One of the main reasons that we don't change or make a
change is that there is some level of fear associated with it.
We might fear the unknown, we might fear the reaction of
others. Might be something else. But one thing that our
friend Dr. Srini- aka "The Brain Guy"- says is this:
Our brains are great dealmakers. In particular, our brains
I was thinking about this on a walk with my husband
yesterday here in Boulder. I was grappling with a new change,
one that I was not feeling right about at all.
And I realized that when it came down to it, I did not feel
as if I was getting a good deal. I was changing something old
for something new, and the new did not register as a good
deal in my mind.
As it turned out, I was wrong about my fear. As it turned
out, this change ended up being a FANTASTIC deal.
The fear went away, and I was happier. Think about this
as it relates to food-- when making better decisions are
you trading chips, guac and margs with your friends on
a sunny deck for salad and beans alone?
That is not a good deal in my mind. So think about the changes
you want to make as a series of deals you make with
yourself.
Become a good dealmaker, and let me know the deals you
And I will let YOU know the new deals I cut with myself.
I felt like I had discovered fire when I made this
connection!!
This Is Now A Top 10 Cause Of Death In The US
According to a recent study at Harvard University --
Omega-3 deficiency is officially one of the top 10 causes
of death in America .
This is a big deal, and why we are laser focused on the
issue of fish oil QUALITY and DOSAGE. The vast
majority of you are not getting the right quality and
dosage of Omega-3's. Here is a note from Dr. Steven
Sisskind, who I know well, and who is one of the sweetest
"For all the talk about fish oil being the "cure all" of our time, I
find it ironic that 95% of fish oil being sold and consumed is being
delivered in a form that is not ideally absorbed by the body.
And I don't say that lightly.
The problem comes from the way fish oil is processed.
In ancient times, fish oil was a staple. It had a long tradition and everyone understood its nourishing and energizing effects.
Even soldiers in the Roman army were given a ration of fish oil to support their strength, stamina and clarity of mind.
But back then, fish oil was made by hand and was usually fermented.
This allowed for the fish oil to be transported and eliminated the
danger of it spoiling.
Today, the process is much different and not nearly as effective.
Because almost all of the fish we eat contains heavy metals like
mercury, fish oil must be decontaminated using a method called
"molecular distillation." Of course, making sure your fish oil is free
from heavy metals and other toxins is critical, but the way they take
out the toxins creates a new problem.
When found in nature, omega-3 fatty acids are in their natural
triglyceride form (TG). However, in order to to purify the oil it is
necessary to add ethanol (an industrial alcohol) to form a synthetic
substrate.
In a vacuum, the mix is then distilled and the result is a
concentrated omega-3 ethyl ester (EE) solution. Chemically, this new
form replaces the glycerol backbone of the oil with ethanol.
The benefit is a pure fish oil, and the ability to
concentrate the healthy omega-3's like DHA and EPA. This is why almost
all of the "highly concentrated" fish oils are in the EE form.
However, research is now showing that although this form of fish oil
can yield higher concentrations of omega-3s, there are some
absorbability issues.
The EE Form of Fish Oil Is Not As Easily Absorbed
According to multiple published studies the EE version was up to 50% less absorbable1 than the triglyceride form, and almost 300% less absorbable2 than the triglyceride form if not taken with a high fat meal.
So if you are going to take the EE form, make sure to consume it with a high fat meal at the very least.
What most people don't know is that manufacturers can in fact convert
the omega-3 concentrated EE form back into the healthy triglyceride
form.
But manufacturers do NOT do it because the costs are significantly higher.
So instead, they sell you "powerful" fish oil that you have a hard
time absorbing. Even worse, very few (if any) manufacturers of the EE
form indicate that it is EE on the bottle.
How to Tell if Your Concentrated Fish Oil is EE or TG
This is a cool experiment (and fun for the kids).
1. Get some small Styrofoam cups and put them on some paper towels.
2. Take 3 of your fish pills and empty the liquid into one cup.
3. Get a certified TG form bottle of fish oil and empty 3 of those into another cup.
4. Wait 10 minutes.
5. Come back and take a look!
If the cup has disintegrated, your pills are the EE form. If they
are TG, there will still be liquid in the cup and very little if any
disintegration.
Why this happens is under debate. I find it a little unsettling to
watch the EE form eat into the cup... but remember we are not made of
Styrofoam so it is doubtful the EE form is doing any actual damage.
It is simply not as powerful as advertised.
Stay tuned and I can share more about the benefits of the concentrated TG form.
Until next time,
Steven Sisskind, M.D.
P.S. As you may have guessed, when we formulated
our Omega-3 product we chose TG over EE even though it costs more. We
also did two other things to make our Omega-3 product better than the
rest. Click Here and learn why RealDose Super Critical Omega-3TG is the best omega-3 delivery system in the industry