Fish oil: properties, benefits and contraindications

Fish oil. Every person who cares about his or her well-being sooner or later ends up discovering this valuable Omega-3-rich elixir.

Numerous are its benefits, equally numerous are its uses.

Data released by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirm this: the production of nutraceuticals (foods, or parts of foods, with beneficial properties) based on Omega-3 increased from 20 thousand tons in 2001 to 85 thousand tons recorded in 2009. And of these 85 thousand tons, 60 percent were for dietary supplements based on eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

But let's get a better understanding of why fish oil is in such high demand, why it is important for health, what its benefits are, and what its contraindications are.

Guidance needed.

Fish oil: what is it and where does it come from?

Let's start with its "special" (and special) signs: it is an oil very rich in Omega-3 fatty acids obtained, as you might guess, from certain species of fish.

More specifically, it is extracted from sardines, mackerel and salmon. These can be specially caught, or be caught while fishing other species and become, then, raw material for oil production.

This valuable elixir is usually stored in the muscles of the fish, not in the liver as in the case ofcod liver oil, a product rich not only in omega-3 fatty acids but also in vitamin A and vitamin D.

If you are wondering how fish oil is produced, we refer you to a separate chapter to dive into the depths of the production process. It is a complex and fascinating process.

Fish oil composition

Fish oil is often identified with Omega-3s. Yet, "raw" fish oil contains not only Omega-3s but also other compounds. And not all of them are desirable!

In addition to the valuable beneficial substances, there are others (such as hydrocarbons, long-chain alcohols, waxes and ethers) that can affect the properties of the oil, give it a dark color and an unpleasant taste (such as protein residues, water, pigments, free fatty acids, phospholipids or oxidized fats), or cause foaming, smoke or precipitates.

The purification process is therefore a key step that allows you to eliminate unwanted substances and preserve those that are valuable to your health: omega-3 fatty acids.  

 

Why is fish oil used? What is it used for?

- Because it promotes the health of the heart.
- Because it promotes the development and functioning of the brain and eyesight.
- Because it helps fight inflammatory and dermatological diseases.
- Because it facilitates sports activity.

Here are just a few of the "why" people use fish oil.

But its use in food stems from a need: omega-3 fatty acids are essential for well-being, but our bodies cannot produce them on their own.

 

Unfortunately, our bodies cannot generate alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the precursor to the most valuable Omega-3s: EPA and DHA. Moreover, the conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA is not efficient-you only need to know that less than 0.1 percent of the alpha-linoleic acid introduced into the body is converted to DHA.

 

Yet DHA and EPA play a vital role in our health: the former promotes the growth and proper functioning of heart muscle, retina, and brain; the latter is the precursor to a class of molecules involved in fighting infection, inflammation, and cancer cells.

To make up for this natural limitation, we can therefore give our bodies a great gift: provide them with "ready-to-use" EPA and DHA in the form of fish oil.

 

Fish oil: the benefits are proven!

A mine of Omega-3s. The properties of fish oil depend on its high content of omega-3 fatty acids.

Studies show: increased fish oil intake is associated with better heart health and lower cardiovascular risk.

Omega-3s:

• have antifibrotic (counteracting excessive scar tissue formation) and anti-inflammatory effects that can reduce the occurrence of problems in the atria, the upper cavities of the heart;
• They improve the functions of the endothelium (the tissue that lines blood vessels);
• They stabilize the heart rate;
• Reduce mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (a disease of the heart);
• They reduce the tendency of blood to clot;
• They lower the risk of incurring a second heart attack.

But not everyone knows that the beneficial effects of fish oil are not only for the heart, Omega-3 in fact:

• reduce the risk of incurring disorders that affect blood vessels in the brain, such as stroke or brain hemorrhage;
• help reduce inflammation and fat accumulation in the liver;
• They promote the proper functioning of the immune system.

 

Who needs fish oil?

It is not easy to follow a diet rich in Omega-3s, we know that. That's why fish oil is recommended for anyone struggling to meet their daily requirement of EPA and DHA fatty acids-as is the case with pregnant women, for example, when fish consumption must be limited due to the risk of mercury contamination.

 

Omega-3 supplementation is also recommended in specific cases, such as for:

• Promote the development of the nervous system and vision in the fetus and infants (so during pregnancy and lactation, your doctor may recommend taking 200 mg more DHA than the normally recommended 250 mg EPA+DHA);
• Keeping triglyceride levels under control;
• Promote the increase of "good cholesterol" HDL;
• fighting acne;
• stimulate cognitive processes and counteract psychiatric disorders (such as depression and dementia);
• manage disorders affecting the joints: fish oil for rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis can be an excellent ally);
• Relieve some diseases such as psoriasis and fatty liver;
• help in the treatment of type 1 diabetes and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes;
• Help children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or sleep disorders;
• prevent and treat any sports injuries and combat so-called "athlete's anemia."

 

How to use fish oil? How much to take per day?

In very short: orally, in the form of supplements.

But how many grams a day of fish oil do we need? In this regard, EFSA gives us very clear guidance. To get into action and appreciate the benefits, products containing EPA and DHA must be taken in a precise daily dosage that also depends on the desired action. A few examples to be clearer:

• To keep blood pressure in the normal range: 3 grams of EPA+DHA;
• To keep triglycerides under control: 2 grams of EPA+DHA;
• To promote good heart function: 250 mg EPA+DHA.

More generally, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommends an intake of 250 mg of EPA+DHA per day (for men and women who are not pregnant or breastfeeding). The important thing is not to exceed 5 grams daily.

An extra tip: It is good to take the supplements during (or immediately after) high-fat meals to optimize absorption and get maximum benefits.

When should fish oil not be used?

Obviously, fish oil cannot be used if you have allergies to its components. In addition, it is important to be cautious in pregnancy and lactation, if you have certain diseases (e.g., liver or pancreas, or if you have diabetes or hypothyroidism) or if you are taking medications such as:

• estrogen (found in the birth control pill and hormone replacement therapies);
• anticoagulants (such as warfarin);
• beta blockers;

In all these cases: always consult your doctor before taking.

 

Fish oil: contraindications and side effects

Usually the Omega-3 contained in fish oil is well tolerated by our body. However, there are some side effects that may occur; we have collected them in this table.

 

Table 1. Possible side effects of Omega-3 

Gastrointestinal	Poor digestion, dyspesia, nausea, gastrointestinal disorders. Gastrointestinal bleeding, gastroenteritis. Gastrointestinal pain.
Dermatological	Skin rash, atopic dermatitis, hives, acne, itching
Cardiovascular	Low pressure
Musculoskeletal	Back pain
Metabolic	Hyperglycemia, goiter, hypertriglyceridemia, increased blood lactate dehydrogenase
Nervous system	Taste disorders, dizziness, headaches, hyperactivity
Respirators	Nosebleed, nasal dryness, flu
Hematological	Increased white blood cell count, slight increase in bleeding time, bleeding
Psychiatric	Tics, mood swings, insomnia
Hepatics	Increased ALT, AST and transaminases
Hypersensitivity	Hypersensitivity reactions, anaphylactic reactions
More	Infections, pain

 

Where to buy, and how much to spend, on a good fish oil supplement

Where can I buy fish oil? Which one to choose? How much to spend on a quality supplement?

Now that you really know all about fish oil and its endless benefits, it's time to answer more practical questions. Let's get started right away.

You can buy it in pharmacies, parapharmacies, herbal stores or even more conveniently online. The important thing is to always rely only on safe channels of Promo .

How to figure out, instead, which fish oil to choose? Price can guide you, as it can give you an initial indication of the quality of the supplement: a very cheap product could be of poor quality.

Also evaluate the total EPA+DHA concentration. Consider: how many capsules per day do you need to take to reach the recommended doses of EPA and DHA? The higher this number, the more packs you will have to buy. And so, on balance, a product that may seem convenient at first glance may not be.

But price is not the most important thing. To choose a good fish oil you need to evaluate the parameters that determine its quality, such as color, odor and taste, presence of insoluble impurities, iron, copper, nickel, soaps, free fatty acids, and degree of peroxidation (the level of oxidative deterioration of fats, an indicator of oil freshness)...

Since this is very "technical" information, we recommend that you rely on certifications, that is, evaluations by laboratories that guarantee the quality of the product after analyzing it. These include Nutrasource's International Fish Oil Standards ( IFOS) program certification, which evaluates products according to standards set by the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s.

IFOS evaluations analyze:

• The amount of EPA and DHA compared with that stated on the label;
• the presence of contaminants (such as polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, furans and dioxin-like PBCs) and heavy metals (mercury, lead, total arsenic, cadmium);
• The stability of the product.

IFOS certification then assigns a star rating (maximum 5), where each star corresponds to a specific quality:

1. The correspondence between the detected concentration of active ingredients and the labeled concentration;
2. oxidation less than 75 percent of the standard specified by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN);
3. PCB levels less than 50 percent below the CRN standard;
4. dioxin levels less than 50 percent below the World Health Organization (WHO) standard;
5. The assignment of positive ratings in all tests to which the product has been subjected.

If you are looking for safe, premium-quality products, know that our natural supplements are certified by the very IFOS program that awarded an impressive 5 stars to Omegor Vitality, VitaDHA 1000 and Meaquor 900.

 

This means Omegor is the natural supplement you can trust. Seriously.

 

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