Fish Oil Supplements: Benefits, Risks and the Superior Alternative

Fish oil supplements, led by salmon oil as the richest, are one source of the omega-3 essential fatty acids that countless studies have proven beneficial to many areas of human health. For example, in 2002 the American Heart Association (AHA) updated its guidelines to include fish oil supplementation for people with elevated triglycerides and cardiovascular disease because, as the AHA stated, research had shown that omega-3 supplementation produced:

• Decreased risk of arrhythmia (irregular heart beat leading to sudden death)
• Decreased thrombosis (blood clot leading to heart attack or ischemic stroke)
• Decreased triglyceride (blood fat) levels
• Decreased growth of arterial plaque
• Improved arterial health
• Decreased inflammation in blood and artery walls
• Lower blood pressure

And the benefits of omega-3s reach far beyond the cardiovascular system. A large body of scientific evidence also exists regarding the beneficial effects of omega-3s in many areas including but not limited to support for:

• General health improvement, maintenance and anti-aging
• Inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis, Crohn's disease, asthma, respiratory allergies, psoriasis, eczema, acne)
• Brain health (Alzheimer's and other dementias, brain development in fetuses and newborns, depression, mood swings, memory and cognition, attention deficit disorders)
• Vision health
• Diabetes
• Cancer

While all fish species contain omega-3s, wild King salmon has the most of all. Wild Coho, Sockeye and Pink salmon are also among the richer sources. And the omega-3 concentration in a single salmon fish oil pill is higher than in one serving of salmon. But bigger isn't always better. It's important to recognize that there are risks you need to consider.

The Risks of Fish Oil Supplements

Missing from the American Heart Association's list of benefits above is any evidence that fish oil supports healthy cholesterol levels. Believing that unhealthy cholesterol levels contribute to cardiovascular disease, doctors and patients go to great lengths to bring it within normal range. Often it's taken for granted that fish oil is one of the solutions. But as reported by a team of Mayo Clinic researchers, fish oil can actually increase bad (LDL) cholesterol while doing little to increase good (HDL) cholesterol².

Also, fish oil supplements can pose health risks because many species of fish including certain salmon are contaminated with environmental toxins. These include mercury, lead, PCBs, dioxins and pesticides. Some of these substances can build up in the body over time, causing problems ranging from small changes to birth defects, child development disorders and cancer.

The bigger and older the fish -- and the higher it is on the food chain -- the more contaminated it's likely to be because its diet consists of smaller marine animals that have absorbed all sorts of toxins. Salmon grow up to be pretty big fish. Farmed Atlantic salmon are said to be especially contaminated, while Alaskan Sockeye salmon are said to be free of "hazardous levels" of contaminants.

That said, if you still believe omega-3 salmon oil supplements are for you, look for guarantees on the label that (a) the product is free of at least the toxins mentioned above and (b) the oil is from only the flesh, not from the innards or organs. The oil of any contaminated fish can be purified to "acceptable" levels by molecular distillation, but the process can damage the fragile omega-3 fatty acids and rob the product of some nutritional value.

So Why Take Chances when You Can Get All of the Benefits with None of the Risks?

Fortunately, there is a solution. While fish oil supplements have been the best source of omega-3 regardless of risks, science has marched on. The tiny deepwater crustacean called krill, and the one company that developed the technology to make krill oil capsules without losing the krill's superior nutritive value, have lifted omega-3 supplements to the next level.

You've Just Found the Omega-3 Supplement that Gives You Your Money's Worth and THEN Some, Safely.

Thanks to Neptune Technologies and Bioresources Inc., you now have access to Neptune Krill Oil (NKO™): the richest form of omega-3 fatty acids ever seen in science. NKO™ comes from the choice Euphausia superba species of krill in the pristine Antarctic Ocean. And krill is the only animal source of three nutrients upon which all of life depends: omega 3 essential fatty acids, phospholipids and antioxidants.

Why NKO™ is Superior by Far to Any Fish Oil, Any Salmon Oil and Any Other Krill Oil Brand.

• It's 100% Safe for Human Consumption. Krill are naturally toxin-free because they're at the bottom of the food chain, meaning they don't eat other marine animals and thus do not absorb the contaminants that pollute fish.
• You Get Superior Quality. NKO™ is made by the only company to develop the extraction method that most fully preserves the krill's amazing potential. And it's one of the few nutraceutical companies to stand behind its claims with scientific validation.
• You Get the Most from Every Molecule. The krill's omega-3 fatty acids are in phospholipid form: just like the membranes of your cells. This makes the omega-3 95-98% bioavailable to your cells and they take it up with ease. (Most fish oil delivers only about 61-65% of the omega-3 content.)
• You Get Over 48 Times More Disease-Fighting, Anti-Aging Antioxidant Power. Antioxidants neutralize the free radicals that damage your cells, age you and leave you vulnerable to degenerative disease. NKO™'s antioxidant power is 48 times higher than fish oil. Among the krill's antioxidants is esterified astaxanthin. This super-antioxidant is completely metabolized by your cells. Its exceptional antioxidant power also keeps the product from turning rancid. And that means...
• You Get NO Preservatives or Additives of Any Kind.
• You Get a Super-High Omega-3 to Omega-6 Ratio. Most Westerners are seriously deficient in omega-3 (which fights inflammation) and overdosed with omega-6 (which causes inflammation). Inflammation is associated with heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, eye disease and more. But NKO™ delivers a whopping 15 parts omega 3 to 1 part omega 6, and that's inflammation-fighting power unheard of in most any fish oil capsule.

Clinical Studies Prove It¹.

NKO™ has been proven in clinical studies to naturally and safely:

• Reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol by 39.15%, reduce total cholesterol by 17.90%, reduce triglycerides by 26.51% and increase HDL ("good") cholesterol by 49.64%
• Reduce inflammation and joint pain significantly throughout the body
• Relieve both emotional and physical symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) by 42% with only 300 milligrams/day

Now Nourish Every Cell in Your Body and Brain with the Safest, Richest, Most Effective Omega-3 Marine Oil Available Anywhere.

• Promote and help maintain your overall physical and mental health¹
• Feel new levels of even, balanced energy without stimulants¹
• Boost your brain power and stabilize your moods¹
• Fight aging and protect your cells against degenerative diseases¹

At last you can do SO much better than even the best salmon fish oil supplements. Every krill oil molecule gives you the most for your money and once you start feeling the difference, you'll probably never want to be without it.

So make NKO™ your daily staple for life, starting now. It's the only krill oil with worldwide regulatory approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a new dietary supplement. It's sold by several different companies - just watch for the NKO trademark no matter what the company name. It means you're getting the #1 leading brand: genuine Neptune Antarctic Krill Oil.

References

2 Mayo Clinic, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Fish Oil, and Alpha-Linolenic Acid