Fish oil - Yeah, you need it
Mary Poppins knew it.
Your grandma knew it. Now scientists are coming
around to the fact that fish oil is the best way to
get your Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 compounds can
be found in many foods, but there are important
differences in the bio-availability.
First of all, if you have access to grass fed beef, chicken, eggs and other meats you will be getting healthy Omega 3's. Once the animal's diet shifts even a little to grain, the levels of Omega 3's drop quickly. This has to do with the animal needing the Omega 3's itself to combat the damage that the rich grain diet does to the animal's physiology. But most of you are not as lucky as I am with a freezer full of grass fed Milking Devon beef. Grass fed meats are more and more available. You can ask at your local farmers' market to see if you can find a farmer.
Second, stay away from vegetable based Omega 3 products. Yeah they have Omega 3, but it's not in a bio-available form. Your body must first convert the plant based Omega 3 to a form your body can use. Sounds innocent enough, however your body is particularly inefficient at making this conversion. Women convert about 14 percent and men in the neighborhood of 7 percent. This, coupled with the fact that the plant based products, (flax oil, hemp oil, etc.) contain Omega 6, which in excess, counters the effects of Omega 3, you may actually be worse off than not taking any supplement at all.
First of all, if you have access to grass fed beef, chicken, eggs and other meats you will be getting healthy Omega 3's. Once the animal's diet shifts even a little to grain, the levels of Omega 3's drop quickly. This has to do with the animal needing the Omega 3's itself to combat the damage that the rich grain diet does to the animal's physiology. But most of you are not as lucky as I am with a freezer full of grass fed Milking Devon beef. Grass fed meats are more and more available. You can ask at your local farmers' market to see if you can find a farmer.
Second, stay away from vegetable based Omega 3 products. Yeah they have Omega 3, but it's not in a bio-available form. Your body must first convert the plant based Omega 3 to a form your body can use. Sounds innocent enough, however your body is particularly inefficient at making this conversion. Women convert about 14 percent and men in the neighborhood of 7 percent. This, coupled with the fact that the plant based products, (flax oil, hemp oil, etc.) contain Omega 6, which in excess, counters the effects of Omega 3, you may actually be worse off than not taking any supplement at all.