Posted by torrid on June 18, 2011, at 20:48:17
In reply to Re: international fish oil standards » torrid, posted by larryhoover on June 1, 2011, at 17:42:14
> > Larry from what I've read farm raised has higher mercury from the contaiminated feed, but also has much higher levels of EDA and DHA. There is so much evidence about omega 3's benifits in such different area's of both mind and body. I don't consider fish safe for children due to the damage mercury can do to a develpoping brain. I'd love to hear more from you about this subject especially on the quality of the fish oil supliments. When I brake open a capcil of fish oil and is smells like old fish I figure I waisted my money.
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> First, let's distinguish between fish oils and whole fish; there should be non-detectable mercury in fish oils, as mercury binds to the protein, and refining the fish oil removes the proteins. And despite the number of different fish oil brands on the market, they all come from three commercial fish oil refiners. They're pretty much exchangeable.
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> What you want in a fish oil is that it is not exposed to oxidizers and heat between the time it is packaged and when you consume it. I believe in Carlson's fish oil, because I buy it from a retailer that refrigerates it. I believe in Walmart fish oil capsules, because they go straight from the supplier's truck onto the truck going to the store. High turnover in a short period with no warehousing is the Walmart success story, which is great for the consumer of a perishable product. And it's cheap there.
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> Take your fish oil with a meal, preferably one containing other fats, and make sure you have a good supply of vitamin E (as mixed tocopherols). Unless the fish oil is horribly rancid, your body is set up to handle some decomposition of the fats.
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> Now, about mercury. Mercury is a toxic problem because it loves to react with sulphur, and the 3-dimensional structure of proteins/enzymes depends on sulphur-bearing amino acids. However, mercury loves selenium more. So, make sure you have sufficient selenium intake, and mercury will be of little concern. The best form of selenium to take is from selenium yeast, as a good part of that is already incorporated in methionine, as seleno-methionine, where the sulfhydryl group (S-H) is replaced by Se-H. Selenium, 200 mcg/day is in the sweet spot. BTW, selenium deficiency can cause depression, so that might be a consequence of mercury exposure.
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> BTW, the reason farmed fish have more mercury than do wild fish is because they are fed terrestrial-sourced carbohydrates. A mercury precipitate falls rather uniformly around the world (in rain), whose major sources are coal burning, and crematoria. Those silver fillings....The ocean is better able to dilute the mercury falling from the sky, but there is a more substantial bioaccummulation effect. Still, wild fish win over farmed, in that regard.
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> I do not believe fish is a risk for children, except if it is from an exceptionally polluted source. Just ensure that the detoxifying nutrients are in appropriate supply (vitamin E and selenium), and all should be well.
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> LarLarry I been thinking about this and I went to walmart and checked out the experation dates on there fish oil and yes the dates are futher out then what I'm use to seeing but I can't get it out of my mind that there are only 3 refineries. Those three refineries must sell in bulk to other manufactures there are dozens of labs packaging fish oil. that distance of time and miles must account for the difference in viability. I have to believe that the IFOS is putting out accurate infomation, at least to some degree accurate.
poster:torrid
thread:985161
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20110512/msgs/988724.html