How Do You Get More Omega 3 Fatty Acids In Your Diet If Fish Is Contaminated With Mercury?
The health benefits of Omega3 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?
There has been a study published this year which has looked at Mercury contamination of fish in the North Pacific Ocean. It found that the level of Mercury in the North Pacific has increased 30 percent over 10 years from 1996 to 2006.
And as well as 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 the conundrum for anyone that understands the importance of increasing their intake of Omega3 fatty acids, and who also understands that the vast majority of our population is deficient in Omega3 fats, is that by increasing your intake of fish to increase your intake of Omega3 fats you are also increasing your intake of Mercury.
Fish is expensive and is also a declining resource. Is there a better way of increasing your intake of essential fatty acids other than eating expensive fish? Yes there is.
The better way is by daily consumption of omega3 supplements. Fish oil supplements are extremely cost effective when compared to buying fish, and the best fish oil supplements are entirely free of Mercury. For both these reasons many people are now taking daily fish oil capsules, and the result is that the sales of omega 3 supplements have increased faster than any other nutritional supplement in history.
Of course if you like fish and wish to increase your intake of omega3 then you can do so by eating more fish, but this is expensive and increases your intake of Mercury. That’s fine if you understand this, however if you merely wish to increase your dietary intake of essential fatty acids without the cost or the risk of Mercury contamination fish oil supplements offer a safe and cost-effective way to do so.
However it’s also very important to note that the different brands of Omega3 capsules available have widely differing levels of the essential omega3 fats and for this reason it’s difficult to compare those available to find out the most effective and those which offer the best value.
To find a comparison of the different fish oil capsules available visit my website.
