Fish Oil

One of the things I have done for my brain for the last nine months is take fish oil.  As a vegetarian, I was reluctant to take it and felt that flaxseed and borage oil would be sufficient.  Then I read about how fish oil [through an NG tube] saved Randall McCloy, the Sago Mine Survivor.  Wow.  That’s how I became a believer.

Omega 3 Fish Oil – The JELIS Study – Southeast Texas Medical Associates LLP

The recent return home of the only survivor of the Sago mine disaster, Randall McCloy Jr., seems miraculous and it was. Yet, there is a sound basis for his recovery. McCloy, who had suffered heart, kidney, and liver failure in addition to brain failure, returned home less than four months after the mining disaster. One of the principle reasons for this recover was Dr. Bailes’ administering of very high doses of Omega 3 Fish Oil to McCloy.

McCloy received (and continues to take) 15 grams per day of EPA and DHA. Although a seemingly extraordinarily high dose, McCloy’s blood levels of these fatty acids were constantly monitored to maintain them within a therapeutic zone to maximize the reduction of systemic inflammation without compromising the body’s ability to fight infection.

The implications of Randall McCloy’s remarkable recovery have widespread medical importance, not only for brain trauma patients, but also for any patient with neurological disorders. It has been demonstrated by Harvard Medical School that high-dose fish oil has significant benefits in treating bipolar depression, and a recent study demonstrated the same levels used by Dr. Bailes in treating Randall McCloy also demonstrated significant improvement in children with ADHD. Maybe this is why our grandmother called fish oil “brain food.”

A recent study in Japan, called the JELIS Study, supports Omega-3 use in angina, coronary artery disease and lipid (cholesterol) management. The JELIS study used a dose of 1800 mg of EPA, one of the major Omega-3 fatty acids. Typically, we recommend 4 gms. a day of combined EPA and DHA and as seen above much higher doses are found to be beneficial in special cases.

Caution: Because of the potential for Omega-3 Fish oil to interfere with platelet aggregation and blood clotting, those who are taking aspirin, coumadin, plavix or other medications which can interfere with blood clotting should take Fish Oil cautiously as it may require that other medications be adjusted.. Don’t forget, Eskimos, who have virtually no heart disease, regularly consume 15 grams of fish oil daily in their diet.

Consumer Lab Analysis Finds Fish Oil Safe – USAToday

Consumers who want to take advantage of the cardiac benefits of fish oil supplements but were concerned about possible mercury and PCB contamination can pop their pills in peace.

ConsumerLab.com, which evaluates nutritional and health supplements, found that of 41 fish oil supplements tested, none were contaminated with mercury or PCBs.

Omega-3 supplements generally are made from fish oil, although they can be derived from algae. In fish-oil-based pills, the oil is distilled to filter out contaminants. Also the fish used to make pills tend to be younger and smaller than the fish we eat, meaning they have had less time to accumulate toxins.

Mounting evidence suggests a diet that includes plenty of omega-3-rich fatty fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, salmon, sardines and albacore tuna can reduce the risk of fatal heart attacks.

“If you eat fish at least once or twice a week, you can cut your risk of dying (suddenly) by 30%, and it seems to be true as well for fish oil pills,” says David Schardt, a senior nutritionist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Fish oil pills are one of the fastest-growing areas of the supplement industry, says Grant Ferrier, editor of the Nutrition Business Journal in San Diego.

There are vast differences in quality, which I will explain in the next article.  I’ve tried several sources.  My preferred source is SeaLogix produced by Trilogy.