Fish or Fish Oil Supplement- Which is Healthier?
January 5, 2008 by ruth
Filed under Food & Nutrition
Fish or fish oil supplements — which is a better source of omega-3 fatty acids? According to a recent study, it doesn’t matter: Fish is just as effective as pills as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
At the end of the study period, Harris and co-workers report that the 11 women in the fish group showed a 4.0 per increase in the levels of EPA and DHA in the red blood cells, while their counterparts receiving the fish oil supplements showed a 4.3 per cent increase.
They also note that levels of the omega-3 fatty acids stabilised in plasma phospholipids after four weeks, but levels in the red blood cells continued to increase throughout the 16-week period.
“These findings suggest that the consumption of equal amounts of EPA and DHA from oily fish on a weekly basis or from fish-oil capsules on a daily basis is equally effective at enriching blood lipids with omega-3 fatty acids,” concluded the researchers.
These data should be make the manufacturers of fish oil capsules very happy. Some people, particularly pregnant women who need adequate omega-3 fatty acids in their diet but are afraid of the risks of consuming fish that might be exposed to pollutants such as PCBs and heavy metals, might shift to taking fish oil supplements instead.
Personally, I think I’ll stay with fish. No pill can substitute for the flavor and epicurean delight one can derive from eating “real” food. You just have to know which fish is safe to eat.
I myself am a massively huge fan of fish. - It’s so yummy! So I always love hearing how healthy it is!
But what are they these supplements derived from? If from fish, couldn’t they also have high levels of mercury? Do they somehow remove the mercury? Does anyone know? I can’t eat a lot of fish anymore, for some reason it makes me feel kind of sick.
Trisha: Like some vitamin and other dietary supplement preparations, I would guess these go under some purification processes. If you look at the packaging, there might be a reference to the product’s purity.
Fish or Fish oil supplements both are equally effective. Consuming fish has some risks too because of pollutants whereas fish oil supplements are refined and free of contaminants.
I know Neurovi a revolutionary supplement of Omega 3. A perfect blend of EPA and DHA.. There is a good video on Omega 3 through Neurovi’s website. http://www.neurovi.com .