Is There Something ‘Fishy’ About Your Fish Oil?


The increasing awareness around the wide-ranging benefits of fish oil mean chances are either you or someone close to you is taking a fish oil product. Their therapeutic effects are widely accepted by both the lay and medical communities alike and they are readily available to purchase in health food stores, pharmacies and even supermarkets. Nevertheless, are you getting precisely what you bargained for in terms of both efficacy and purity when you purchase that mega-tub of fish oil from your local supermarket?
 

WHAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR FISH OIL?

A high quality fish oil supplement is the ideal source of omega-3 essential fatty acids. However, not all fish oils provide the same benefits. The active constituents in fish oil, known as EPA and DHA, are used in varying therapeutic amounts for different health concerns. For example, EPA assists in relieving the pain and inflammation of mild arthritis, helps maintain cardiovascular health and plays a role in mood regulation. DHA supports normal
healthy brain development, improves memory and cognition, and is important for the health of your nervous system. A high quality, high strength fish oil may also help you maintain a normal ratio between the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ types of cholesterol as well as help maintain normal triglyceride levels.
The label on your tub may claim each fish oil capsule contains ‘1000 mg of fish oil’ but ask your Practitioner how much of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are you actually getting? Your Practitioner can recommend a prescription fish oil with high concentrations of EPA (up to 2000 mg per dose) and DHA (up to 800 mg per dose) to help with your specific health needs, and can advise you which fish oil is most appropriate for your particular health concern.

WHAT SHOULDN’T BE IN YOUR FISH OIL?

Ask yourself, ‘What else could be lurking in that budget brand fish oil that may be bad for my health?’ ‘Is there anything in there that could be harmful, such as toxins and impurities?’ Larger fish found higher up the aquatic food chain can harbour environmental pollutants such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and pesticides, which may accumulate in your body over time. The resultant toxicity may actually contribute to health complaints. The fish oils prescribed by your Practitioner guarantee superior levels of purity and quality by using only small pelagic fish, such as sardines and anchovies, which do not accumulate the same levels of environmental toxins that the much larger fish tend to store over their lifespan. Furthermore, the fish oils that your Practitioner recommends undergo a process called ‘molecular distillation’, which removes impurities and pollutants that may potentially be present. The resulting purity levels exceed the Australian manufacturing standards.

MAINTAINING QUALITY – REDUCING THE ‘FISHINESS’

When fish oils are exposed to heat, air or light they can become oxidised or ‘turn rancid’. Oxidised fish oils not only smell and taste unpleasant, but also have reduced health benefits and may even be harmful in some cases. The fish oils recommended by your Practitioner are manufactured using a process called ‘nitrogen flushing’, which protects the oils from oxidation. The finished product is then tested for the indicators of oxidation or ‘freshness’, again resulting in levels exceeding Australian manufacturing standards. By choosing a fish oil with the lowest indicators of oxidation your Practitioner is ensuring you gain the greatest health benefits from your fish oil.

SUSTAINABILTY

Today most consumers are aware that fish need to be sourced sustainably to protect our marine environment. The fish oils your Practitioner recommends are certified by Friend of the Sea, an independent organisation that tests and certifies products made with ingredients sourced using sustainable fishing practices that minimise environmental impact.

THE RIGHT FISH OIL FOR YOU

Whether you need help to relieve the pain of mild arthritis, are wanting to improve your memory and cognitive function, or would like to maintain normal cholesterol levels and a healthy cardiovascular system, a high quality fish oil supplement can help. Your Practitioner can prescribe you a fish oil of the highest quality and purity so you can be confident that you are getting the best therapeutic results and most value for money from your fish oil.

Healthy Gut – Healthy Life

The Life-Force in Your Gut

Your gut is where you absorb all the nutrients to power your body, making a healthy digestive system central to your overall health. But did you know that there are close to 2 kg worth of bacteria in your gut? That’s literally billions of tiny micro-organisms living and growing in your gut right now – collectively called gut ‘microbiota’.
These beneficial bacteria encourage healthy digestion and support an efficient immune system, keeping any undesirable bacteria at minimal levels. However, if the numbers of undesirable bacteria begin to outweigh the beneficial bacteria this can lead to digestive symptoms such as constipation, wind and bloating, or immune conditions such as recurrent infections, eczema and allergies. Rebalancing or maintaining a healthy microbiota in your gut can be achieved by supplementing with beneficial bacteria in the form of a ‘probiotic’. The term ‘probiotic’
literally means ‘for life’ so by looking after your gut microbiota you are looking after your overall health.

Choosing the Right Probiotic

With literally hundreds of probiotic formulas on the market to choose from, how do you know which one will best address your particular health requirements and support your overall wellbeing? Your Practitioner can help you select the most appropriate probiotic for you by keeping the following criteria in mind:

  • The Right Bug for the Job

    Different strains of probiotic bacteria perform very different tasks within the body; therefore it’s important to consider ‘strain specificity’ and select a strain that will be up to the task. For example, Lactobacillus
    acidophilus NCFM® and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 are particular strains that have been shown to promote the regrowth of many species of beneficial bacteria within the gut, whilst Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG can assist with reducing eczema symptoms and diarrhoea. Lactobacillus plantarum 299v is a specific strain researched to treat inflammatory bowel conditions such as medically diagnosed Irritable Bowel Syndrome. By choosing a formula that features probiotic strains and doses based on clinical research you can be confident of getting
    great results.

  • Stability (There’s No Such Thing as a ‘Shelf-Stable’ Probiotic)

    You may have noticed some probiotic formulas on the shelf at your local pharmacy or health food store rather than in the fridge. Unfortunately, although some strains can withstand higher temperatures for periods of time, being exposed to fluctuating temperatures can activate some of the bacteria in the bottle so that by the time they reach your gut they may no longer be viable and may not give you the therapeutic results you are expecting. Your Practitioner can recommend a probiotic that has been kept at stable temperatures within the fridge, protecting the
    probiotics and keeping them viable.

  • Quality and Consistency

    When you read the side of a probiotic bottle you expect that the capsule inside will deliver the amount of viable bacteria stated on the label and that the active ingredients will be of the highest quality so the formula will deliver effective results. Your Practitioner can recommend probiotic formulas that are backed by real-time stability testing and microbiology laboratory testing for quality and consistency so you can be confident that your probiotic is of the highest quality and has the stated potency, right up to the expiry date.

More is Not Necessarily Better

You’d be forgiven for thinking that packing as many different probiotic strains into a capsule as possible will give you greater health outcomes. Unfortunately this isn’t the case as the number of viable micro-organisms needed to achieve therapeutic doses of each strain simply wouldn’t fit into a capsule or would require very large volumes of powder to be taken each dose. When looking at a probiotic your Practitioner will assess whether there are therapeutic
levels of each strain present in the formula rather than just a ‘token’ amount. Contrary to popular belief, single strain formulas or those containing only a few strains do not promote a ‘monoculture’ of micro-organisms in the gut. Research has shown that strains such as L. acidophillus NCFM® and B. lactis Bi07 actually facilitate the
regrowth of a diverse number of micro-organism colonies by altering the gastrointestinal environment to favour the proliferation of a number of beneficial bacteria, which is what you want for a healthy gut. So it isn’t necessary to replace every strain of bacteria to achieve the best microbiota balance required for good health.

Get That Healthy Gut Feeling

Supporting an optimal balance of gut bacteria is key to achieving good digestive function along with overall health and wellbeing. Your Practitioner can advise you on the best probiotic formula to support your overall wellbeing based on your specific health needs, and can recommend high-quality, scientifically validated strains of probiotics.
So for a healthy life, support a healthy gut with probiotics.

Beat Stress Before It Beats You

Is Stress Getting in the Way of Achieving Your Health Goals?

Modern living and stress seem to go hand in hand and it may be no surprise to you that the effects of stress can have a significant impact on mental wellbeing. Nevertheless, you may not know that the effects of stress can impact other body systems potentially hindering the achievement of health goals such as losing weight or improving digestive function, so it is important to understand what the stress response is and how it could affect you.

Fight or Flight – the Ancient Coping Mechanism

The stress response is an evolutionary strategy to cope with immediate dangers, such as an approaching lion! In response to an external threat, the chemical messengers, adrenaline, cortisol and noradrenaline are released from your adrenal glands, which enables you to either stand and fight or flee as fast as you can. In modern times, the feeling of being under constant stress, whether from work, family or financial pressures is interpreted by your body in the same way and can therefore lead you to be in a permanent state of emergency. This is significant as stress may be the underlying reason for a seemingly unrelated bodily imbalance, such as an inability to
digest well when you are under pressure.

What is Stress Doing to Your Body?

A chronic state of stress can have widespread negative effects, such as:

  • Poor digestion – reduced digestive secretions can lead to bloating, abdominal pain and reflux.
  • Irregular blood sugar control – cortisol signals the release of sugars into the bloodstream in anticipation
    that muscles will need fuel to help you run away. These sugar spikes can lead to weight gain if the sugars are
    not utilised as muscle fuel and instead converted to fat.
  • Hormonal imbalances – lack of libido, menstrual irregularity and fertility issues can all arise when your
    body switches to making stress hormones in preference to sex hormones.

Breaking the Cycle

It doesn’t have to be this way. There are several nutrients and herbs that can help calm an overactive stress response, which may be hindering you from achieving your health goals.
For example, magnesium is essential for the nervous system by supporting the appropriate functioning of your brains chemical messengers, the ‘neurotransmitters’. Magnesium also produces energy, helping you resolve the fatigue that may come with being stressed. In addition, the B vitamins (often taken as a complex) work as a team with magnesium to support your nervous system as well as play a role in energy production themselves.

A Life Less Stressful

There are a number of lifestyle changes you can employ to help manage your stress and optimise your wellbeing:

  • Eat healthy – lean proteins, antioxidant-rich fresh fruits and vegetables and essential fatty acids from
    oily fish, nuts and seeds, all nourish your neurotransmitters.
  • Exercise regularly – a fabulous stress buster, exercise helps burn up excess adrenaline whilst releasing the
    ‘feel good’ chemical messengers, the ‘endorphins’.
  • Get enough sleep (seven to eight hours) – practice good ‘sleep hygiene’ techniques such as no TV or computer time for at least half an hour before bedtime and avoid caffeine in the afternoons.
  • Meditate – particularly helpful if you cannot “switch off” your brain at night. There are numerous techniques available to help calm an overactive mind, such as transcendental meditation, mindfulness and creative visualisation.

Stress is an inevitable part of modern lifestyles, but it needn’t get the better of you nor keep you from reaching your health goals. Speak to your Practitioner today about strategies and supplements
you can use to regain control over the stress in your life.