Fish oil

Fish oil is oil derived from the tissues of oily fish.

Fish oil is recommended for a healthy diet because it contains the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), precursors to eicosanoids that reduce inflammation throughout the body



However, fish do not actually produce omega-3 fatty acids, but instead accumulate them from either consuming microalgae that produce these fatty acids, as is the case with prey fish like herring and sardines, or, as is the case with fatty predatory fish, by eating prey fish that have accumulated omega-3 fatty acids from microalgae. Such fatty predatory fish like mackerel, lake trout, albacore tuna and salmon may be high in omega-3 fatty acids, but due to their position at the top of the food chain, these species can accumulate toxic substances (See biomagnification). For this reason, the FDA recommends limiting consumption of certain (predatory) fish species (e.g. albacore tuna) due to high levels of toxic contaminants such as mercury, dioxin, PCBs and chlordane. Due to this limitation, many people have turned to fish oil supplements to get adequate omega-3 fatty acids.



Fish oil supplements have sometimes come under scrutiny in recent years. In early 2006, government agencies such as the Food Standards Agency in the UK and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland reported PCB levels that exceeded the strict new European maximum limits in several fish oil brands, which required temporary withdrawal of these brands. To address the growing concern over contaminated fish oil supplements, the International Fish Oil Standards program, a voluntary review process was created at University of Guelph.

Benefits of fish oil

Some experts believe that taking fish oil (in any form) can help regulate cholesterol in the body, because fish oil has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. The regulation occurs through effects of the EPA and DHA constituents on Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα). Besides cholesterol regulation, benefits include anti-inflammatory properties and positive effects on body composition. However, the preferred source of Omega 3 should be from the fish's body, not the liver. The liver and liver products (such as cod liver oil) of fish and many animals (such as seals and whales) contain Omega-3, but also the active form of vitamin A. At high levels, this form of the vitamin can be dangerous. Early explorers to the land of the Inuit were given raw liver by the natives, which contained a toxic overdose of vitamin A for the white explorers; however, the same amount was harmless to the Inuit, who had no other source of Vitamin A except animal livers.



Studies were conducted on prisoners in England where the inmates were fed seafood which contains Omega-3 Fatty acids. The higher consumption of these fatty acids led to a drop in the assault rates. Another Finnish study found that prisoners who were convicted of violence had lower levels of omega–3 fatty acids than prisoners convicted of nonviolent offenses. It was suggested that these kinds of fatty acids are responsible for the neuronal growth of the frontal cortex of the brain which, it is further alleged, is the seat of personal behavior.



The American Heart Association recommends the consumption of 1g of fish oil daily, preferably by eating fish, for patients with coronary heart disease.




The US National Institutes of Health lists three conditions for which fish oil and other omega-3 sources are most highly recommended: hypertriglyceridemia, secondary cardiovascular disease prevention and high blood pressure. It then lists 27 other conditions for which there less evidence. It also lists possible safety concerns: "Intake of 3 grams per day or greater of omega-3 fatty acids may increase the risk of bleeding, although there is little evidence of significant bleeding risk at lower doses. Very large intakes of fish oil/omega-3 fatty acids ("Eskimo" amounts) may increase the risk of hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke."



According to a study from Louisiana State University in September 2005, fish oil may help protect the brain from cognitive problems associated with Alzheimer's disease.



Fish oil has also been shown to aid in the treatment of people suffering with depression.



For purchasing fish oil dietary supplements, it is highly recommended to seek a label certifying the product to be "molecularly distilled", USP Certified, and therefore free of mercury and other metal toxins.




fish oil

New Health Miracle -- Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil

“High-dose pharmaceutical-grade fish oil is as close to a medical miracle as we will see in the 21st century.” – Dr. Barry Sears

Dr. Barry Sears revolutionized nutritional thinking around the world with his 1995 landmark #1 New York Times best seller The Zone. With The Zone, and his subsequent bestselling Zone books, Dr. Sears describes how a scientifically proven plan of moderate carbohydrate consumption balanced with appropriate amounts of protein and fat may help you live a longer and better life.

In his latest best seller, The Omega Rx Zone, Dr. Sears greatly expands the potential of the Zone to alter how we think about optimal health in general. Drawing upon his own research, as well as recently published studies, he reveals how a revolutionary new technological advance in fish oil manufacturing, never before available to the general public, may be the magic bullet...

This new high-dose, pharmaceutical-grade fish oil is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Scientific evidence reveals a diet rich in long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids helps support:
a healthy brain
a healthy heart
a healthy immune system
healthy joint movement
healthy kidneys
balanced mood and sense of well being
and, helps maintain cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range.

This new generation of fish oil is much different from the historical, impure, terrible-tasting cod-liver oil. As Dr. Sears points out, the fish oil doled out by our mothers and grandmothers, and currently sold at health food stores, has never been pure enough to be used in the quantities it takes to realize its potential benefits. The new pharmaceutical-grade fish oil is more concentrated, free of dangerous toxins, and has been clinically tested with spectacular results.

By following the Zone Diet and adding pharmaceutical grade fish oil to your daily routine, Dr. Sears believes that each of us will reach our maximum potential for optimal health.

Fish Oil

Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil -- Why Is It Different?

A flood of scientific evidence about fish oil points to a startling conclusion that taking high-dose fish oils, which are very rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, helps support a healthy heart, a healthy brain, a healthy immune system, healthy joint movement, healthy kidneys and much more.

Each grade of fish oil is distinguished from the other by its purity and concentration of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Crude fish oils are the least expensive and most will likely contain some levels of contaminants including PCBs, DDT and organic mercury.

When choosing a high dose fish oil remember that knowledge is power and not all fish oils are manufactured the same. Some fish oils may even be dangerous when taken in high doses.

With many choices of fish oil available, and with so many pro and con opinions written about each, it is easy to become confused. So when it comes time for you to choose a fish oil make sure you do your homework and choose wisely – your health depends on it.

When choosing a fish oil that you will be ingesting in high doses it is crucial that you choose one that is pure and free of contaminants, toxins, and mercury. How can you, the consumer, tell the difference?

Currently there are three grades of fish oil available on the market today:
Cod Liver Oil
Health-food grade fish oil, and
Pharmaceutical-grade fish oil

Cod Liver Oil

Cod Liver Oil is the lowest quality fish oil and like the name implies it is manufactured from the livers of Cod fish. It has the lowest concentration of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and contains the highest levels of contaminants such as organic mercury, PCB's, and DDT. Cod Liver Oil may also contain a high level of Vitamin A.

Cod Liver Oil is not recommended for high dose consumption. A typical serving of Cod Liver Oil contains 500 mg. of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

Health-food Grade Fish Oils

Most health-food grade fish oils are manufactured from fish body oils. Fish oils can be manufactured from a single fish species or from several fish species.

Fish size and their relative rank in the food chain can help us understand the level of contaminants that may be found in health-food grade fish oils. Small fish, such as sardines and anchovies, don’t live long so are less prone to accumulate environmental pollutants. Larger fish, such as salmon and mackerel, are predatory species that live longer so they could contain higher levels of pollutants. If the label says it comes from a particular species of fish, such as salmon, then you can be sure that it probably is health-food grade fish oil.

A slightly more purified type of health-food grade fish oil is available which includes oils that have been subjected to a limited amount of molecular distillation to remove some of the cholesterol. These types of fish oils are usually labeled as "cholesterol-free".

"Fish Oil Concentrate" is yet another type of health-food grade fish oil. Fish oil concentrates consist of ethyl esters of the fish oil that have been subjected to fractional cooling. The solidified saturated fats are removed leaving behind a more concentrated solution of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. A typical one-gram capsule of thermally fractionated health-food grade fish oil contains up to 500 mg. of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

Typical health-food grade fish oils may contain varying amounts of contaminants. In addition, the fractional cooling method does not necessarily remove all the PCB’s or the long-chain monoene fatty acids that may give rise to gastric distress. Due to the varying amounts of contaminants that could still be contained in health-food grade, it is questionable as to whether it is safe at high levels. A typical one-gram capsule of health-food grade fish oil contains approximately 300 mg. of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

Pharmaceutical-grade Fish Oil -- the newest generation of fish oil.

Pharmaceutical-grade fish oils start with thermally fractionated health-food grade fish oils. These oils are then distilled, using a highly complex refining technology, into fractions rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. According to manufacturers, it typically takes about 100 gallons of health-food grade fish oil to make one gallon of pharmaceutical-grade fish oil.

Individual fractions are then combined to provide a 2:1 ratio of Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) for the finished fish oil product. Scientific studies conducted with pharmaceutical-grade fish oils that used a 2:1 ratio of EPA and DHA reported significant clinical benefits.

Pharmaceutical-grade fish oils are exceptionally low in long-chain monoenes, PCB's and other pollutants. Pharmaceutical-grade fish oils are believed to be the safest to take in high doses. A typical one-gram capsule of pharmaceutical-grade fish oil will have a minimum of 600 mg. of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

Pharmaceutical-grade fish oils are a fairly new product and a good-quality source may be difficult to find. In addition, pharmaceutical-grade fish oils definitely cost more – sometimes twice as much. This increased cost is an outcome of the complex process used to remove impurities. Each step in the refining process adds additional production costs.

For instance, OmegaRx developed by Dr. Barry Sears and recommended in his book, The OmegaRx Zone – The Miracle of the New High Dose Fish Oil, starts with health food grade fish oil which then goes through nine additional steps to make it pharmaceutical grade quality. Pharmaceutical-grade fish oils generally taste better and the amount of long-chain monoenes, which cause gastric distress, are dramatically reduced.

Just What Is Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil?

The answer to that question would depend on who you ask.

If you asked the typical manufacturer of vitamin supplements, using standard food grade material, the answer would be “There is no such thing as pharmaceutical grade fish oil”. If you asked a practicing physician like me, I would tell you, “Pharmaceutical grade fish all is the only type of fish oil I would ever put into my body”. So just what does the term “pharmaceutical grade” mean?

First, it's important for you to understand that the FDA does not, at this moment, regulate vitamin supplements; therefore, any manufactured vitamin supplement is not evaluated by the FDA, so it’s not really a pharmaceutical.

Prescription drugs require very stringent purity and ingredient testing before they are considered safe by the regulatory bodies. In this country, technically speaking, food supplements do not require that high a degree of stringent purity testing.

However, a small band of manufacturers like me have dedicated ourselves to producing only the finest quality nutritional supplements. We therefore, use the term "pharmaceutical grade" to describe our products.

Simply put, what this means is, if the FDA were to make fish oil a prescription drug tomorrow, our product would pass muster. This is because we have stringent purity testing and allow no detectable levels of pollutants in our fish oil or any other of our products, for that matter.

This is a time-consuming and often expensive process, but yields the absolute best product money can buy. For the past couple of years, the debate has raged over pharmaceutical grade terminology. Many companies that do not apply the stringent high-grade procedures to guarantee the quality of their products are literally furious at the term “pharmaceutical grade”. They would like to see it banished from use because it puts them at a serious disadvantage. It earmarks their product, especially fish oil, as substandard.

Lets take a look at a recent Consumer Reports article on the purity of fish oil. Several different brands of fish oil were tested in this particular study. The conclusion reached was that all fish oils have about the same amount of pollutant levels, 1 ppm of lead, for example. Therefore the consumer should go out and buy the cheapest brand of fish oil possible since there would be no difference between them other than price.

Well my friend, the devil is in the details. Let's take our product Dr. Dave's Best Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil as an example. Recent independent laboratory testing yielded no mercury, and no lead at any detectable level. What this translates into is a purity of parts per trillion rather than parts per million. Those three zeros make a big difference. This could be the difference between you ingesting mercury at detectable levels in as little as one year’s time, versus ingesting no mercury over a lifetime.

Why is this important?

Mercury is the most toxic metal that naturally occurs on planet Earth. It would take only a very small amount of mercury in a water supply to make it undrinkable by the Environmental Protection Agency standards. Mercury can cause brain damage that looks very much like Alzheimer's dementia. You may have heard the term “mad as a hatter” from reading Alice in Wonderland, or simply as a cliché. Many years ago, hat makers used dyes that contained mercury, so they often suffered from severe brain damage as a result. As our population continues to age and brain health becomes a critical issue not just from Alzheimer's disease, but from other forms of dementia, it should become apparent that we should all strive to keeps our brains as healthy and toxin free as possible. This is one way in which my pharmaceutical grade fish oil stands out.

Now let’s take a look at lead. Most people know that lead exposure is toxic. In a particular area where I grew up there were battery plants. In these battery plants constant lead testing of the employees was undertaken to prevent permanent damage. Lead toxicity can have many serious consequences, including nerve problems, mental problems, blood problems, and kidney failure.

Sadly, lead and mercury are not the only pollutants found in our water supplies and our fish. Byproducts of the petroleum industry, including polyvinyl chlorides and biphenyl compounds are also found throughout the world. Some manufactures of fish oil note that all their fish sources come from above the Arctic Circle. This is the case with our fish oil also; however, we still subject it to very stringent purification methods using a proprietary process called molecular distillation. We do this because we recognize that even fish caught above the Arctic Circle are exposed to pollution. Therefore, where you catch your fish really doesn't matter all that much. What matters the most is what you do with your fish oil after you get it. Please do not be misled by anyone claiming that they have found a pure source of fish that requires no processing.

Some of the physical health problems associated with these types of petroleum pollutants include breathing problems, kidney failure, weakness and fatigue.

Taken as a whole, it is very important, that whatever you put into your body maintains the highest purity standards you can get, because you don't want to load up any of your organ systems, especially your brain and your heart with toxic pollutants.

There is yet another pollutant and a problem, which as far as I know, we are the only manufacturer who addresses. This is the problem of radiation.

Again, depending on where you catch your fish, you will see high levels of pollutants, among them radiation. For example, Pacific caught salmon have a higher underlying level of pollutants, including radiation.

You may have heard the term, Pacific Rim of Fire. The Pacific Rim of Fire stretches from the coast of California, up to Alaska, all the way down through Japan, and some of the islands of the Far East. This term basically refers to volcanic activity in the area where the bowels of the earth churn. They release extra radiation. Sadly, radiation pollution is a problem in this area of the world. No one is sure why there is extra metallic pollutants in Pacific salmon. It is simply a fact of life. At this time therefore, we use only Atlantic caught salmon, herring and other such oily fish from above the Arctic Circle.

It is amazing that some of this pollution can actually come from sunken Soviet nuclear submarines. This is in addition to background radiation. The chemical that is tested for in radiation testing is cesium. We maintain an extremely low level of background radiation in all of our products. Again, as far as I know, no one else even bothers to test for.

Is this stringent testing, that makes our product superior to all the rest on the market. Now let's look at some human examples. Let's say you wanted your mother or father to experience the benefits of my pharmaceutical grade fish oil. You could rest assured that you would not be in any way, causing harm to the fragile brain of an elderly person. Studies have shown that fish oil may indeed improve memory behavior and performance in the demented patient. Now let's look at the opposite end of the spectrum, a pregnant mother or newborn baby. There are many studies that show improved hand eye coordination and increased fetal development before birth. Fewer diseases of childhood and adult especially allergic diseases and in some cases, even a higher IQ in children who are adequately supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil. For the teenager, there may be some serious benefits to acne, attention deficit disorder and concentration levels from taking fish oil as well. In each case, we cannot use the term treatment, because the FDA will not allow it, however in my own clinical practice, this is exactly the term I use. I do essentially use fish oil as a medicine. Therefore, I insist on only the highest quality for my products. Once again, if you were to take this and make it a prescription drug tomorrow, it would pass all the stringent testing the FDA would subject to. For this reason, we proudly use the term pharmaceutical grade fish oil.

There is another thing you should know about Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil. Because of its absolute purity, the most common side effect, "Fish Burp" is a rare occurrence indeed.

Dr. Dave's Best Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil, physician used, physician tested, my best to you and your family.