This article explains one of the most confusing paradoxes in Omega-3 research: While many studies show the benefits of taking fish oil supplements, some don’t, leading skeptics to question their efficacy; on the other hand, research on populations who consume oily fish reveals robust protection. The answer may lie in the incomplete nutrient profile of many highly refined fish oil products. That’s a problem Big Bold Health’s Omega-3 Rejuvenate addresses.
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Emerging research is changing how scientists think about fish oils — including the broader lipid compounds found alongside EPA and DHA.
For decades, the supplement aisle has been dominated by clear gold capsules promising heart and brain support. Yet while there’s been public outcry over concerns for highly processed oils in foods, most are unaware of parallels in fish oil production. Of particular relevance for the nutrient profile may be what’s been lost in the process.
The hidden cost of “concentrated” fish oil
Many of the most popular fish oils on store shelves today are highly processed — undergoing steps like bleaching, deodorization and additional modification. This allows products to tout high milligram counts on their labels. In the process of achieving elevated EPA and DHA levels, some production methods can reduce or remove other lipid molecules native to whole fish oil. Many concentrated products also convert omega-3 fats from their natural triglyceride form into ethyl esters.
The result looks impressive on a supplement facts panel. But it is important to note that this is a form that differs structurally from what’s present in whole fish. Ethyl-ester omega-3s may be less stable than triglycerides in actual fish, more prone to oxidation, and have differences in absorption. In addition, the same steps that boost EPA and DHA numbers may reduce or alter the content of other naturally occurring lipid compounds found in fish oil.
EPA and DHA get most of the press when it comes to fish oil. But the full story is much more nuanced.
What’s missing may be a key to the story
Whole fish oil isn’t just EPA and DHA. It includes a large range of other fats and related molecules. One key example is bioactive compounds called resolving mediators. These include resolvins, protectins, and maresins. These molecules were first identified by Harvard researchers who demonstrated their role in a healthy inflammatory response. Omega-3 fatty acids like DHA can be converted by the body into resolving mediators. Resolving mediators can also be found in certain fish oils. However, conventional fish-oil processing may meaningfully lower levels on the way to the bottle.
In addition to the potential to lower resolving mediators, many standard processing methods decrease levels of non-omega-3 fatty acids like the omega-9 oleic acid as well as fat soluble vitamins like A and D. This is drawing increased attention to the fact that the composition of many conventional fish oil products differ from the broader lipid profile found in whole fish oil.
All this nuance around fish oils may initially seem academic. Yet more research is suggesting that what’s lost in oil production may matter more than we once believed.
For example, a person’s omega-3 status has been heavily studied in connection to immune signaling. But while there’s still plenty to better understand through future research, the data to date suggest that molecules like resolving mediators may play an important role in the inflammatory resolution process.
Takeaways:
As with anything sourced from nature, it can be easy to overfocus on a single molecule or set of molecules instead of looking at the larger system. Fish oil products have largely been seen as vehicles for delivery of omega-3 fats. But modern research is shifting the narrative, calling attention to the significance of the complete profile of an oil, and the potential that in our haste to concentrate and refine, we may be losing key biologically active nutrient signals.
