Fish Oil Myths and Facts

By Dr. Joseph Maroon

Read More about Dr. Maroon’s Research using Omega-3 Fish oil for Spinal pain – See Articles

Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, Article 4 and Video Interview with Dr. Maroon on Omega-3

March 3, 2010 – Omega Day Article – Great Review on Fish oil and uses

Introduction

 Shortly after I published my book Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory and began speaking on omega-3 fish oil and its many health benefits, I found that consumers and practitioners that read the book had additional questions that were either not completely addressed or not covered in the book. Additionally, many of the questions about fish oil had to do with conflicting “facts” that they had heard in the media, from other practitioners, fish oil suppliers, or in health food stores. Unfortunately, many of these “facts” are myths based on marketing hype, misinformation, and gossip. This is why I decided to write this fact sheet as a reliable quick reference source of information on omega fatty acids.  Additional, references are available  in my book – Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory.

 Fish Oil Myths and Facts

 Myth: Fish oil increases the risk of bleeding in all cases.

Fact:Experts are confident that omega-3 fatty acids in doses of 1 – 3 grams per day generally does NOT increase the risk of clinically significant bleeding in generally healthy individuals. Even in patients being treated with medications that alter clotting often can be safely placed on omega-3 fish oil if monitored and cleared by their healthcare professional.  Remember if you are on any medication that can alter your blood clotting you should consult with your healthcare practitioner before starting a fish oil product.

 Myth: Enteric Coating improves fish oil absorption.

Fact: Enteric Coating protects capsules or tablets from being dissolved by stomach acids, so that they pass through the stomach to the small intestine where it will then dissolve. This technique is can be used by fish oil manufacturers to mask a bad taste or smell of lower quality oils. Enteric coating in and of itself does not chance how fish oil is ultimately absorbed.

 Myth: Heat used in fish oil manufacturing processes causes excess oxidative damage (rancidity) and creates inferior oil.

Fact: All fish oil needs to go through a stripping process to remove impurities and meet guidelines for purity. This process always requires heat, but heat itself does not cause oxidation.  Rancidity is avoid by manufacturers who process the oil in a vacuum, in a nitrogen-rich, oxygen-free environment, or in the absence of free radical catalysts such as iron and copper.  Byproducts of oxidative damage (such as due to exposure to air) to fish oils can result in a fishy burp, a disagreeable taste and smell of rancid fish.

Myth: Fish oil and cod liver oil is OK to take if it smells like fish, tastes like fish, or causes fishy burps.

Fact: Fish oil that smells like fish or causes fishy repeat is generally indicative of a fish oil product that has gone rancid. Oxidized fish oil is not healthy for the body to ingest and should be avoided. Only purchase fish oil from a reputable company that processes in an oxygen-free environment. In general, a higher quality product has little or no fishy smell. 

Myth: Molecular distillation is a complex Process that does not improve the fish oil quality.

Fact: All fish oil requires some type of processing in order to  remove environmental contaminants and meet purity standards. Molecular distillation is an acceptable procedure to purify fish oil and is used to remove impurities, such as heavy metals, dioxins, and other pollutants found in the oceans around the world.  The process can also remove unwanted saturated fats, and other undesirable organic compounds. Molecular distillation is typically a gentle process using low heat and can be performed in a vacuum to further reduce heat requirement. Any potential impurities and saturated fats are distilled out of the oil, leaving only the key health beneficial components of the fish oil. 

Myth: Krill oil is faster absorbed and richer than fish oil.

Fact:There are currently alot of claims associated with Krill oil.  The resarch on krill oil is not as robust as fish oil based omega-3.  At this time there are only 3 published human studies conducted with krill oil, whereas over 8,000 clinical human studies have been published on fish oil.  I will need to see more evidence to agree with the claim of Krill oil being superior.

Myth: Salmon oil is the best form of fish oil available on the market.

Fact: Salmon is a source of important nutrients but it would not be fair to say that this oil is superior over other fish oils such as cod liver oil, sardines, or anchovies. Additionally, federal agencies had placed limits on the frequency of human consumption of  many larger fish like salmon and tuna because of their risk of having increased levels of toxins such as mercury, lead and PCBs.

Myth: Flax seed is a viable alternative to fish oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Fact: Flax is a wonderful food, a good fiber source but it is not a direct source of omega-3 – EPA and DHA.  Studies show that flax must be converted in the body to EPA and DHA and this conversion process limits the total EPA and DHA consumed from flax to about 3 to 5% of what is actually eaten. I suggest supplementing with fish oil because it guarantees direct, sufficient quantities of EPA and DHA.

Myth: Prescription fish oil is better than what you can buy at the health food store or over the counter from your doctor.

Fact: There is no evidence that there is a significant chemical difference between the omega-3 in fish oil received through a medical prescription compared to a quality brand of a fish oil supplement that you can purchase at a store or over the counter.  Perhaps, however, the biggest difference is that the  prescription fish oil is more costly compared to many over-the-counter products that can be often be more concentrated (the amount of EPA and DHA) compared to the current prescription brand.

 Myth: I eat fish twice a week and this gives me all the omega-3 fatty acids that I need.

Fact: Eating at least 2 servings or more of fish or seafood per week can satisfy a minimum daily requirement of omega-3 for an optimally healthy person.  In today’s world many processed foods have the healthy EPA and DHA extracted.  Additionally, farmed fish may have lower amount of omega-3 fatty acids. And perhaps the most concerning fact is that many fish and seafood products carry warnings on the amount you can safely consume due to their potentially high levels of mercury, lead, PCPs and other contaminates.  And finally, the way the fish and seafood is prepared, such as frying, can eliminate much of the fish oil benefit.

Myth: Fish should not be used as a source for omega-3 fatty acids because fish is endangered.

Fact: Fish oil for nutritional supplements are generally believed to represents no more than 2%-3% of the total global fishing industry. The key to protecting endangered species is to avoid purchasing products that use declining species—such as tuna (larger species), swordfish, Atlantic cod, grouper, Atlantic flounder, Chilean sea bass, orange roughy, and red snapper. It is best to use products that use species which are not considered overfished or endangered—such as Arctic Cod, anchovies, mackerel, sardines, and herring. Species like sardines and anchovies are smaller and don’t live very long and therefore also are less likely to concentrate toxins in their oil.

Disclaimer 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This product is not intended to treat, diagnosis, cure or prevent any disease.