It’s A Long And Winding Road

We’ve known that some fish have high contents of mercury, for some time now. I had wondered about Omega 3 fatty acids and if we have to worry about mercury invading our supplements. So, I went investigating. What I learned puts my mind at ease.

* Mercury is found in the fatty meat of the fish and the oil that is used for supplements is free of contaminants, most times.

* Many times omega 3 supplements are made from fish lower on the food chain such as sardines and anchovies. These fish are less likely to accumulate mercury.

* Most companies use a distillation process that further removes contaminants.

* ConsumerLab.com product tested 41 omega 3 fatty acid supplements and found none to contain detectable levels of mercury. ConsumerLab.com also found that all the products were fresh and contained the amount of fatty acids claimed on the product data.

For those wondering what fish to eat and which ones to avoid, if they wish to get their omega 3 fatty acids directly here is the list:

Fish to avoid - especially for pregnant women and children:

1. Swordfish
2. Shark
3. King Mackerel
4. Tilefish

Fish to eat

1. Canned Tuna
2. Shrimp
3. Pollock
4. Catfish
5. Wild Salmon

If you are vegetarian or just prefer a plant source for omega 3s, try flax seed supplements or using flax seeds as a garnish on vegetables or yogurt (they must be ground to get the benefit). Walnuts and pumpkin seeds are other foods high in omega 3s.

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