Omega 3 Benefits
The omega 3 benefits are astounding and real. The fact that the public is well aware of the varied benefits of fish oil capsules on health is seen by a recent survey conducted online by ConsumerLab.com, in which 6,012 people participated. The survey showed that omega 3 supplements were now on top of the shopping list of dietary supplements with 74 percent reporting they took omega 3 supplements regularly. This was followed by 72 percent who reported taking multi-vitamins. More Americans today are taking omega 3 supplements than they are multi-vitamins!
This news made an interesting read, even as private lab testing, at the request of environmental lawyers, revealed that many of the popular fish oil capsules in the market today, and there are over a hundred of them, may contain unhealthy levels of PCBs. Although tests were done only on ten brands of fish oil capsules, these negative test reports will certainly impact consumer choice of fish oil capsules. Manufacturers will need to work harder in enforcing and ensuring higher quality manufacturing of fish oil capsules. Manufacturers with a known reputation for producing quality fish oil capsules that are verified by third party lab testing will obviously have a cutting edge over other brands in the market.
Since omega 3 benefits are substantiated by strong research and offer multiple health benefits, the surge in sales of omega 3 supplements is more than likely to continue. Omega 3 benefits on health include:
- Supports cardiovascular and arterial health
- Exhibits anti-inflammatory properties and is useful for reducing inflammation and pain.
- Supports joint health
- Supports brain health promoting concentration and long term cognitive functions
- Promotes mental well-being
- Supports eye health
- Supports pre-natal and post-natal development of the brain and eyes
- Promotes fat metabolism
- Promotes cellular health
Why Have Omega 3 Supplements Grown In Popularity?
While the benefits of fish oil can be traced back to the 1700's, it was in the 1970's that research conducted in Greenland revealed that the Inuit tribes living there had robust heart health. As scientists probed further they discovered that the secret to their healthy cholesterol levels, in spite of a high fat diet, was their high intake of fatty fish. This study led to the discovery of the benefits of fish oil. This further drove the commercial production of fish oil.
In the 1980's, new manufacturing techniques were able to produce a type of fish oil that was derived from the whole fish, and not just the liver. Although this step was an upgrade in the manufacturing process and produced the best fish oil capsules available at that time, it still did not solve the problem of impurities that were present in fish oil such as toxins, PCB's, and metal contaminants like mercury and lead. Although it is considered healthy, most people, at this time, loathed taking fish oil because of its obnoxious taste. With the invention of soft gel encapsulation this problem was solved, but another emerged. How can one teaspoon of fish oil be encapsulated and the capsule still be a size that would be easy to swallow?
Today, high-tech manufacturing processes such as molecular distillation are able to remove a large percentage of the impurities in fish oil. This same process produces a higher concentration of fish oil-higher potencies of the omega 3 fatty acids-EPA and DHA than regular fish oil. Only a minute quantity of this pharmaceutical grade fish oil is required in one encapsulation.



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