Avoiding Heavy Metals and Toxins in Your Fish Oil

Yikes! Mercury! You mean to tell me there might bewaters.
mercury in my fish oil? Yeah, and PCBs too. If that'sThen there's the selecting of fish and processing of
the case, what's a healthy consumer to do?fish oils. How can you be sure a company that sells
Wake up and pay attention is the first thing. Yes!fish oils aren't using the garbage fish, diseased fish or
Heavy metals, toxins and poisons in fish are a realfish graded for cat food and fertilizer?
concern, but only if you don't know the source ofThis brings us to my second recommendation. Only
your fish, the manufacturer's practices, their scientificbuy fish oils from companies that use health
quality control and the commitment of the companyscreened fish, graded for human consumption and
behind the product (making a healthy difference vs.listed on the label. This last point is important because
making a healthy profit).otherwise you'd have no way of knowing what fish
You need to know that not all fish are created equal.are being used.
Besides having varying amounts of importantAnd finally, how can you be certain their processing
nutritional oils, they live in different places, havedoesn't include pressing the fish organs, which are
different feeding habits and react differently tohigh in Vitamin A, D, heavy metals and toxins?
captivity (as in "farm raised").My third and final recommendation is to buy fish oils
Some fish live and feed in cold waters and are muchfrom a company that only presses the oils from the
richer in omega 3 fatty acids. Some fish are bottomflesh - not the organs. This is the only way you can
feeders and have higher levels of toxins and heavybe sure there are no heavy metals and toxins and no
metals than open water feeders. Some fish feedhidden Vitamin A and D. Not that there's anything
predominantly in estuaries where industrial pollutionwrong with A and D, but it's important to know how
flows down rivers. While still other fish are raised inmuch you're getting, because too much can be
collective tanks, ponds and pools with little to noharmful for certain people.
efficient fresh water circulation, increasing theFollow these tips and you won't go wrong. You may
likelihood of contamination with things like PCBs.have to ask the company who supplies your omega
So, my first recommenation is that you want to3 fish oils if they follow these practices too. If you
choose a company that uses specific fish (salmon,get unfavorable or evasive answers then you need
for example) that live and are caught in cold, opento get online and do more research.