The health benefits of omega3 essential fatty acids have been well publicised recently and it is becoming well known that most of us are deficient in the omega3 oils that are so important to our good health. Omega 3 essential fatty acids are found in fish oil, which obviously comes from fish. But if fish are contaminated with Mercury then what should we do?
A recent study published this year has examined the levels of Mercury contamination in fish and in the north Pacific Ocean. According to the results of the study the levels of Mercury in the North Pacific has increased 30 percent from’96 to 2006.
And as well is this it also found that around 40 percent of Mercury found population of US can be traced back and tuna that they have eaten which has been caught in the North Pacific.
This is concerning. Mercury is a serious environmental toxin and is no good for our health when we consume it. It is a neurotoxin and has serious implications for the developing fetus and infant.
Atmospheric production of Mercury as well as Mercury leakage from Asia were the major ways that it was found that Mercury made its way into the oceans. It is found in the oceans as methylmercury, and is found in our tuna because it starts at the bottom of the food chain and works it’s way up right up to fish at the top of the food chain like shark and tuna. And we eat shark and tuna.
So there is a dilemma here for anyone wishing to increase their intake of omega3 essential fatty acids from eating more fish. If you eat more fish you get more Omega3 oils in your diet however you also increase your level of Mercury consumption.
Not only that but fish is a declining resource and is also getting more and more expensive with time. Is there a better way to increase your intake of omega3 fatty acids other than by eating fish? Yes.
A much better way that is both more cost-effective and safer than eating more fish is by daily supplementation with omega3 supplements. These can be called fish oil supplements, and the best fish oil supplements are much more cost-effective than eating fish and are also free of contamination with Mercury. Large numbers of people now recognize this and the sales of omega3 supplements are increasing faster than any other nutritional supplement in history.
If you like eating fish then by all means increase your intake and this improves your dietary intake of omega3. However by doing so you are also increasing your intake of Mercury, as well as affecting your budget. But if you’d prefer to avoid the cost of buying fish as well is the risks of eating Mercury then omega3 supplements are certainly a much more cost-effective and are safer way to do so.
It is however worth noting that there wide variations in the quality of the various supplements available, and that the best fish oil supplements contain almost 3 times as much Omega3 fats as average capsules.
If you’d like to find out how to compare the different omega3 supplements available then you can do so on my website.
Want to know more about the health benefits of Fish Oil? Or more about Omega3 Fats? Visit Peter’s Website Healthy Omega 3 Fish Oil.