Fish Oil

By Dr. Daniel Richter

Are you getting four to five servings of fatty fish like fresh tuna or salmon per week? No? How about ground up flax seeds...are you incorporating them into your diet daily?  Again, no? If this is the case, you are likely in need of Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Consider this:

Of all the nutrition supplements available, I tell my patients that the most important is fish oil. A good quality fish oil provides essential fatty acids that the body cannot make or transform from other sources. The body then uses and/or converts these fatty acids to do lots of other functions. Let's look at this in detail...

First, we need to define what a fatty acid is. A fatty acid is a length of carbon atoms, connected together in a straight chain. These carbon atoms have hydrogen atoms attached to them as well. On one end of the carbon chain there is a carboxylic acid attached and on the other end there is a methyl group attached. This all sounds complicated, but in reality it is not.

  (Methyl Group) - C - C = C - C - C - C - C - (Carboxylic Acid)

For simplicity, the hydrogen atoms are not shown above. Okay, so now we have a straight chain of carbon atoms as shown. If you notice, one of the bonds between the carbon atoms has two lines instead of one... this is a "double bond."  The location of the first double bond in relation to the methyl group dictates the kind of fatty acid it is. In this case, (because there is a carbon in the methyl group), it is after the third carbon atom. We call this an Omega-3 fatty acid. If the first double bond was after the sixth carbon atom instead it would be called an Omega-6 fatty acid. Pretty simple so far, right?

Our bodies cannot make Omega-3 nor Omega-6 fatty acids on their own. We must get them from other sources.  Omega-6 fatty acids come from many sources including corn, soybean and olive oils, most fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, and cereal grains (very typical in the North American diet). Omega-3 fatty acids are more difficult to come by...they are found in highest concentrations in fish and flaxseed oils. It is safe to say that we are getting more Omega-6 fatty acids in our diet than the Omega-3 fatty acids. And, this is problematic.

Our bodies convert these fatty acids into a special group of hormones called EICOSONOIDS. These Eicosonoids are (in general), further converted into three different types – Series 1, 2, and 3 Eicosonoids. Omega-6 fatty acids create both Series 1 and Series 2 Eicosonoids, whereas Omega-3 create only Series 3. 

Now, here is where it gets important. Series 1 and Series 3 Eicosonoids decrease inflammation and blood clotting in our bodies. But, Series 2 does the opposite, it creates inflammation and increases blood clotting. 

The interesting thing here is that the processes for converting Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids into Series 1, 2, and 3 Eicosonoids use the same enzymes. So, if we aren't getting enough Omega-3 fatty acids in our diet, there is more Series 2 being made, causing higher rates of inflammation in our bodies and making our blood "stickier." 

By introducing Omega-3 fatty acids into our diet, less Series 2 Eicosonoids are being made because the enzymes are being used to make Series 3.  Now you have less Series 2, but have Series 1 and Series 3 both which reduce inflammation and make your blood "slippery."

Inflammation in our bodies is often necessary on a short term basis, but not on a long term (chronic) basis. Long term inflammation can cause a myriad of issues like autoimmune diseases, allergies, asthma, hypersensitivities, inflammatory bowel diseases, etc.

It should also be known that fish oil is beneficial in other ways:

· Lowers triglycerides in your blood
· Helps increase your good cholesterol
· Helps slow down the hardening of your arteries
· Has been proven to decrease macular degeneration (common cause of blindness in elderly) 
· Good for pregnant women and the development of the unborn baby
· Helps with the production of a special protein in your brain that reduces "plaque" formation. This is beneficial in helping to prevent Alzheimer's disease.

So, what kind of fish oil should you take?

· Look for a high quality fish oil that is taken from COLD water fishes. 
· Purified to remove any mercury or other toxic compounds. 

I recommend to take one pearl in the morning and one pearl in the evening. You should not be getting "fish burps" from your supplement. If you do, your fish oil has become rancid, and you need to find a better quality fish oil. Taking fish oil is something that should be done for the rest of your life.