Many people take fish oil to get omega-3. (I get mine from flaxseed oil.) Fish contain PCBs, therefore fish oil does. How much? More than we’re told. A lawsuit has been filed about this:
Mateel Justice Foundation, in conjunction with two individual plaintiffs, brought a lawsuit against six fish oil manufacturers and two retailers for labeling violations of the California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, also known as Proposition 65. Filed March 2 in Superior Court of San Francisco, the suit alleges several fish oil products sold in California failed to include label warnings for levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl compounds) found in the products by testing initiated by the plaintiffs . . . Named as defendants in the suit were two retailers—CVS Pharmacy Inc. and Rite Aid Corp.””and six manufacturers—General Nutrition Corp. (GNC); NOW Health Group Inc.; Omega Protein Inc.; Pharmavite LLC (Nature Made brand); Solgar Inc.; and Twinlab Corp. . . . The plaintiffs conducted testing on 10 products produced or sold by the defendants, looking at all 209 known PCB compounds . . . Many fish oil companies test for as few as seven such compounds. [emphasis added]
The plaintiffs plan to post testing results here (I have been unable to reach this site).
I looked at the “natural products insider” link. It seems that most of the “fish oil” supplements they’ve tested so far have been brands that claim to be from shark and cod liver. I’ve long heard that these are types to avoid because of contamination. Instead, I tend to go for fish oil that is “molecularly distilled” and from sources like sardines. I would be interested to see their testing results from these types. I hope it will be better!
I know you have found evidence to contradict the claim that flaxseed oil is less effective than fish oil. My personal experience (though I have not collected data) is that fish oil seems to be better for me than ground flaxseed. Have you considered doing any comparative analysis using fish oil?
Yeah, I think the genereal consensus is that the conversion of ALA is not efficient and is inhibited further if the diet is rich in the omega-6 fatty acids, which are found in most vegetable oils and processed food.
Add to that the possible link of flaxseed oil to increased prostate cancer in men which is most likely due to the lignans being removed from the flaxseed.
Seems like the best idea is to eat real fish most days of the week.
Eat fish that often and you’ll get a substantial dose of mercury. With fish it’s basically pick your poison, though now I have to look into a couple things.
Apparently it’s not impossible to make good fish oil, if you believe this review. https://www.healthy-oil-planet.com/carlson-cod-liver-oil.html
You can also go for krill oil, which is a bit pricier but has lots of pros over fish oil.
https://ca.news.finance.yahoo.com/s/04032010/29/link-f-prime-zone-neptune-krill-oil-tests-below-strictest-detection-limits.html
https://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/why-krill-oil/
(I don’t supplement oil at all…yet.)
PCB exposure from common foods –
https://www.omegavia.com/fish-oil-supplements-and-pcbs-should-your-worry-part-2/
Ultra Refined Omega-3 Product Reports –
https://www.ifosprogram.com/IFOS/ConsumerReport.aspx
The above site gives the PCB content along with other pollutants by specific brand.
As long as you’ve brought up the subject, Seth, shouldn’t you also mention high degree of uncertainty regarding the harmfulness of PCBs and dioxin at these doages? Even if it were undoubtedly harmful, the harm must be measured against the harm that is caused by refraining from being dosed with omega 3 from marine sources. Which is not to say that one shouldn’t purchase the purer brands of oil if you can afford the difference in price.
Alrenous,
Depending on which fish you eat will you get a substantial dose of mercury. Stick to wild alaskan salmon & smaller fish like sardines you should be fine. It has also been shown that the selenium & vitamin E that you get from fish reduces mercury toxicity.
https://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Vitamin-E-and-selenium-could-reduce-mercury-toxicity
Are PCBs found in fish worldwide, or just in the US/Europe? Although I guess supplements could be manufactured where fish oil is cheapest and shipped everywhere.
Interesting Chris, thanks.
Hemp oil (not hemp seed oil), does it cure cancer?
https://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/5169.html
I absolutely agree!
However, there is a better source for Omega 3 then flexseeds.
This is the Clary sage seeds oil, which contains 50% ALA, just like flexseeds oil, but it is highly stable, up to two years in room temperature, and contains over 100 other components that work togather for our health.
Check out my blog for more info, or contact me directly.
Stay healthy!
Omega 3 supplimentaion is only one side of the equation – lowering O-6 intake in the first place is the other. From what I’ve read, the overall 3-6 ratio is more important than pure O-3 intake.
Thus, the less PUFAs you consume the less one needs to bolster O-3 from the start. Grass fed meat and avoiding most seed oils in the diet are the best way I am aware of to do that.
The site seems to be up now, eg. https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6491/p/salsa/web/press_release/public/?press_release_KEY=36#test_results worked for me just now to get the 10 tested brands and the graphs of test results.
Unfortunately for me, my brand (Nature’s Answer) isn’t up there. It of course says it’s been tested for PCBs, but I suspect the tested brands’ labels also say that…