Fish oil and why it may not be the miraculous solution to your Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) requirements

Supplementation with fish oil has become extremely popular, due to researchers discovering, many years ago, that groups of people, like those who follow a Mediterranean diet, are healthier than those people who don’t. Supplement manufacturers saw an opportunity to produce a product that would provide the benefits of fish consumption, without the hassle of purchasing, preparing and eating the fish.

Cold water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring, and to a lesser extent sardines and tuna, are rich sources of Omega 3 fats, which your body can utilise immediately, – namely the EPA (ei-cosa-penta-enoic acid) and DHA (docosa-hexa-enoic acid), and DPA (docosa-penta-enoic acid) which are called long chain Polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA’s)

Plant based Omega 3’s, which are found in flax, hemp, and green leafy vegetables, as well as walnuts and pumpkin seeds, to a lesser extent, have to be converted into the DHA and EPA, that the cold water fish has present in its body. So, the plant based Omega 3’s have to be converted into the longer chain fats DHA and EPA.

This is where the confusion about fish oil versus plant Omega 3’s occurs. In fact, this discussion, of whether it’s better to supplement with a plant based Omega 3 or a fish oil capsule/s, can become extremely heated. Researchers are divided on this topic, as some believe we can do the conversion perfectly well, if we have the right co-factors, such as Vitamin B3, B6, C and the minerals zinc and magnesium, and if we have enough of the plant based, foundation Omega 3. Others say we can’t do it adequately, so we have to supplement with a fish oil capsule, that already has the DHA and EPA in it. Furthermore, the research has measured the conversion rate in the body, not the brain, because it’s pretty difficult to find volunteers for brain biopsies, to ascertain how much DHA and EPA we have present in our brains. So, the conversion rate hasn’t been measured in the brain, where the DHA and EPA is most active. Unfortunately, this issue has led to many people being misled about Omega 3 fats, and fish oil

There are a number of points to keep in mind, while contemplating this issue:

Our bodies can do the conversion, from the plant Omega 3 EFA’s, into the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely DHA and EPA. The questionable issue is how efficiently we can do this conversion, and whether we can produce enough. However, researchers believe that the conversion of the plant based Omega 3’s to DHA, in the brain, is 2 – 6 times faster than in any other tissues, so most people should easily be able to convert enough of the plant based Omega 3’s into DHA and EPA, for optimal functioning, if they have enough of the foundation, plant based Omega 3’s to start with. So, the conversion does occur, but whether it’s enough, is the question.

Humans can do the conversion from plant based, foundation Omega 3’s into DHA. DPA and EPA. Women can do the conversion from plant based, foundation Omega 3’s, to DHA and EPA, more efficiently than men, which has been shown conclusively in research. Researchers believe that this is due to the fact that women have to be able to do this conversion more efficiently, because when they are pregnant they have to are supply these EFA’s to the foetus for it’s neurological development, as well as keep themselves supplied. Men, on the other hand, do not have to do this conversion as efficiently, as they have only to supply enough DHA and EPA for their own use.

The details of the ability to convert the EFA’s into LCPUFA’s, have been shown by research, which has indicated that a group of women could convert the plant based, foundation Omega 3’s at a rate of 36%, which meant that taking 14 gms of the foundation oil, would produce 5 040mg of the LCPUFA’s, namely DHA, DPA and EPA. This is the equivalent of about 1000mg of fish oil, which is twice as much as the recommended dosage of fish oil, about 17 large fish oil capsules. Men, converting at 16%, which is what research has shown they convert at, would produce about 3360mg of LCPUFA’s, the equivalent of 11 large fish oil capsules, if they take 3 tablespoons of the plant based, foundation Omega 3 supplement. Again, more than the recommended daily dosage. Although some studies have shown that men don’t convert to DHA, only DPA and EPA, other studies show that they do convert, just less than women.

Therefore, the question becomes, do you have to top up with pre-formed DHA and EPA from either fish or fish oil capsules, because your body can’t make enough? Although it’s not possible to end this argument definitively yet, we do know that we need both the foundation essential fats, Omega 3 and 6, which come from plants, as well as the derivatives, DHA and EPA.

Interestingly, any DHA and EPA found in an animal had its origin from a plant, either from grasses that cows have eaten or from algae that fish have eaten. In the case of fish, where a smaller fish has eaten algae, and then been eaten by bigger fish, all the way up to the larger fish, which only have DHA and EPA in them because the fish at the bottom of the food chain, ate the algae.

Furthermore, the fish oil manufactures have focused on the DHA and EPA present in their products, but have forgotten to mention that it’s not only these essential fats, found in the fish, that are important for optimal physical and mental health. Fish also contain iodine, selenium, zinc, manganese and copper, which are also important for optimal health. These nutrients are also necessary to protect the delicate fats from oxidative damage, and nature is smart enough to supply them with the fats, in the fish. So, even if you choose to take a fish oil supplement, you won’t be getting the other antioxidant co-factors with the essential fats, in the natural proportions that are present in fish.

Fish oil manufacturers won’t tell you about damaged fat molecules that can be present in their products, due to the processing that fish oil has to undergo in an attempt to remove heavy metals, dioxins, PCB’s and the fishy after taste. Unfortunately, many fish supplements still contain detectable levels of some of these extremely damaging environmental toxins, which mean that you will be ingesting them unknowingly. Furthermore, These are the kinds of molecules that are produced in most of the fish oil supplements that are on the market today:

Trans fats

Fragmented and cyclised molecules

Cross-linked molecules in and across triglycerides

Double-bond shifted molecules

Polymerized, Dimerized and Trimerized molecules

Marine oils used in various food products are often partially hydrogenated, to ensure stability and prevent rancidity. Partial hydrogenation significantly reduces the DHA and EPA content of the fish oil, to less than 2% of total fat content, and introduces trans fats

DHA and EPA are 25 times more sensitive to damage from light, oxygen and heat than plant based Omega 6 fats are, so they will definitely be damaged during processing, unless a Carbon Dioxide, cold-extraction process is used, and there is only one company in the world that does that.

There is mounting evidence that just consuming fish oil, on its own, may in fact be damaging to your health, because once again you are going to be unbalanced and not have enough omega 6. And it may not be helpful in lowering blood pressure or reducing cholesterol in all people. Furthermore you are supplying derivatives, the DHA and EPA, which your body would make in the quantities that it requires, when it requires them. So, research is indicating that you can overdose on fish oil, which may lead to increased inflammation.

When people switch from using fish oil supplements, to using a plant based, foundation Omega 3 supplement, that also contains undamaged Omega 6, also essential for optimal health, they experience a wider range of benefits, because they are not just supplementing the DHA and EPA. They are also getting the other components of health, that accompany Omega 3 and 6, such as increased energy, improved metabolic rate, smoother, clearer skin, insulin sensitivity, mood and concentration improvements, improved ability to cope with stress, lowered inflammation and increased immunity, as well as lowered heart disease and cancer risk.

If you choose to consume the pre-formed DHA and EPA, then consume an algae-based product rather, as this is where the DHA and EPA comes form originally. Simply by-pass the fish, and use a product that hasn’t had to be detoxified. Furthermore, you will be making a sensible, environmentally conscious choice. However, don’t forget that you still need to supplement with a foundation blend, as simply taking a DHA/EPA supplement will not provide all your essential fat needs, therefore a plant based, foundation Omega 3 and 6 supplement, with added DHA from algae, is the best choice.

Fish is a potent allergen, in fact, one of the most commonly encountered food allergens in children and adults. Exposure and frequency both contribute to the frequency of fish as an allergen.

The extended transport times, which occur when fish is moved from the ocean to processing plants, for processing, often causes both microbial and enzymatic degradation of fish tissue, causing increased oxidation. Both a loss of flavour and degradation of omega 3 content are the results. Vitamin C is often added as an antioxidant to try to counter these effects.

Variations in fatty acid composition of fish, according to location, season and species means that the end product is not always consistent in DHA and EPA composition

Fish oil also contains cholesterol, as it is an animal product, although the amount will vary according to species. Plant sources of Omega 3 do not contain cholesterol.

Humans require a lot more fat in their diet than they have been led to believe. So, simply consuming a fish capsule is not going to give you the amount of fat that you need to sustain optimal health. You need to consume foundation fats, which are found in the nuts, seeds, dairy, meat, fish and eggs and nut or seed oils, as well as olive oils, that we consume daily. These fats amount to about 90 gms of fat per day, looking at the average fat intake from around the world. The other 5 gms comes from supplementing with fish oil capsules, that are generally damaged during processing. Many people try to cut out all types of fats and oils, and only consume a supplement fish oil capsule, but cannot be optimally healthy, because they need more of the foundation fats and oils. As fat is the second largest compound in your body, with water being the first, you need a lot of the right fat and oils in your diet to be healthy.

Just swallowing fish oil capsules and not changing anything else about your lifestyle or diet may not be beneficial at all, because there’s more to health than simply swallowing a popular supplement. And, you’re also consuming damaged fat molecules, so could in fact be harming you health.

The ocean is running out of fish – fish caught today are generally a third of the size they were 100 years ago. We all have to become environmentalists if we care about eating fish and leaving fish in the ocean for the generations to come. Furthermore, using krill oil, which is seen being less of an environmental threat than fish oil, may also result in environmental damage in later decades, although the manufacturers state that won’t be the case. However, the same ‘authorities’ never thought we’d see the destruction of so many fish species either.

If you’re still not convinced, and want to swallow fish oil capsules, ask your fish oil manufacturer these questions:

• When researchers say there are no acceptable limits to PCB’s, dioxins, furans, pesticides, as well as Mercury and Lead, why do you still use this ‘less than acceptable limits’ as a selling point?
• The damage that occurs to the fish oils due to processing, such as cross-linked, cyclised, fragmented and double-bond shifted molecules, trans fatty acids and polymerised acids, are not listed on your products. Why?
• What is the highest temperature reached during deodorization, molecular distillation and wiped film evaporation?
• What is the time duration of each of these processes, and how many repetitions are done for each high-temperature step?

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