OMEGOD! Which Fish Oil or are they just a red herring?
Posted on April 19th, 2012
There’s a lot of hype around the Omega 3 (EPA, DHA & ALA) and with good reason too; these polyunsaturated fats are vital for our metabolism, but are only obtained outside of the body in fish oils and some plant oils, such as flaxseed oil. Numerous studies have shown they are essential for the heart, joints, skin, brain development and mental health and now it’s suggested they’re a chief factor in anti-aging.
The most widely available dietary source of these oils is (surprise!) in oily fish. The highest concentration is found in small, cold-water fish: herring, mackerel, salmon and sardines. Oily fish don’t produce fatty acids but obtain it from algae in their diets. Which leads us to krill, an even richer source of EPA and DHA.
Krill is a marine crustacean, like the shrimp, but not traditionally used in the human diet. They are at the bottom of the food chain, are a massive food source for marine life, the largest biomass in the world and fundamental to the survival of the marine ecosystem. Fatty acids from krill oil are absorbed and delivered to the brain more readily than fatty acids from fish oil, due to their different molecular forms.
Fish oil and krill oil supplements are readily available, but there’s a reason why Japan has the lowest heart disease, so get your fix of Omega 3 and tuck into a big box of salmon sushi.
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