Is Fish Oil Helpful or Harmful?
Today in North America and according to doctors and Omega 3 research, a deficiency in Omega 3 is related to a number of chronic inflammatory diseases such as Cardiovascular, Alzheimer’s, Depression, Learning Disabilities, and more (43 Health Conditions and Omega 3 pdf). One area of interest for consumers of Omegas is fish oil, particularly fish oil oxidation, and effectiveness.
Let’s dive deeper.
Fish Oil Oxidation and Effectiveness
In recent news, fish oil supplements are being questioned for both fish oil oxidation and their effectiveness. Oxidation can wreak havoc with our foods and even metal (rust).
Findlay shares “it doesn’t take much oxygen to make it rancid.”
As stated in the New York Times: The correspondent Gillian Findlay investigates the scientific claims about fish oil, a popular supplement, in an exclusive video by the PBS series “Frontline” in collaboration with The New York Times. Findlay shares “it doesn’t take much oxygen to make it rancid.” Watch this 5-minute video on Is Fish Oil Helpful or Harmful?
January 16, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/video/health/100000004148407/is-fish-oil-helpful-or-harmful.html
“So oxidized lipid [one of the building blocks of cells] triggers inflammatory responses within our body, particularly in our cells…that can lead to things like cardiovascular disease,” says Preston Mason PhD, Harvard Medical School.
After watching the video on fish oil oxidation and how easily they go rancid, let me introduce you to a more recent discovery (1990s) by Dr. Ho at Memorial University, Newfoundland. A newly discovered source of Omega 3 from harp seal blubber, a mammalian source of Omega 3 which is shown to be more stable than the plant and fish oil Omega 3s. The published study ’21 days of mammalian omega-3 fatty acid supplementation improves aspects of neuromuscular function and performance in male athletes compared to olive oil placebo’ writes about this mammalian omega 3 for being more effective with dose required and uptake, minimizing oxidation.
Excerpt: This is one of the first exercise studies to use a seal oil N-3 PUFA supplement in contrast to the more commonly used fish oil N-3 PUFA. Seal oil N-3 PUFA supplementation is the sn-1/3 position of N-3 fats compared to the sn- 2 of fish oil. This difference has been shown to promote more rapid digestion of seal oil N-3 leading to subsequent higher incorporation into non-hepatic tissues [30]. Participants in this study ingested supplements in oil form to allow for potential sublingual absorption of the sn-3 N-3 [14]. This method of uptake may have increased the total bioavailable N-3 PUFAs as transit through the stomach can increase oxidation [8] — Published Study by University of Toronto, Page 9 see Reference 3 Product used Auum Omega 3 Sublingual D.
Oxidation and Processing
In addition to being essential for our body, omegas are processed oils. For example, we do not go out to fish and produce fresh oil for our own consumption. They have to be prepared for human consumption and packaged. What happens to the natural whole-food oils before you consume them? This is an important question as we strive for good quality and less commercialized foods for the benefit of our health. Having worked for a food processing company for over 19 years, I have witnessed the oil refinery process (Bunge oils) along with fish farming (Heritage Salmon Connors Bros.). Oxidation starts before the processing begins.
The standard processing for oils which includes most fish oils (and vegetable oils) is RBD – refined, bleached, and deodorized [pdf](high heat and chemicals). Other names such as molecularly distilled and purified are also used. There are reasons for the commercial processing of foods – shelf stability and managing health risks from bacteria, etc. If you are looking to purchase any oils as supplements or food, from coconut oil to fish oils, consider purchasing cold-pressed and organic/wild.
During my presentations, the example I give on oxidation is the apple. A freshly cut apple has a light vibrant colour. Within a short period of time, the apple will start to go brown from being exposed to oxygen. The apple-like Omega 3s have an affinity for oxygen (oxygen magnets.) As the apple goes on to be processed, let’s say to produce apple juice, one can notice the apple doesn’t go back to its light vibrant colour. Oxidation remains although the apple juice has been pasteurized or processed to remove any unhealthy substances. Let’s understand the humble beginnings of fish oil.
Findlay says “Ohhhh…that doesn’t smell good. That, that smells like it [fish oil] is going bad.”
Waste By-product
How did fish oil come to be? After spending a few years studying Omega 3s it came to me that like cottonseed oil was a waste by-product of the cotton industry, fish oil was a waste by-product of the fishing industry. Business is business overlapped with possibly good intentions. This is not to say fish oils and fish oil supplements don’t have some benefits. They were used as a cheap source of heating oil by northern cultures and now as biodiesel in Iran.
I have talked to people who were told they were completely deficient and had some positive results. Many cultures fished and ate wild fish as part of their diet. On the other hand and for hundreds of years, the Inuit and other cultures were using mammalian Omega 3s for food, etc. from the blubber of aquatic mammals such as the harp seal now a sustainable and regulated industry.
Conclusion
Oxidation is something that happens naturally to foods. Fish oil oxidation occurs easily and causes the oil to be rancid – an unhealthy smell, a less desirable supplement for our body and health – whereas the science shows the mammalian Omega 3 is stable The mammalian Omega 3 is a logical source for people who: have allergies; had no results with fish oils (possible increased inflammation); want improved results; have digestive issues which is a condition of all other chronic health conditions. If your preference is fish oil, then select those brands that are from small fish, NPN approved (heavy metal testing), and cold-pressed. There are many plant sources and the same oxidation, processing, and recommendations should be considered such as cold-pressed/freshly ground. Some ideal plant sources are flaxseeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, and more.
Fish oils are not my preference and other practitioners have noticed their clients/patients not responding well to fish oil supplements but didn’t understand why.
From my experience, Auum Omega 3 Sublinguals have proven to be effective in dealing with chronic inflammation (i.e. heart disease, arthritis, MS, etc.). Very helpful with brain function especially with autistic children (Clinical Study with Children).
I hope you found this article on Fish Oil Oxidation and Effectiveness educational.
References
1) http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats.html
2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3655118/
3) https://cherylmillett.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/PubMed-Auum-Omega-3-12970_2015_Article_89.pdf
4) http://www.jissn.com/content/12/1/28
5) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032112005266
6) http://www.edibleoilextraction.com/process-description-of-edible-oil-refining/
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Cheryl Millett
Champion for your better health…
