Anyone who takes a trip down the supplement aisle at a health food store will see EPA and DHA fish oil products in large quantities. Educated consumers know that supplementation is necessary but do they really know what they are getting?
The most widely available sources of EPA and DHA are cold water fatty fish such as salmon, tuna or even sardines. Land based sources such as walnuts, flax or animals raised on green vegetation are either inefficient or impractical.
EPA and DHA are part of the omega 3 family of essential fatty acids. The word essential simply means our bodies can not manufacture them from scratch. They must be outsourced. Bear with me a moment. This can be confusing. Even though all are essential, DHA is a better building block than any of the others. It is the most complex of the essential fatty acids and can convert into simpler omega 3s fairly easily. For instance, if we have excess DHA and not enough EPA, no problem. The reverse conversion is a problem and gets harder as we get older.
Think of it this way. Let us say you want to break up a chair and use it for firewood. Pretty easy. Now suppose you want to take some firewood and make a chair. Not so easy. The more advanced omega 3 supplements usually have excess DHA for this very reason. The perfect ratio of omega 3 acids varies from person to person. Getting the right supplement will keep everything in balance.
Make no mistake, this is not an either/or solution. The body needs both of these essential fats. DHA is the longest chained omega 3 molecule and the most desaturated fatty acid. This chemical structure makes it a quick change artist. It reacts very quickly, which is why it is concentrated in the brain [neurons live life in the fast lane], eyes and heart [quick muscle fibers]. EPA is part of every cell membrane and is one of the chief messengers on a molecular level. It allows the bodies cells to communicate with each other.
EPA and DHA are endorsed, together, by the Alzheimers Association, the AHA, the American Eye Institute and the Arthritis Foundation. The US Army is looking into putting both of them in rations. Many non U.S. agencies have also recommended these fish oil omega 3s as well.
However, there is a health issue. Many of these same agencies warn against having too much fish. The recommendations vary depending on the type of seafood and the agency. The FDA is the most liberal by saying two servings per week is ok.
What everyone is worried about are the ocean toxins that fish absorb in the natural food chain. Farmed species that are fed pellets in fish farms have little nutrient value. They also have their own health issues.
Whichever recommendations you believe, the sad fact is that you will not be able to get the amount of omega 3s that you need from the diet. That is the reason that consumers are now using omega 3 fish oil supplements.
In conclusion, inferior fish oil products are as harmful as contaminated fish. Only use supplements that are purified. This also means no chemical additives. The websites of some of the better companies will actually have lab reports that back up their claims. EPA and DHA should be the chief ingredients, although it is okay to have small amounts of Vitamin E and other antioxidants. My website can provide more details on all these points.
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 .
To sign up for the course and get more tips on the importance of omega 3, visit my website: http://www.omega-3-guide.com/
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")