Here are a few words on Fish oils:
Although I do not believe there are any "Magic Pills", panacea supplements that cure everyone of everything, I do think that a quality fish oil supplement comes darn close. In our modern lives we consume much less omega 3 essential fatty acids than humans are typically used to. Fats are considered essential to our bodies if we need them to survive/thrive and our bodies cannot synthesize them on our own. That means these fats need to be consumed on a very regular basis. Our bodies happen to be extremely resilient and may be able to live without adequate amounts of essential fatty acids, but to live without them is to live below our potential for health and vitality. There is a lot of info out there on omega 3's so search our website (www.innatechiro.com) or around the net if you want to learn about why you may need to be taking omega 3 supplements, but here are the very basic essentials.
#1-Foods that contain omega 3 essential fatty acids(EFA)
-the most abundant sources of omega 3's are found in certain nuts and seeds and in fish.
-the best sources from nuts and seeds are Walnuts, Almonds, Pumpkin seeds, and Flax seeds.
-All fish are good but fatty fish are best--Tuna, Salmon, Sea Bass, Blue Fish, my personal favorite Sardines, and herring are great sources.
#2-If you are looking for an omega 3 EFA supplement the best source is a fish oil source. Now I know I will take some flack from the nut and seed lovers out there but in my humble opinion fish oils are much more efficient than nut and seed oils. Here is the reason. The most important product s that we need the omega 3's for are the constituents EPA and DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid). Our bodies can break down the omega 3 fats from nuts and seeds into these component parts but it does have to do work in order to do that. If you take your omega 3's from a fish oil the work has already been done for you. The fish have eaten plants, algae or other fish that are sources of omega 3 and performed a conversion so when we consume fish we get the full effect of the EPA and DHA. Some people tend to be able to convert better than others and those people would do just fine on a flax or some other seed or nut oil but how do you know how efficient your body happens to be? Taking fish oils can be a much more efficient way of getting these amazing nutrients into your body.
#3- Quality. Here is the most important point. Not all fish oil supplements are created equally. The quality of your fish oils is very important. Here is what you want to look for when purchasing a quality fish oil supplement.
First a glass bottle is preferable to a plastic bottle. Glass doesn't allow any air to penetrate into the bottle and ensures more stability to the oil. Plastic bottles are not necessarily bad but if you don't know how long a plastic bottle has been sitting on a shelf or if it was exposed to some very hot days on a truck or in a storage room you are taking some risk that the oil may be at the least less potent and at the worst rancid. Glass bottles are no guarantee but I buy my quality olive oil in a dark glass bottle for the same reasons.
Number two you want to make sure your fish oils are screened for traces of mercury and PCB's, two hazardous materials that are found in the fat of many fish. A good company will do extensive testing to ensure that their fish oils are free from contaminants. Remember also that unfortunately the supplement industry is self regulated so just because a company makes claims that their product is the best doesn't necessarily mean they truly are. There are a lot of good products out there but I put my full trust into Metagenics brand of fish oils.
#4- How much should you take? There is no substitute for having a qualified health practitioner help you to find the correct dosage for each individual. Every body has different needs. Fish oils can help to thin your blood and lower your blood pressure so you always want to have professional advice if you plan on taking any nutritional supplements for long periods of time, especially if you take any medications. A safe dose for most people though is 2 grams a day.
I hope that answers some questions. Check out our website www.innatechiro.com to update yourself on more omega3 and fish oil research.
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