#107 What's wrong with fish oil?
Here's why you eat real seafood instead
Almost everyone consumes fish oil these days. For some reason, it has found itself in this class of supplements that most people take without any second thought. It’s just assumed to be good for you. You need your Omega 3s, don’t you?
Yes, Omega 3s are crucial and they’re one of the reasons why some form of seafood is always beneficial in a diet. But is fish oil really the best vehicle to get there? Will supplementing these golden capsules every day be enough?
Well, when you take a closer look at fish oils, it all starts to unravel. The first thing you should know about fish oil is that nobody catches fish to make fish oil. Fish oil is almost always made from the scraps of the fishing industry. This is everything that they don’t sell. A chunk of this fish mix (tails, heads, skin, bones, etc) is boiled and mechanically pressed to extract as much oil as possible. The oil then gets centrifuged and bleached, a process not so different from how seed oils are made. Chemical solvents are used to separate EPA from DHA and it’s then packaged into capsules.
The odds of fish oil oxidizing during this process are pretty high. Add to that the fact that exposure to light, air and heat during packaging and transportation increases the likelihood of oxidation as well. We’re starting to see this being reported in mainstream media as well. Independent tests have found that a number of fish oil brands come rancid in the bottle itself. Some tests have even found carcinogens.
This oxidation risk isn’t the only thing that makes fish oil inferior to real seafood. It’s also not as bioavailable. There are various positions fatty acids can occupy. In real seafood, EPA and DHA are found in sn-2 position. This has been studied as the most bioavailable position, allowing our bodies to recognize and easily absorb omega-3s. But with fish oil, the processing means the EPA and DHA finds itself more in the sn-1 and sn-3 positions
There’s also the contamination risk, since it’s quite common for different companies to specialize in the various stages of fish oil production. Most fish oil also smells absolutely terrible, requiring an odor removal process at the end to make it palatable.
Are there brands out there that are OK? Of course. But why would you want to pay more for an inferior product? You’re much better off eating real seafood. The concern about heavy metals in fish is also extremely overblown, in my opinion. Just don’t overindulge in larger fish like Tuna every day of the week and you’ll be fine. If you’re particularly afraid, consume small fish like sardines, which have incredibly low amounts. The rule of thumb is smaller fish = less toxins (of all kinds). With salmon, always opt for wild-caught over farmed.
You’ll be far better off consuming whole seafood to get your omega 3s. Have Oyster Sundays. Bake a whole red snapper. Have sardines on sourdough. Just a few times a week is enough, and it adds much-needed variety to your meals as well. What’s your favorite seafood dish?
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These warm dates with olive oil, sea salt and lemon zest are amazing. Sweet and savory is my jam and these little guys don’t disappoint. The dates are sautéed in olive oil until they become soft and almost caramel-like. Then they’re sprinkled with flakey sea salt, lemon zest and drizzled with the warm oil they were cooked in. This appetizer is simple, flavorful and can be whipped up in no time.
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The red and white striped towels are freshly rolled up on the loungers. The dark green parasols are stretched out at regular intervals and the terracotta floor frames the emerald-coloured pool. An old house wall with densely overgrown ivy runs up one side, surrounded by a picturesque park with plenty of greenery in the form of palm trees, shrubs and trees.
An elegant signorina with a highly tousled bob and an almost empty martini glass in her hand sits at the edge of the pool. Her long legs stick out into the water. Isn’t that Sophia Loren? A gentleman with a suit, sunglasses and a cigarillo in his mouth appears from off-screen. Si! Marcello Mastroianni! “Sorry to disturb you, signorina, but the sight of this pool is only surpassed by your beauty… May I offer you another drink?” “No,” she replies cheekily and hops into the pool. “You’d better come in, it’s wonderfully refreshing!”
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Hope you had a beautiful weekend ladies & gents,
Godspeed!
One less supplement to worry about!