Joel Fuhrman - Eat To Live

Eat to Live 127

There's Something Fishy about Fish Oils

Most of the publicity about the beneficial effects of essential fats has

focused on fish oils, which are rich in EPA, an omega-3 fat. One

problem with fish oils is that much of the fat has already turned ran-

cid. If you have ever cut open a capsule of fish oil and tasted it, you

will find it tastes like gasoline. Not only are many people intolerant

of the burping, indigestion, and smelling like a fish, but it is also pos-

sible that the rancidity of the fat places a stress on the liver. I have

noted abnormal liver function on the blood tests of a few patients

who were taking fish oil tablets. These few patients had their liver

function return to normal when they stopped taking the fish oils.

Large amounts of fish oils inhibit immune function." Lowering

the function of natural killer cells is not a good thing, as our defenses

against infection and cancer diminish. Because of this immune sup-

pression, as well as the toxicity issues, I do not routinely recommend

that my patients take fish oil capsules — though there are a few ex-

ceptions.

This ability of fish oils to decrease the activity of the immune sys-

tem makes them useful for some patients with autoimmune illness,

such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease. Some

rheumatoid arthritis patients are "fish oil responsive," and many

others are not. I often perform a three-month trial of fish oil supple-

mentation to determine a patient's responsiveness. With such pa-

tients, the risks of the added oil are minimal compared with the

potential benefits, especially if they can avoid toxic drugs.

Another case in which fish oils may be useful is the rare individ-

ual who does not convert omega-3 fats into DHA sufficiently. These

people may be more prone to depression, allergies, and inflamma-

tory skin disease such as eczema. There are blood tests available for a

physician to analyze the fatty acid balance on red blood cell mem-

branes and thereby determine a deficiency of DHA or omega-3 fat.

These people often benefit from the addition of fish oils or plant-

derived DHA. Laboratory-cultivated DHA made from microalgae is a

pure form of DHA without rancidity, mercury, or other toxins. It is

well tolerated and does not have a rancid taste or odor.