There is no doubt that oily fish have significant health benefits, a few of which are listed below, but there is caveat to that:
Both cod liver oil and whole body fish oil contain good levels of EPA and DHA. However, sadly many of our oceans are now polluted and these pollutants collect in the livers of oily fish. Hence there is always likely to be a greater risk of pollutants in fish liver oils than in whole body fish oils. All fish oil products sold by Jersey Foodstate are extracted from whole fish which have had the livers removed to guarantee they are absolutely clean, stable and have no trace of any of the ocean pollutants, heavy metals etc. (Detection is now possible in parts per million).
With our Western diets, we have an imbalance of essential fats in that omega 6 is commonly consumed because it exists in nuts, grains and seeds, but we are far less inclined to consume sufficient levels of Omega 3, an essential fat concentrated in oily fish.
Some of the benefits of Omega 3:
- Omega 3 fatty acid - DHA is essential for the nervous system and learning behaviour. DHA is an essential structural component of the nervous system.
- DHA supports a healthy heart and promotes cardiovascular health.
- Omega 3 fatty acid - EPA helps maintain a healthy heart and circulation
- EPA is an important fatty acid that may play a role in regulating blood pressure, cholesterol and tryglycerol levels
If you are concerned about heavy metal in the body, here are some ways in which you can remove them:
- Selenium binds with many toxic minerals and may facilitate their excretion from the body
- Calcium competes with lead and mercury for absorption, and may thereby reduce lead absorption
- Iron deficiency may increase the body's absorption of lead from the normal average of 10% of dietary intake to 24% of dietary intake
- Magnesium may reduce the absorption of lead by competing with lead for absorption and magnesium may also facilitate the excretion of lead from the body
- Zinc deficiency may increase the absorption of lead and zinc may counteract the toxic effects of lead. Optimum zinc can help facilitate the removal of mercury from the body
- Vitamin E may enhance the detoxification of most toxic heavy metals and inhibit the toxic effect of lead
- Glutathione Peroxidase facilitates the removal of several toxic minerals from the body
- Vitamin A (beta carotene) may facilitate the detoxification of lead.
- Vitamin B1 may reduce the deposition of lead in almost all tissues of the body.
- Vitamin C may facilitate the excretion of lead and may counteract the toxicity of lead.