With so many nutritional supplements on the market these days, trying to figure out which is the best for you can often be overwhelming! There is a supplement for just about everything! Look younger, feel more energetic, help your joints, help your memory, renew your skin, hide your age… the list goes on. But there is one basic supplement we all need, everyday, and that is Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids (Fish Oil).

Often clients will tell me that they like to obtain all the nutrients they need from a nutritious diet, and that is a very sensible idea that serves us all in the long run. However, it is incredibly difficult to obtain the levels of Essential Fatty Acids we need from our current diets. Our body cannot make these Essential Fatty Acids on its own, so they need to come from our diets. Omega 3 is found in its highest quantities in fish, and ORGANIC GRASS-FED meats. Sadly however, our current farming practices result in farmed fish with lower levels of Omega 3’s, and higher levels of toxic metals due to the pollution in our water supplies, which means eating enough fish to get the high levels of Essential Fatty Acids we need each day can actually be unsafe. Our meat is most commonly GRAIN FED… grains make for more tender, fattier meats, but they are very inflammatory to our bodies. In fact, grains and grain-fed meats actually produce high levels of Omega 6 in our bodies – which works in opposition to the anti-inflammatory effects of Omega 3. We do need a certain level of Omega 6 as these acids produce a pain and inflammatory response in our body when we are injured, but if these levels in our body are higher than those of our Omega 3 levels, we have an inflammatory response operating unopposed and this can lead to joint pain, cardiovascular disease, obesity (fat is an inflammatory response!), increased allergy sensitivity, and decreased brain function. You can see how getting all the Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids we require can be quite difficult, unless we eat a completely pure diet of zero grains (no breads, pastas, rice, wheat, oats, gluten etc) and only eat organic grass fed meats. This is why we all need Fish Oil!

Fish Oil is used to generate and repair every cell membrane in our body. The cells in our brain, skin, and organs all regenerate within weeks and months. Every one. Every 6 months you are an entirely new person! Our body uses the fats in our body to build these new cells every time they die or are damaged. If we do not have enough good fats on hand, our body is very resourceful – it will simply build these cells out of bad fats. We all know we probably have a few too many of those in our diets to spare. Cells made out of bad fats are not going to function as well, and will breakdown quicker. Omega 3 deficiency has been linked to

  • Learning and behavioural problems
  • Digestive disorders
  • Skin disorders
  • Some forms of cancer such as colon, prostate and breast
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Diabetes
  • Arthritis
  • Depression
  • Pregnancy complications
  • Chronic pain
  • Vision problems
  • Osteoporosis
  • Alzheimer’s

Choosing a Fish Oil

Just like our current farmed fish, many cheaper fish oils on the market can be high in toxic metals. The lack of filtration is often what makes them so cheap. Trying to find a pure, high strength fish oil is often like buying perfume – you get what you pay for. Boxes of 5000 tablets for $20 probably isn’t very high quality. If you have ever opened a jar of fish oil tablets or tried straight fish oil and it tasted like rancid fish – also not a good sign that it is high quality. It is most likely just that – rancid. It hasn’t been stored or refrigerated properly, and the oils have turned which means that they are no longer high in Omega 3 fatty acids anyway. Practitioner only labels of fish oil sold through many health practitioners are usually the best way to go. They have gone through a vigorous filtration process to remove heavy metals, are properly stored and designed to be rich in your daily requirements. Why aren’t they found in stores? Because they are more expensive. If you saw a fish oil for $50 and one for $10, which one would you have chosen?

The benefits of kinesiology is that at Neurohealth, we can test you for whether your current fish oil is doing you more harm than good, and whether one of our more pure brands may suit you better. Next time you come in for your adjustment, bring your fish oil tablets with you. You may be surprised. Besides, why pay for something that isn’t working for you?

If you would like more information or would like to book an appointment at Neurohealth – please call the clinic on 9905 9099 or email us admin@neurohealthchiro.com.au or fill in the contact form from our website www.neurohealthchiro.com.au

Sign up to receive Neurohealth Chiropractic’s Free monthly health newsletter on the Right Hand Side of this page. Filled with great information and lots of easy health tips to keep you at Optimal Health!

This article is written by Dr. Steven Cannon, Chiropractor @ Neurohealth