Omega-3 fatty acids: do they really have to come from fish oil capsules?

There have been enough studies into the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids to remove all doubt. But the widespread belief that you should take fish oil capsules to get these beneficial substances is something you might want to reconsider… Because are these fish oil capsules really essential for a healthy body, or are we being fooled by a multimillion-dollar industry?

First of all: we are not doctors or scientists ourselves, but we draw on research by serious organisations and consumer programmes. By now, it is generally known that eating oily fish such as salmon or herring contributes to good health because of the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA you get from them, which protect against cardiovascular disease and can lower blood pressure. But when you see the massive scale on which the seas are being emptied of fish, you may well wonder: ‘can’t this be done differently?’

Dirty fish

Because in addition to the problem of overfishing, many waters are now so polluted that the fish caught in them are full of toxins. Pregnant women in the Netherlands are now even advised not to eat oily fish two or three times a week (as was previously recommended), because of the concentration of toxic substances such as PFAS, mercury and dioxins in fish, as well as concerns about sustainability. This is of course important for everyone else to be aware of too.

Fish feed and fish pills

And what is happening now is that, for example, anchovies are being fished from the seas on a truly enormous scale and ground into fishmeal, from which oil is then pressed. The fishmeal is used as animal feed because it contains so much protein that animals grow faster from it (even though cows are naturally true grass eaters), while the oil goes into the pills that roll off the production line by the millions every day in the name of our health. Several people who work in the fishing industry themselves say they would rather simply eat a fish; pure, healthy and delicious, without any chemical processes involved.

Wonder plants

But what if you don’t eat fish? Because you find it disgusting, feel sorry for the fish, or because the concentrations of toxic substances put you off? Are you then doomed to a rickety old age? Well, when it comes to Omega-3, you don’t need to worry at all. Because what does it turn out? Those Omega-3 fatty acids are not naturally found in fish at all. Fish cannot even produce them themselves. So how do they end up there? Because fish eat algae: those little plants are absolutely packed with them! So why not remove the fish from the chain? You can simply stay at the source of all that goodness, can’t you?

Future-proof

Apparently, you can: there are already several brands that make and sell plant-based Omega-3 capsules in good drugstores and health-food shops. According to Wageningen University & Research, this is the solution for the future, which is why it is so important to reduce the production costs of DHA/EPA-rich algae oil. So if you like to stand up for your own health, this is something to make your voice heard about!

Also read:

• Straight from the ditch into the pan? This is what you need to know about crayfish
• To be continued: what’s the status of the Subway tuna salad scandal?
• Why you should get rid of your non-stick pans

Sources: Keuringsdienst van Waarde (watch the fish oil episode here), WUR