February 18, 2005 – Fish oil supplements are said to be a safer source of omega-3s than fish themselves, because they are completely free of PCBs and pesticides.
That’s the conclusion researchers at Harvard University in Boston came to after analyzing five fish oil supplements and looking at other scientific data on the subject.1.
Omega Brite, Kirkland, Natrol, Sundown and CVS brand supplements contained no detectable traces of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or organochlorine pesticides. Although the use of these chemicals in North America was abolished over 20 years ago, they are still present in the environment. These pollutants accumulate in the flesh of some fish, such as salmon and tuna, and can sometimes reach toxic levels. However, these fish represent a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, the properties of which help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as the symptoms of depression.
The dilemma has been around for some time: should we reduce our consumption of fish for fear of toxins or increase it to benefit from its protective effect? According to the authors, it would be better to replace fish with fish oil supplements since these are free not only of PCBs and organochlorines, but also of mercury and dioxins – as demonstrated by analyzes carried out. recently2.
The fact that fish oil supplements contain almost zero pollutant contents can be explained in part by the choice of species used and the extraction process.
However, this preference for fish oils is not unanimous in the scientific community. According to the French doctor Jean-Marie Bourre3, the intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids would be “a little less optimal” if it does not come from food. The author of the book The truth about omega-3s finds fish oil supplements of some benefit, but that they do not contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). In addition, he indicates that it is not known whether the processing step of these oils has an impact on fat chemistry, nor is it known whether the intestine can properly absorb the resulting chemical structure.
Marie france Coutu – PasseportSanté.net
According to WebMD.
1. Melanson SF, Lewandrowski EL, et al, Measurement of organochlorines in commercial over-the-counter fish oil preparations: implications for dietary and therapeutic recommendations for omega-3 fatty acids and a review of the literature, Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, January 2005, Vol. 129, No. 1, 74-7.
2. See our new Omega-3 Supplements: Mercury and Dioxin Free, released January 6, 2005.
3. See our book of the month The truth about omega-3s.