Why I Have Never Liked Fish Oil Supplements

Many of you already know that I have discouraged patients from taking fish oils as their source of fatty acids for many years.  My opinion has been and remains that there is no where in the world's oceans that significant pollution hasn't invaded...including the supposed "pure" waters off the coast of Scotland.

In January of 2012, Consumer Reports released the results of their in-depth study of fish oil brands and rated whether they met basic criteria for quality.
The results verify what I have always suspected...that the brands they tested failed for various reasons.  Fish oils from CVS, Sundown, Nature's Bounty and GNC all contained PCBs...a group of highly carcinogenic chemicals found in the ocean.  The Costco Kirkland's brand should also be avoided as, for some reason, they had an enteric coating problem. Nordic Naturals tested for spoilage...something to which all oil-containing foods are susceptible.

Your best sources of essential fatty acids (the importance of which we discussed in my Oct. 7 blog) are hemp hearts (87% fatty acids), salmon that is wild caught from rivers and some nuts and seeds.  It's not that our rivers are any less polluted, but salmon don't live long and, as such, don't contain the high levels of carcinogenic chemicals that other fish (such as tuna) have....that's why I like the vegetable (which we carry) and nut sources of omega fatty acids, better than fish. See my February 14, 2014 blog for more information about alternative sources of essential fatty acids.

A certain amount of chemicals are considered "allowable" by the FDA in all our foods, supplements and drinking water.  We need to keep that in mind when looking for brands of supplements...that's why we only use organic,whole food supplements in the office...they have to pass much more rigorous inspections than the regular supplements, whether they be sold by health food stores, pharmacies or large retailers.

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