Fish oil supplements, a natural source of Omega-3s, continue to grow in popularity. The amount of fish being commercially farmed has tripled globally over the last decade due in part to the popularity of fish oil for use as a source for Omega-3 supplements. Omega-3 supplements are taken for a range of reasons, from protecting the cardiovascular system to alleviating ADHD symptoms.
In the production of fish oil supplements many of the farmed breeds, such as salmon, need to be fed fish that also have high levels of Omega-3 in order to maximise growth and quality. The fish that are used as feed are taken from wild stocks.
A recent scientific study led by Professor Rosamond Naylor, director of the Program on Food Security and the Environment at Stanford University, reports that aquaculture’s demand for fish feed is endangering these wild stocks.
Professor Naylor said:
As long as we are a health-conscious population, trying to get our most healthy oils from fish, we are going to be demanding more of aquaculture.
Not all breeds of fish need to be fed on wild caught fish. There are herbivorous species, such as tilapia, carp and trout, that would give consumers an ethical choice for Omega-3 supplements.
According to John Harman, of the UK seafood industry group Seafish:
There have been moves towards using vegetable replacements, but often these do not contain the desired long-chain omega-3 acids. There is a debate to be had about the quality of fish raised on these feeds.
The aquaculture industry appears to agree and fish farms rearing these varieties continue to use fishmeal and oil to increase growth and final yields. In 2007 12 million tonnes of fishmeal was used in carp and tilapia farming, compared to the 8 million tonnes used by salmon and shrimp farming combined.
Despite this trend, there is still an ethical option for Omega-3 supplements, an option that is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans who have been attempting to supplement their Omega-3 levels by taking flax seed oil.
V-Pure produces an ethical, vegan Omega-3 supplement from algae. Algae are the simpler, older cousins of land plants. The word “algae” comes from the Latin word for seaweed and seaweeds are, in fact, the largest and most complex forms of algae.
Algae are the original source in the food chain for Omega-3 fatty acids. Algae produce Omega-3s through the photosynthesis of sunlight and are fed on by tiny crustaceans such as krill, which are in turn eaten by small fish, which are eaten by larger fish and so on up the food chain until it reaches us.
V-Pure starts at the source - growing and harvesting algae in organically controlled conditions away from the sea so it does not interfere with the marine eco-system and has no impact on fish stocks or their food sources.
The resulting Omega-3 oils are rich in EPA and DHA and free from the toxins that oil-bearing fish can accumulate, such as mercury, dioxins and PCBs. This means V-Pure is naturally safe for pregnant women and children.
People who have been unable to take Omega-3 supplements because they are allergic to fish oil are generally allergic to the fish proteins that inevitably get included in Omega-3 oils sourced from fish. V-Pure Omega-3 oil is free from all animal produce, derivatives or by-products, and is also free from wheat, dairy and sugar. Even the capsule that holds V-Pure Omega-3 oil is vegetarian and contains no gelatine.
When it comes to our health we can’t escape the importance, and difficulty, of making the right choice about what we put into our bodies and the impact our choices will have on our bodies and the environment. Sustainable, environmentally friendly Omega-3 oil free of toxins and contaminants is one of the easier choices to make.
Tags: fishing, sustainable omega 3