Omega-3-rich fish oil and improving the brain

MANILA, Philippines - While eating a balanced diet with more fruits and vegetables, getting enough sleep and keeping stress at bay have been acknowledged as the best ways to improve the brain. There is, however, another item that is now getting the interest of scientists and researchers: fish oil.

Fish oil, particularly its main ingredients the Omega-3 fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), performs a multitude of critical functions in the brain. The link between DHA and brain development is obvious considering that 60 percent of the brain is made up of fats and out of this, almost half is DHA.

DHA and EPA are essential nutrients that work on the cell-to-cell level of communication which carries out every important function of every organ in the body.

Considering that fish oil rich in Omega-3 DHA and EPA fatty acids could only be found in certain species of fish such as salmon, tuna, herring, as well as anchovies, mackerel and sardines, one of the concerns about eating lots of fish or fish oil supplement is the possibility that they will consume harmful PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), methyl mercury, dioxins and other contaminants found in the ocean.

While certain plant sources may claim to contain Omega-3s, they are supplemented instead with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the type of Omega-3 fatty acids derived in flaxseed, canola oil, and walnuts. Cardiologists believe it does not have the same benefits because the body does a poor job at converting ALA to the much-needed EPA and DHA, at least not in quantities that offer any real health benefits.

A number of industry testers note that fish oil supplements are generally safe, especially since its manufacturers like Australian makers of Cenovis Fish Oil only harvest three species of fish — anchovies, mackerel and sardines — since they are small in size and short-lived and thus, have the least chance of having these toxic pollutants in their bodies.

It was found that the levels of these toxic substances are generally higher in older, larger, predatory species of fish. And because there’s a high chance that farmed fish contains antibiotics, pesticides, synthetic coloring agents, growth hormones or GMOs, the makers of Cenovis opted for fish oil that is rendered from wild fish.

To further ensure the quality of its products, the fish are harvested from the Peruvian waters, considered one of the few remaining waters on the planet that are still uncontaminated with deadly pollutants (these same suppliers also operate under a system of careful government and industry controls regarding the management of ocean fish stocks in this region of the Pacific Ocean).

The harvested fish are then sent to a Norwegian partner that specializes in extracting fish oil.

The result is a high-quality, all-natural fish oil capsule that is odorless and has no fish aftertaste (a common complaint among those who have taken a similar product). The less than P10 individually packed for freshness, Cenovis Fish Oil capsule contains Omega-3 triglycerides (300mg) as well as EPA (175mg) and DHA (70mg).

It is marketed by sanofi-aventis Philippines, a leading multinational pharmaceutical company known for high-quality and evidenced-based medicine.