Fish is source of EPA and DHA, but it may also contain pollutants. Although the health benefits from consuming fish are well known, there is concern around the potential dangers from pollutants such as heavy metals (mercury), dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyl compounds, accumulated within fish due to marine environment contamination, which could have adverse effects on foetuses, babies and people with health-related problems. Mercury is accumulated in large marine fish such as sharks, swordfish and large tuna; it is not a problem in small fish. Therefore, in these cases, intake of supplements of small oily fish could be safer than fish consumption, but only if they are produced under certain conditions.
With classical methods, the fish oil contains impurities and low contents of omega-3 (less than 30%). The Supercritical Concentration is an alternative to these methods, since it produces high quality oil (undesirable substances are reduced to undetectable levels) and obtains combinations of omega-3 over 90% (EPA up to 95%, DHA up to 80%).
Therefore, a supplement of EPA and DHA from small oily fish (anchovies, for example) obtained by Supercritical Concentration has a very high amount of omega-3 with respect to the total contents of the oil in the supplement and offers greater purity and more safety to the consumer.
In order to obtain the adequate amounts of EPA and DHA in a safe way, the choice of a good supplement is crucial.
Bibliography
- Le Donne M, Alibrandi A, Vita R et al. Does eating oily fish improve gestational and neonatal outcomes? Findings from a Sicilian study. Women Birth. 2016 Jan 30. pii: S1871-5192(16)00002-0. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2015.12.005. [Epub ahead of print]
- Meher A, Randhir K, Mehendale S et al. Maternal Fatty Acids and Their Association with Birth Outcome: A Prospective Study. PLoS One. 2016 Jan 27;11(1):e0147359. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147359. eCollection 2016.
- Lee JH. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Children. Pediatr Gastroenterol Hepatol Nutr. 2013 Sep;16(3):153-161.
- Pelé F, Bajeux E, Gendron H et al. Maternal fish and shellfish consumption and wheeze, eczema and food allergy at age two: A prospective cohort study in Brittany, France. Environ Health. 2013 Dec 2;12(1):102. [Epub ahead of print]