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So Where Does Omega-3 Fish Oil Come From?

We all have been told that omerga-3 fatty acids are beneficial to our health. Many of us buy supplements as a way of getting our omega-3 fatty acids, which studies show lower triglycerides and the risk of heart attack. But where do these supplements come from?

That question occurred to New York Times writer Paul Greenberg in his article entitled "A Fish Oil Story."

Says Greenberg, "The deal with fish oil, I found out, is that a considerable portion of it comes from a creature upon which the entire Atlantic coastal ecosystem relies, a big-headed, smelly, foot-long member of the herring family called menhaden, which a recent book identifies in its title as “The Most Important Fish in the Sea.”"

The menhaden, also known as mossbunker, bunker and pogy, are (were) plentiful, cheap and an excellent source of omerga-3. Naturally the “fly in the ointment” is that we are overfishing the menhaden to the point of no return. The menhagen is a forager, which means they clean seawater by eating algae. If you remove millions of these fish from the ecosystem the quality of seawater suffers as a result.

Interestingly enough most fish cannot produce omerga-3 oils. "Blue fin tuna, striped bass, redfish and bluefish are just a few of the diners at the menhaden buffet. All of these fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids but are unable themselves to synthesize them. The omega-3s they have come from menhaden." So by removing the menhaden we remove the major source of omerga-3 up the food chain in other fish we consume as well.

So as usual the overpopulation of earth by humans, coupled with demand for a basic product, as implemented through the exploitation of the cheapest source possible, will have a significant impact on our environment.

Is there an alternative to the menhaden as a source of omerga-3? Of course there is - flax oil.

Richard L. Wottrich, Blog Editor