In order to represent itself as pharmaceutical grade a fish oil product must possess the following characteristics:

• It must be manufactured in a certified good manufacturing process (GMP) facility approved for pharmaceutical products.

• It must be manufactured according to pharmaceutical standards that include quality control steps to insure the product is free from lipid peroxides, heavy metals, environmental contaminants, and other harmful compounds.

• It must provide at least a 60% concentration of the most active long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA).

• The ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to arachidonic acid must be greater than 50:1

Sally-Ann Creed’s Nutrition Centre is proud to stock pharmaceutical grade fish oil in line with the above standards. 

Practice safe eating -- always use condiments!

According to Dr. Barry Sears, author of The Omega RX Zone, "high-dose pharmaceutical-grade fish oil is as close to a medical miracle as we will see in the 21st century." This advanced form of fish oil (a very pure form of omega-3 fatty acids), is believed to offer extraordinary health benefits in treating chronic diseases, improving athletic performance, and enhancing emotional well-being. It apparently does so by helping to reduce inflammation and increase blood flow throughout the brain and body.

Why Not Eat More Fish?

You might ask why you cannot just eat more fish to get sufficient omega-3 for your health. The answer is many of the fish we now find in the oceans, lakes, and streams around the world contain dangerously high levels of mercury and other toxins. The health risks of these toxins may well outweigh the potential benefits of the omega-3 we can get by eating more fish. What's more, you would have to eat much more fish than is feasibly possible to help treat some of the many diseases for which fish oil is being used today.

Medical researchers and practitioners from around the world are using high-dose, pharmaceutical-grade fish oil (from 2-25 grams or more a day) not only for health maintenance, but also to help treat a variety of health conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, depression, hot flashes, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, Alzheimer's, attention deficit disorder (ADD), MS, Parkinson's disease, dyslexia, and many more. It is even being used by some in cancer treatments and to help reduce the risk of metastases.

The Different Grades of Fish Oil Available Today

It is important not to be misled by dramatic price differences among the various grades of fish oil products currently available. There is a vast range of both potency and purity not only between these grades, but also often between individual products within a particular grade.

A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time--pills or stairs - Joan Welsh

Health Food-grade Fish Oils

The levels of contaminants in fish oils is often determined by the size of the fish and their relative rank in the food chain. Small fish (such as sardines and anchovies) are short-lived and therefore are less prone to accumulate environmental pollutants. On the other hand, larger fish such as salmon and mackerel are predatory species that are long-lived and therefore contain higher levels of pollutants. Most health-food grade fish oils are fish body oils extracted from the fish. If the label says it comes from a particular species of fish (i.e. salmon oil) then you know it is a health-food grade fish oil. These oils are only sold in soft gelatin capsules because they still have an extremely poor taste profile (to see why, simply bite into a capsule to release the oil).

A slightly more purified type of health food grade fish oil includes those that have been subjected to a very limited amount of molecular distillation to remove some of the cholesterol in order to be labeled "cholesterol-free". A typical one-gram capsule of health-food grade fish oil contains approximately 300mg. of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Another type of higher-grade health-food fish oil is known as "fish oil concentrate". This type of fish oil consists of ethyl esters of the fish oil that has been subjected to fractional cooling. The more saturated fats will solidify, leaving behind a more concentrated solution of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. However, this fractional cooling does not remove the PCB's or the long-chain monoene fatty acids that give rise to significant gastric distress. A one-gram capsule of this thermally fractionated health-food grade fish oil will contain up to 500mg. of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

Health-food grade fish oils are acceptable in small amounts (no more than 3-4 capsules per day) without inducing significant gastric problems. However, higher doses require a much more purified type of oil; pharmaceutical-grade fish oil.

Pharmaceutical-grade Fish Oil

Pharmaceutical-grade fish oil starts with thermally fractionated health-food fish oil that is then distilled by highly complex refining technology into fractions rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids that are exceptionally low in the long-chain monoenes (that cause gastric distress) and pollutants such as PCB's and oxidized and polymerized lipids. The individual fractions are then combined to provide the most appropriate balance of EPA and DHA for the finished oil. The typical one-gram capsule of pharmaceutical-grade fish oil will have at least 600mg. of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. This may not seem a major concentration improvement compared to the health-food grade fish oils, however, the increase in the purity of the oil is why it costs nearly twice as much. This purity is also reflected in a dramatically improved taste profile.

Only pharmaceutical-grade fish oils enable you to consume the required daily intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids needed to alter eicosanoid synthesis without gastric distress or fear of accumulation of environmental pollutants.

Note: Vitamin E is often included in fish oils as a preservative. At low levels, approximately 5IU/gram of fish oil, it is protective. At higher levels, such as 20IU/gram of fish oil, it can actually speed up the oxidative process.

Our pharmaceutical-grade fish oil contains a minimum of 60% of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (although it routinely reaches 75%) with 5IU of Vitamin E per gram of fish oil.

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Recommended Dosages of Omega RX Pharmaceutical-Grade Fish Oil

According to Dr. Barry Sears, the normal health maintenance dosage for pharmaceutical-grade fish oil is four capsules (or one teaspoon of liquid) a day, which contains about 1.6 grams of EPA and 800 milligrams of DHA.  In his book The Omega RX Zone, Dr. Sears gives specific recommendations for higher dosages to be taken for a variety of health problems. For people with asthma or bronchitis or arthritis, for instance, Sears recommends beginning with 5-10 grams a day (2-4 teaspoons of liquid). For emphysema or Alzheimer's, Sears recommends much higher dosages, up to 25 grams. For people taking high doses, it may be necessary to build up gradually to the dosage that is required to help with the problem. In all cases, Sears also recommends controlling your insulin through eating fats, proteins, and carbohydrates together at every meal.

DISCLAIMER

Whenever changing to a new eating or supplement regime, always consult your nutritionally-aware health provider first.  No information on this website must be used to replace your doctor or health-provider’s advice – it is for information only, and we cannot be held responsible for any decisions you make without your doctor’s advice.

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