So why should we take Omega 3s…or should we?
The answer is a RESOUNDING YES!! But in what form? Omega 3 right from the fish is GREAT…BUT!
You have to know lots of things about where and how…for instance…Salmon needs to be WILD CAUGHT, preferably in clean Pacific waters off the coast of Alaska. If its wild caught in polluted waters, guess what you will be eating…tons of mercury! Also, make sure its not FARM RAISED. Whats all the fuss about? If you are eating Salmon for the heart and brain beneficial Omega 3s, Farm Raised means they eat meal from the farmers that are comprised of Omega 6s. So it will give you lots of Omega 6s, which you probably get tons of if you eat any grains at all.
What do wild caught fish eat you ask? Salmon eat other fish, but if they eat those fish in the wild, those fish will have fed on algae, which makes the composition of the fish to contain Omega 3s. And the further down the food chain you go (smaller the fish) the more potent the Omega 3 will be since they will have fed directly on the algae, or maybe just 1 fish away from eating the algae. For Salmon, its usually several fish away from eating the algae because of how high up they are on the food chain.
It is estimated that our ancestors ate Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios of 2:1, and it is estimated that our American diets on average are Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios of 20:1, 30:1 or even 50:1.
Who cares?
Well, our brains have been dependent for milennia by this ratio since Omega 3s feed our brains, and keep the heart healthy. And when women are pregnant, the baby demands SO much Omega 3s from the mother to sustain brain and organ growth, the if the mom is not taking a STRONG Omega 3 during pregnancy (with the right DHA and EPA ratio) she will most likely suffer from postnatal and even prenatal depression.
And women are told – DO NOT EAT FISH when your pregnant. And by the way, ACOG has switched this around and tweeked it because they realized that Omega 3s are so important to the baby development and babies whose mothers ate Fish (AKA Omega 3s) during pregnancy tended to have less learning dissabilities, cognitive problems, behavioral difficulties, and other issues. The studies that came out also showed those mothers had less issues with postpartum depression. So guess what – when those studies came out, ACOG switched to each a little bit of fish per week.
OR there is another option if you are worried about the Mercury. You can take a HIGH QUALITY Omega 3. I am not talking about Walgreens or GNC versions – you want PHARMECEUTICAL GRADE Omega 3. If you cannot physically ask someone if your Omega 3 supplement is pharmeceuitcal grade, I would not bother. Because Supplements are considered a FOOD by the FDA, they do not monitor them like they do actual drugs.
Food Grade Supplements are the kinds you will find at Walgreens and Sams club and GNC. That means they are only required to have 30% of what they say they have. Which means its less potent. But it also means in the case of Omega 3s:
It might not be properly distilled
It might not be COLD PRESSED (if its heat pressed, all the properties of Omega 3 will be destroyed)
It might have mercury or other toxins in it
It might have questionable fish as its source (low quality Omega 3)
It might have questionable fillers in it
So, please do your HOMEWORK! But it is so worth it to take this yourself. Even while nursing, its GREAT to have that Omega 3 composition in your milk to keep building the baby’s brain after birth. Thats why formulas now tote “WITH DHA” but the DHA in mom’s milk is so much more available to the baby’s body. Here is a GREAT book I read on Omega 3s – so great: Omega Rx Zone: The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil
And there is also another one that I read that I loved:The Omega-3 Connection: The Groundbreaking Antidepression Diet and Brain Program
One more item of interest – Omega 3s are very effective when people have reached a weight loss plateau because of the anti inflammatory properties. Remember those 5 whites – they CREATE inflammation. So the Omega 3s are a great choice for any weight loss regimine.
You can also google studies about Omega 3s – everything from ADHD to premenstrual cramps come up – and they are VERY interestiong to read. That is another post for another day.
Anyone had any problems with Postpartum despression? How did you cope with it? Did you take Omega 3s during pregnancy?
I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Lucy
http://maternitymotherhood.net
Such a great reminder…I need to go eat some fish!
Gotta love that castor oil!Does that have omega 3’s???
Maybe I wll have some with my eggs, or orange juice, or hmmmm???
What Omega 3 brand do you recommend? How do you find pharmeceutical grade Omega 3s?
Hi! I recommend the Herbalife brand of Omega 3s. There are two options that are great. The first is called “Herbalifeline” and it is fantastic – cold pressed, distilled, pure, pharm grade, etc. The second option they have is tri-shield and it is 3 times more powerful than the first, and it is from neptune krill fish oil, which is considered naturally the most pure because it is from the smallest fish. the bigger the fish in the ocean, the more contaminants are picked up along the way.
I know Pharmanex is also another good brand.
The main way you can get these is from a direct distibutor. I personally am one so I can go through pregnancy and nursing with a full stock on hand, and other times in between as well.
I know there are a couple pharmaceutical companies that do a “DHA” vitamin, but it is usually from JUST the algae the fish feed off of, and miss the long chain fatty acids along the way. They can’t patent “fish oil” and sell it, because that is not “drug” territory, it is considered “food” territory by the FDA – so they isolate a chemical (DHA) and then sell it that way so it can be considered a drug.
Feel free to email me more about it!