish oil product that has:

• taken preventative measures against fish oil exidation -- hopefully without the need for artificial additives. Adding vitamin E to the product is one way to help prevent oxidation.
• undergone molecular distillation and is pharmaceutical grade
• uses a fish high in DHA and EPA

If you follow these guidelines, you will pick one of the better fish oil products on the market.