Taking a fish oil supplement in an effort to add more omega 3 fatty acids to your diet?  You're not alone. Millions of Americans are consuming fish oils to raise and re-balance their essential fatty acid levels--and to improve their overall health and performance. But very few understand why omega 3 fats (found abundantly in fish) are so fundamentally important for the body. Did you know:

• That the human body NEEDS fat to function properly? No cell, tissue, gland or organ can work normally without adequate and balanced levels of essential fats. 

• That essential fatty acid levels contribute to improved performance by reducing inflammation, increasing endurance and shortening recovery time? They also work to protect the joints and promote deeper sleep, better concentration and a more positive mental outlook.

• That there are two distinctly different kinds of fats? Eating healthful fats will increase your overall performance and well-being; eating unhealthy fats will result in health and performance declines. 

• That the vast majority of Americans consume too few omega 3 fats and too many processed omega 6 fats? As a population, our essential fatty acid (EFA) levels have become severely imbalanced.

What does your body need?

When it comes to food, choose to eat grass fed meats, range-free eggs, wild cold-water salmon, sardines, salmon eggs, and high-omega 3 seeds (such as pumpkin, chia and hemp). If your goal is to OPTIMIZE your EFA and omega 3 levels, you’ll most likely need to use an oil-based supplement, too.

When it comes to selecting a supplement, there are plenty of choices available--flax seed oil, cod liver oil; krill oil, green mussel oil and high EPA or DHA fish oils; and essential oil blends like Udo’s Oil. Which product should you choose? Each provides a different omega 3 dosage and number of servings per bottle. And the price range can be dramatic, leaving even the most educated customer overwhelmed and apt to buy either the least expensive product or budgeting their intake of a more costly one.

There is a better way! Its possible to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of ANY essential fatty acid supplement by simply asking the following three questions: 

1. Is the product free of chemicals and pollutants? 

And is a certificate of purity available for each product lot available? While almost every fish oil product on the market claims to be “chemical-free,” this isn’t always accurate. The Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation recently tested 15% of fish oil supplements on the market finding harmful PCBs in all of them. Some of the world's largest producers of omega-3 fish oil supplements--including those manufactured by the pharmacy giants Rite Aid and CVS--are selling potentially toxic products to the public. 

When selecting a fish oil supplement, do not compromise on purity. If each and every lot of the product has not been independently tested for mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium and other toxins by a certified lab, it may be tainted by heavy metals and/or other dangerous toxins. 

2. How was the oil processed? 

Fish oil is highly unstable product. It can be damaged quickly by exposure to air, light and heat. Most supplement manufacturers use heat and chemicals (usually hexane) in their production process (in order to create a product that can sit on a shelf for months without spoiling). Unfortunately, this type of processing exposes the fragile oils to oxygen, metals, light and heat, which oxidizes (damages) them while creating a toxic by-product (called a pro-oxidative fat). While most fish oil producers remove many of the oxidized by-products before selling them, their clean-up process is not 100% effective. And while some manufacturers add vitamin E to prevent the oils from being harmed by further oxidation, most use alpha-tocopherol—a cheaper, and much-less-effective anti-oxidant. 

What happens to a fish oil that’s not processed or protected properly? It not only becomes ineffective, but harmful. When oxidized, fish oil converts into lipid peroxides which can damage the membranes of every cell in the body. Recent research conducted by the New Zealand Crop & Food Research Institute indicates that many big name fish oils contain oxidation by-products, despite being well within their “sell by” dates. Keep in mind that a fish oil will smell rancid only during its latest stages of oxidization. During its initial breakdown, it may have little or no aroma, but still be less than fit for human consumption. 

If the fish oil you have purchased is not refrigerated, is not in a nitrogen-packed glass bottle or blister pack, does not contain a potent, natural antioxidant (such as vitamin E/tocopherol or rosemary oil) or is an enteric coated capsule, know that it may already be rancid--and harming your health. 

3. Does the product provide enough essential fatty acids? 

Because they are not easily-utilized, the dosing of many fish oil supplements require 6 or more capsules daily to be effective in raising the body’s omega 3 level. While krill and green-mussel oils are both well-absorbed by the body, they don’t provide it with enough omega 3 fats. 

Simply taking a few capsules of fish oil does not insure a healthy essential fatty acid status. Dosing and individual absorption variations will affect your body’s ability to utilize these fats. After using any fish oil supplement for three months, it will be important to assess your essential fatty acid levels (which can be done at home with a simple and painless finger stick) to confirm that your dose is correct and your essential fatty acid levels are increasing.

The no-questions-necessary solution:

Pharmax is one of a very few companies using a natural, low oxidation process to refine their fish oils. The Pharmax formula contains oils that have not been altered by chemicals, light or heat significantly increasing its bioavailability (ability to be used by the body). This product is more effective because it is absorbed easily and completely. Human studies have shown a dramatic decrease in lipid oxidation and DNA damage in subjects using one to three grams of Pharmax fish oil for just a few weeks. 

Because the product is highly-absorbable and offers balanced amounts of EPA and DHA, reliable restoration can be achieved with the use of only three to four capsules daily. Unlike most other fish oil supplements, the Pharmax formula is burp-free and has absolutely no fishy aftertaste. 

Pharmax Ultra EPA/DHA has been independently tested for freshness and purity. The company offers a certificate of purity for each and every lot it produces. While this product is not available in retail stores, it can be purchased at www.bioletics.com.

Take three Pharmax capsules daily with a full meal. Benefits can be expected within a few days to two weeks of usage and will continue to increase for the next three to four months as your body begins to incorporate the product’s pure Omega-3 EPA and DHA into its cellular structure and function.