Fish Oil

Name: Fish Oil

Other Names: linolenic acid, alpha linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, coldwater fish, DHA, docosahexaenoic acid, EPA, fish body oil, fish extract, long chain polyunsaturated fat, fish liver oil, fish oil fatty acids, halibut oil, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, mackerel oil n 3 polyunsaturated fat, marine oil, menhaden oil, n 3 fatty acids, n 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, Omacor®, omega fatty acids, omega 3 oils, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), salmon oil, shark liver oil, w 3 fatty acids

Description: Fish oil is oil derived from the tissues of oily fish. The fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acid, it benefits the heart of healthy people, and those at high risk of or who have cardiovascular disease. Fish is a good source of protein and doesn’t have the high saturated fat that fatty meat products do. Fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are high in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), precursors to eicosanoids that reduce inflammation throughout the body.

It also known by some more names such as linolenic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, cod liver oil, coldwater fish, DHA, docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA, fish body oil, fish extract, fish liver oil, fish oil fatty acids, halibut oil, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, mackerel oil, marine oil, menhaden oil, n-3 fatty acids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, Omacor®, omega fatty acids, omega-3 oils, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), salmon oil, shark liver oil, w-3 fatty acids.

Fish oil is recommended for a healthy diet because it contains the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), precursors to eicosanoids that reduce inflammation throughout the body

However, fish do not actually produce omega-3 fatty acids, but instead accumulate them from either consuming microalgae that produce these fatty acids, as is the case with prey fish like herring and sardines, or, as is the case with fatty predatory fish, by eating prey fish that have accumulated omega-3 fatty acids from microalgae. Such fatty predatory fish like mackerel, lake trout, albacore tuna and salmon may be high in omega-3 fatty acids, but due to their position at the top of the food chain, these species can accumulate toxic substances (See biomagnification). For this reason, the FDA recommends limiting consumption of certain (predatory) fish species (e.g. albacore tuna) due to high levels of toxic contaminants such as mercury, dioxin, PCBs and chlordane. Due to this limitation, many people have turned to fish oil supplements to get adequate omega-3 fatty acids.