If you want to know which fish contain omega 3, don’t bother trying to find out in a health food store. The information is very limited at best. Other questions that get even fewer answers are: what are the best dosage levels and how pure is the fish oil?
Omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids are fundamental ingredients of the immune system. It would be wonderful if they were in equally balanced proportions. In the West, that is not likely to take place.
Omega 6s are found in vegetable oils and foods that contain them - fast foods, margarines, baked goods, various dressings etc. Since we get so many of these fats, the normal customer is inundated with this fundamental but clearly plentiful nutrient.
Even if we know which fish contain omega 3, we have to recognize the omega 6 amounts in each species. The species with the most balanced proportions are salmon, tuna, hoki and mackerel. Shellfish can also be good. Some species like sardines tend to have too much sodium. Avoid bigger predators like sharks or swordfish.
Both the 3s and 6s originate in the microalgae and plankton at the start of the food chain. As fish climb the chain, the fatty acid content gets better but the amount of heavy metals and other pollutants rises as well. Regrettably, these contaminants find there way to our dinner tables and into mediocre supplements as well.
A different option is fish farms. There are thousands of them around the world. Although some farms try to duplicate life in the wild, the end result is there are much fewer nutrients of all sorts. In addition to some heavy metals, there are also various chemicals the fish absorb that are used to fight the disease and parasites that come with such crowded conditions.
Here is some additional information.
1] The FDA recommends that 2000-to-3000mg [3 grams] per day of omega 3s are a good amount for an adult to maintain health. Depending on the species, this would require eating 1-3 pounds of seafood daily. This is how much the FDA suggests as a maximum weekly consumption.
2] A recent Harvard study listed omega 3 deficiencies as the number six killer in the U.S. Tobacco, high cholesterol and obesity were first, second and third. Why is this? One answer has is that in the American diet we get about 125mg daily. This is not a misprint - 125mg. This is about 1/20th of what is necessary to balance the immune system.
In order to achieve immune system equilibrium, it is either have a lot of fish, or get some help. Fortunately, supplements have come a long way the past ten years.
Companies that offer good products believe in full disclosure. Look for a lab report on their website [sometimes called a Certificate of Analysis]. It will give you details about what is in the soft gel capsule and also if there are any pollutants or chemical additives.
The original question was which fish contain omega 3? I do not need to worry about it since my supplement contains high levels of them and is safe to take at even above average doses. The company also provides independent lab reports.
My website can help your research.
Author Resource:
Get my free five-part mini course on the benefits of omega 3, including critical information on why you should take omega3 fish oil .
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