FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTS – SAFER THAN EATING FISH.

Fish oil supplements may be safer than eating fish, at least from the standpoint of toxic impurities, according to the results of a study published in the January issue of the Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

“The consumption of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids is recommended by the American Heart Association to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease,” said Stacy Foran Melanson, MD, PhD, from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass. “However, fish contain environmental toxins such as mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides, which may negate the beneficial cardiovascular effects of fish meals. Fish oil supplements provide the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids without the risk of toxicity. (Barclay, L., MD, Medscape Med News, 2005)