In December's Archives of Neurology Journal there was a story that supported eating at least two fish meals per week.? The problem is that the levels of toxins and mercury in fish are continuing to climb.? There is no doubt that the benefits of fish oil are enormous and improve brain function and development in newborns as well as a whole raft of benefits in adults.? The December study found that elderly people who ate fish at least once a week did better on tests of memory and mental acuity than their peers who did not, and had a 10 percent slower decline in mental skills each year.? That's important to me.? I just need to be able to remember to take the fish oil capsules!?
I've written before about the benefits of fish oil supplementation but it seems that the bias against supplements in the medical literature hasn't allowed the profession to consider the difference between purified oils and those found in whole fish (toxins and all).? Fish oils from high-quality manufacturers like Carlson and Nordic Naturals are subjected to stringent quality controls and are distilled to remove mercury and PCB's.? This is very important because the benefit is outweighed by the toxins if you buy a "cheap" product.
You can check out your own potential for toxic exposure by going to www.gotmercury.org and doing their calculator.? It's really fun to see how technology can make it simple for us to make better decisions.? Check it out!
