Mega Twin EPA Fish Oil by Twinlab
The following article is not an endorsement of Mega Twin EPA Fish Oil capsules.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
An article from
Asian American Press
Fish oil pills tested
YONKERS, NY (June 9, 2003) Consumed either from fish or
fish-oil pills, omega-3 fatty acids appear to offer as much protection against
dying from coronary heart diseases as do cholesterol-lowering drugs.
"Omega-3 Oil: Fish or Pills' highlights some of the scientific research
findings, offers an unbiased rundown of the benefits, and presents its first
product tests of 16 leading brands of fish-oil supplements, including two
Consumer Reports Best Buys. This is a continuation of CR's research and testing
program to bring consumers trusted information on the safety, efficacy,
content, and labeling of dietary supplements, which are not regulated by the
government.
CR recommends that most people with
normal heart risk should eat at least two small servings of fish per week.
Young children and pregnant women should avoid or limit their intake of species
that may be contaminated with pollutants; others should vary their choices and
sharply limit intake of the worst offenders. CR helps shoppers identify safer
fish choices and lists the omega-3 content of 27 species while highlighting
those that may contain pollutants. Those who do not like fish can consume the
equivalent amount of omega-3s from fish-oil pills: at least 2 grams a week if
you don't have the disease-provided their doctor gives the OK.
It is not always easy to know
whether dietary supplements are safe and if their content is reliable. CR's
test results were reassuring: All fish-oil pills tested contained roughly as
much EPA and DHA, the active ingredients in fish oil, as their labels promised.
None showed evidence of spoilage, and none contained a significant amount of
mercury, PCBs, or dioxin. CR found no significant differences in the quality or
purity of these supplements. Therefore, consumers can choose them based on
price....
The benefits of fish oil emerged
when medical researchers noticed that people who frequently eat fish suffered
fewer heart attacks and died of heart disease at a lower rate than those who
seldom ate fish. Most significant, those studies showed that eating fish offers
powerful protection against one of the most dreaded and unpredictable
consequences of heart disease-massive "sudden death" heart attacks
that kill within minutes. Subsequent research suggested that high fish
consumption may also reduce the risk of stroke. Clinical trials have confirmed
that a steady diet of fish or fish oil supplements reduce the risk of a second
heart attack in people who have already had one. This report is available free
at www.ConsumerReports.org.
