What does fish oil do?
Smarter Brain
Fats make up about 60% of brain tissue, and 15-20% of those brain fats are omega-3s. These omegas provide the nutrients needed for brain growth, tissue maintenance, repair and fuel for all that brain activity. Because omega-3s play such a large role in the brain, it's no surprise that their presence (or deficiency) plays a huge role in your brain's health and performance. Omegas help make the cells in our brains more fluid, improving communication between the neurons that make up our nervous system and helping us to think and react quickly. These benefits extend to all stages of life. Omega-3s are just as vital for the development of the brain of babies in the womb as they are in old age, when they can help sharpen memory in patients with dementia or Alzheimer's.
Clearer Vision
Your eyes are essentially an extension of your brain. So, just as omega-3s are good for the brain, they are also good for your eyes. Studies have suggested that these powerful fats can help protect eyes from macular degeneration, decrease the risk of glaucoma and even help dry eyes.
Healthier Heart
As your body's ultimate anti-inflammatory nutrient, omega-3 fatty acids keep your heart healthy by reducing many of the symptoms that put you at risk for heart disease. Here's how omega-3s help:
- Help lower high blood pressure.
- Keep blood flowing smoothly by keeping it from getting too thick.
- Lower triglyceride levels.
- Keep the lining of the arteries smooth and inhibit the growth of plaque.
Reduced Inflammation
Omega-3s are natural anti-inflammatories, swimming into all the cells of your body and priming the immune system to help reduce inflammation. They do this by regulating the overproduction of harmful pro-inflammatories and releasing healing molecules. Inflammation is part of the body's immune response when it reacts to harmful or irritating stimuli to try to protect and heal itself. Inflammation can reveal itself in many ways: arthritis, bronchitis, allergies, autoimmune disease and more. Inflammation can be beneficial when it signals your body to release the nutrients we need to heal ourselves, but long-term or chronic inflammation can eventually cause disease.
Science made simple. What are omega-3s?
Cells are the building blocks of your body. Every cell is surrounded by a cell membrane that serves to protect the cell and allows it to communicate with its environment. The cell membrane is built with a double layer of fat. The combination of different fatty acids in this double layer determines the function and flexibility of the cell membrane. Incorporating poly-unsaturated fatty acids, also known as omega-3 fatty acids, into your diet is important to keep the cell membranes fluid and flexible. This flexibility allows cells to communicate with the body and adapt to changing needs and environments. Fluid and flexible cells are much better for your health than stiff and sticky cells!
Bridge the gap. Why supplement with fish oil?
If you fall into the average modern diet, you are highly likely to be deficient in omega-3s. The reason is simple: we do not eat enough good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. The average adult in the US only consumes 100-200 mg/day, but the recommended dosage is 2,000 mg. To get this recommended daily dose of 2,000 mg, you need to eat four servings of fish per day. That's a lot of fish! Many people choose to supplement their healthy diets with fish oil to meet their omega-3 needs. In fact, the Puori story all began with the need for an omega-3 fish oil. In 2009, Julius Heslet approached his coach, Oliver, asking for a recommendation on a high-quality fish oil. Julius had been reading up on the benefits of fish oil and realized that he wasn't getting enough in his diet. When Oliver admitted that he didn't know of a brand he could wholeheartedly recommend, Puori was born.
Food is fuel. What foods have omega-3s?
When you think of naturally occurring omega-3s, you probably think of fish. And you're right — cold-water fish like salmon, sardines, tuna and mackerel are some of the richest food sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These fish provide the most critical form of omega-3s: EPA and DHA. Omega-3s are also found in vegetable oils, flaxseeds, walnuts and chia seeds. However, these sources contain a different type of omega-3s — alpha-linolenic acid (we'll just call it ALA). ALA is also found in some green vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach and salad greens. Both kinds of omega-3s provide different benefits, so it's important to vary your omega-3 sources to get enough of each. For good health, doctors recommend eating at least one rich source of omega-3 fatty acids every day.
"Doctors recommend eating at least one rich source of omega-3 fatty acids every day."
Know your sources. Where does fish oil come from?
So what exactly is inside your fish oil capsules? Fish oil is exactly what it sounds like — oil extracted from fish and then encapsulated to make getting your daily omega-3s easy. However, the process behind making that fish oil is extremely important both to your supplement's effectiveness and safety.
It starts with the fish.
Your omega-3 supplements start with the fish. The most common types of fish used to produce omega-3 supplements are cod, salmon, krill, anchovies and sardines. Many experts recommend choosing a supplement sourced from small fish such as anchovies and sardines because the fish have shorter lifespans and therefore accumulate fewer toxins, such as mercury.
Puori O3 is sourced from sardines and anchovies, which are very small fish at the bottom of the food chain. During the production process, we also cold-filter the oil to gently remove all contaminants, including heavy metals, PCBs and mercury, ensuring your supplements are 100% safe and ultra pure.
So fresh
Just as you wouldn't want to eat spoiled fish, you want your omega-3 supplement to be fresh. This freshness can be compromised when something called oxidation occurs. Oxidation is basically a series of chemical reactions that happen when the oil is exposed to light, oxygen, moisture or high temperatures, and it can cause the oil to become rancid. That's why it's important that measures are taken during every step of the production process to keep the oil protected and fresh. Puori takes extreme measures to keep our O3 as fresh as possible. From the very start of the process, when we transport the fish via vessels equipped with state-of-the-art refrigerated water systems to keep the raw material fresh. Finally, all O3 fish oil batches are tested and guarantee a level of less than 15. (The official EU regulation is only less than 25.)
Do your research.
Unlike processed food or pharmaceuticals, the government does not regulate health supplements to the same degree. Label claims can be inaccurate, or there can be additives not listed in the ingredients. That's why we recommend looking for IFOS certified fish oils. IFOS is one of the most thorough and well-regarded third-party testing and certification programs. Look for the IFOS badge on your fish oil and you can rest easy that your supplement meets the label claim for active ingredient concentrations, is fresh and is free of contaminants and heavy metals.