TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

All The Omega-3s Without The Mercury

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 10, 2009

Taking fish oil supplements but worrying about mercury contamination?

Relax. Mercury is generally found in the fatty meat of the fish, not the oil. So while mercury levels in fish often range from 10 parts per billion to 1,000 ppb, depending on the fish, the oil is often free of mercury and other contaminants.

In addition, some fish oils are made using species that are lower on the food chain, and thereby less likely to accumulate mercury. Nordic Naturals fish oil products, for example, use anchovies and sardines found off the coasts of Norway, Chile and Peru.

And many companies, use a distillation process to further remove contaminants.

When the product testing company ConsumerLab.com looked at 41 omega-3 fatty acid supplement products, it found that none contained detectable levels of mercury (more than 10 ppb). Moreover, the products were fresh and contained their claimed amounts of the fatty acids, a surprise since supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and often fall short of their labeling claims.

Consumers should look for an oil that has less than 100 ppb for lead and mercury. Since this info isn't on the label, check the International Fish Oil Standards Web site, www.nutra source.ca/ifos_new, which lists all "Third Party Test Results" for products. You can also check the company Web site for these results.

Despite the contamination issues, eating fatty fish is still the best way to get omega-3s.

Chicago Tribune

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT