brought about by single-cell algae. There was an explosion in biological

diversity as multi-cell organisms started to evolve from single-cell algae.

These new organisms had to develop a communication system to enable

specialized cells to transmit messages to one another. The purpose of

communication was two way; one was to build nerve connections between

specialized cells and the other involved the use of hormones.

Eicosanoids were the first hormones product of these communications and

they utilize fats in cell membranes as their building blocks. These

eicosanoids don’t just use any type of fat for their synthesis but they

also require the long-chain highly-saturated fat (polyunsaturated) which is

only found in algae-derived fats. And this is what many scientists of today

believed to be the cause of breakthrough that separated smart man from

average man.

Some 150,000 years ago our ancestors had discovered that fats or fish oil

makes them smart. The healthy eicosanoids that are derived from those fats

that control our health today – the omega-3 rich fish oil.

The first recorded production of fish oil happened in 1775 in England.

However, when the cod was brought back from America, the livers appeared to

be disgusting as it were slapped onto the filthy streets of London, for the

oil would ooze out. This was collected together with other stuffs on the

streets and sold as cod liver oil.

Despite of its filthy beginnings – for many people at that time the crude

liver oil was considered a miracle oil for diseases like arthritis. The cod

liver oil isn’t actually contaminated by street sewage but it’s still full

of industrial contaminants like mercury and PCBs. These contaminants

pollute the waters where cod live. Because of this the end products has

some foul taste that turned the stomach of every child in America who took

it two generations ago.

So while it’s true that 1 tablespoon of cod liver oil supplies 2.5 grams of

long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, it is also true that it supplies

contaminants and a high dose of vitamin A, which is stored in the body’s

fat tissues and can cause toxic effects like hair loss if taken in high

enough doses.

The final breakthrough in fish oils happened when Ultra Refined EPA and DHA

concentrate Omega-3 product was developed. EPA and DHA are almost found

exclusively in sea foods. The process required advanced chemical

engineering that starts with the removal of most of the saturated fat by

fractional distillation and the removal of virtually all the PCBs (measured

in parts per billion) by more sophisticated molecular distillation. In the

process called polishing, impurities are removed through hot water. The

fish oil are also added with anti-oxidants for longer life and added

nutrients.

With these innovations, a new type of fish oil was developed. The

end-product ensures you to have a concentrated amount of long-chain Omega-3

fatty acids without unwanted substances like chemical contaminants or

harmful fatty acids that can harm your well-being.

It is only with the use of pharmaceutical-grade fish oil that you can get

high enough levels of long-chain Omega-3 fats for your brain and body. The

effect of the high-grade fish oil usually occurs after taking it everyday

in 30 days.

Fish Oil Sources
Fish oil is primarily derived from farmed salmon. There are times when fish oil may also be sourced from other fatty fish notably mackerel, lake trout, flounder and tuna.  But such types of fish are known to be predatory. And because of this, they run the risk of accumulating certain toxic substances such as mercury, dioxin and PCB’s. In order to avoid this and have fish oil sources known to be as clean as possible, farmed salmon are the best option.

Fish Oil Benefits
One of the things why fish oil has become quite a popular nutritional supplement around the world is because it is very rich in Omega -3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid. These compounds are said to help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. There are also studies that say that these nutrients also have anti-cancer properties as well as may help in certain cases of depression.

Fish Oil Production
Production of fish oil is shared among a number of countries. But it has been seen that there was a substantial decrease in total fish oil supply, mainly because of declines suffered by a lot of the said countries. Countries such as Peru, Chile, Denmark, Iceland and Norway are known as the five major fish oil exporting nations.