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When it comes to fish oil, more is not better

By on October 25, 2010 in Food & Nutrition, Heart Disease | 140 comments

Article summaryThe benefits of fish oil supplementation have been grossly overstated Most of the studies showing fish oil benefits are short-term, lasting less than one year The only fish oil study lasting more than four years showed an increase in heart disease and sudden death Fish oil is highly unstable and vulnerable to oxidative damage There's no evidence that healthy people benefit from fish oil supplementation Taking several grams of fish oil per day may be hazardous to your health A new ...
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The definitive fish oil buyer’s guide

By on May 24, 2010 in Uncategorized | 217 comments

Summary Sorry, folks. Another long one. It was unavoidable, though, because I really did want this to be a "definitive guide" that covers all (or at least most) of the relevant issues involved with choosing a fish oil. Here's a summary for the time-challenged: There are seven important factors to consider when choosing a fish oil: purity, freshness, potency, nutrients, bioavailability, sustainability, and cost. Not all fish oils are created equal. It's essential to do your homework ...
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The fish vs. fish oil smackdown

By on May 22, 2010 in Babies & Kids, Fertility, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Food & Nutrition, Myths & Truths | 33 comments

So far in this series we've looked at why fish is superior to plant-based sources of omega-3. We've examined the importance of reducing consumption of omega-6 fats. We've considered how much omega-3 is needed to support health and treat disease. And we've revealed that concerns about the safety of fish consumption have been overblown, and that eating fish regularly is not only safe, but incredibly beneficial. In this article we're going to compare fish ...
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How much omega-3 is enough? That depends on omega-6.

By on May 11, 2010 in Food & Nutrition | 101 comments

In the first article of this series, we discussed the problems humans have converting omega-3 (n-3) fats from plant sources, such as flax seeds and walnuts, to the longer chain derivatives EPA and DHA. In the second article, we discussed how excess omega-6 (n-6) in the diet can block absorption of omega-3, and showed that the modern, Western diet contains between 10 and 25 times the optimal level of n-6. In this article we'll discuss strategies ...
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How too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3 is making us sick

By on May 8, 2010 in Food & Nutrition, Myths & Truths | 68 comments

In the last article we discussed the problems humans have converting omega-3 (n-3) fats from plant sources, such as flax seeds and walnuts, to the longer chain derivatives EPA and DHA. Since EPA and DHA (especially DHA) are responsible for the benefits omega-3 fats provide, and since EPA and DHA are only available in significant amounts in seafood, it follows that we should be consuming seafood on a regular basis. But how much is enough? ...
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Why fish stomps flax as a source of omega-3

By on May 5, 2010 in Food & Nutrition, Myths & Truths | 61 comments

I want to thank everyone for sending in their questions and voting on the next topic. The good news is that there's a lot of interest in all of the topics I'm researching right now. The bad news is that there was no clear winner. I've decided to go ahead with the series on fish and fish oil, but I may write about thyroid and diabetes simultaneously. I'm also going to experiment with shorter ...
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