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Confirmed: Mercury Cancels Out the Health Benefits of Fish Oil
Omega oils have seen a lot of attention for their benefits to brain function and fish oil is a major source of the nutrient. But there is a problem with eating fish as environmental pollutants have caused marine life to become laden with chemicals by the time they reach maturity for fishing.
Mercury is one of the biggest chemical threats to humans as it is incredibly harmful to the brain, causing degradation of the neurons thereby crippling the minds functional capacity.
So the fish have the omega oils that are great for the brain while at the same time containing mercury which will diminish brain function. Thankfully there are alternatives to its sources that don’t rely on fish- check the list at the bottom of the article and encourage environmental practices that reduce mercury pollution.
~Health Freedoms
Lately, a shadow has perched itself over the fish oil industry. While no one disputes the benefits of a diet rich in omega fatty acids, Rachel wrote about a number of studies pointing to myths associated with fish oil. Most recently, a new study was released that confirms that any benefits that come from fish oil are cancelled out but excessive mercury in the system.
According to Environmental Health News, methyl mercury is transferred to people who eat the fish, which is especially concerning for pregnant women whose children are exposed while developing in the womb.
The study, published in Environmental Research, said this:
“Of the five nutritional components evaluated, only the beneficial effects of DHA – as measured by the children’s test scores – were negatively impacted by increased mercury exposure. The nutritional benefits of DHA were significantly reduced and then disappeared altogether at the higher exposures.”
Bottom line: DHA, an omega fatty acid chain has many health benefits but when paired with mercury-laden fish oil, those benefits are cancelled out by the side effects of mercury poisoning.
Why We Still Need Omega Fatty Acids
No one’s disputing the benefits of the omega fatty acids found in fish oil. These are truly important to the body. They regulate blood clotting, blood pressure, blood lipid levels, and the body’s response to injury and infection. Likely one of the most important benefits is that it greatly reduces inflammation associated with heart disease. But paired with the mercury found in a wide variety of favored fish species like tuna, grouper, or mackerel the mercury exposure makes it not worth the risk.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids Minus the Mercury
Omega 3 is made up of three acids EPA, DHA, and ALA. ALA can be found in hemp seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds. DHA and EPA are found in algae, spirulina, blue-green algae, and chlorella.
By Sara Novak
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With so many fish oils available as supplements, how do you know which ones are 100% mercury free?
I am a cancer survivor and have been purchasing molecularly distilled Omega 3 Fatty Acids in soft gel form for many years. It comprises of 1200 mg fish oil, 600mg Total EPA & DHA.
Do I now need to find out the source of their fish oil even though it is molecularly distilled?
Good grief!
Jo
Not all fish oils are created, or processed, equally. Molecularly distilled, micro-filtered oils have had impurities removed. However, if the company uses too high of a heat, it will change the healthy fats into less healthy ones. You want to make sure you are getting top of the line, pharmaceutical grade fish oils. Those that have research behind them on purity, absorbability, and efficacy. Otherwise you are exposing yourself to toxins, possibly unhealthy fats, wasting your money, and defeating the purpose. Go see a Naturopathic Medical Doctor to help you choose your vitamin companies and supplements, as they are the best educated about holistic medicine, supplementation, and environmental medicine. Vitamin shops, health food stores, and wholesale clubs offer cheap alternatives, but they can end up just being a waste of money, or even worse, dangerous.
Jo, you should not be worried if you are purchasing a product that is from a reputable source. You should be worried if you are purchasing from a discount store, or a retailer that is currently involved in the class action suit because they are only filtering about 10% of the oil, and then mixing it with the non filtered oil. Bad, You should also make sure that the source of the oil comes form small fish, like sardines, or anchovies, or wild alaskan salmon, never farm raised fish. Never from China or outside the country.
Sandy,
The better brands all test. I use Carlson’s. On the bottle it shows:
Contaminant-Free:
This product is regularly tested using AOAC international protocols for freshness, potency and purity by an independent, FDA-registered laboratory and has been determined to be fresh, fully potent, and free of detectable levels of mercury, cadmium, lead and 28 other contaminants.
The better brands also do not use chemicals to separate the oils; they will say it on the label. Carlson’s says “oil is separated without the use of chemicals.”
The cheaper brands will use chemicals and will not tell you. They will say “molecularly distilled” which means chemically separated and then fractionated.
Cold-pressing, like olive oil, is healthier.
Carlson’s costs more, but is about half-price at places like Vitacost.
I can absolutely taste and feel the difference of using the better oils.
Best of success with finding healthy oils.
Mo
The professional brands of fish oil are third party tested and 100% free of mercury or other contaminants. If the company cannot guarantee third party testing switch brands to one that can. Fish oil is the one supplement that needs to be the best quality possible and for which the price tag will be worth it.
There is no such thing as “pharmaceutical grade” fish oil. In fact if the USP (US Pharmacopeia) issued a grading standard for fish oil it is questionable whether they would be so restrictive as to eliminate oil from farmed fish for their specification. But that point is speculative.
But no such specification exists. Anyone using that term to market their products is — in a sense lying to you. But not completely. They could be said to have established their own pharmacological standard since none exists — and are adhering to it. The dispute would be about whether the USP own’s the term “pharmaceutical grade”.
At best the term is misleading because it implies that some external standard exists and that they are adhering to it. A standard that a non-arms-length entity engineers and then adheres to doesn’t count because from a marketing perspective — something is misleading when it implies something is true that is not.
The implication of adherence to a standard carries the implicit idea of an independent arms-length third party standards organization or committee. When none exists the use of the term “pharmaceutical grade” is misleading.
I use Carlson’s DHA. I feel that it is a wonderful form of EFA’s to take. Dr Mercola recommended Carlson’s for years before he went to another brand that he sells. I take krill oil too by Jarrow which seems to be pretty good. I buy organic flax seeds and grind them myself. I do eat sardines from Norway a couple times a month. I eat spirulina, blue-green algae, and chlorella too. I think I am getting all the EFA’s I need and hopefully no mercury.