Fish Oil and Omega-3
Fish oil is an excellent source of the long chain omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The oil is extracted from cold water fish such as anchovy, sardine, and mackerel, which are some of the best natural sources of uncontaminated EPA and DHA. Their oils are scientifically recognized for their cardiovascular benefits, such as reducing “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lowering blood pressure.
DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid)
DHA is docosahexaenoic acid which like EPA is usually found in marine oils and consists of a 22-carbon chain with 6 double bonds. While DHA appears to be an important structural component of all body organs and it is the most abundant omega 3 found in cell membranes, the brain and eyes. Its presence in the cell membrane contributes to maintaining its fluidity or the ability of things to pass and out of the cell.
DHA is an essential fatty acid in brain, nerve and eye tissue, being critically important during development of infant for proper visual acuity and motor skills.
EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid)
EPA stands for eicosapentaenoic acid which is usually found in marine oils as algae and phytoplankton are good sources of EPA. It is a chain of 20 carbons with 5 bonds and as mentioned before as with all omega 3 oils, the first double bond is located at the third carbon. EPA is always being used by the body and thus needs to be replaced often. It is not as abundant in a structural sense as DHA but has become apparent in research that it is the most important when considering its role in decreasing inflammation which is integral to so many health conditions.
EPA reduces inflammation and blood clots within the cardiovascular system. Also, it plays anti-inflammatory effect, protecting body from Rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases such as asthma and multiple sclerosis.
Fish Oil Omega-3s: Triglyceride (TG) vs. Ethyl Esters (EE)
Triglycerides are made of three fatty acids attached to glycerol and occur naturally in nature. Ethyl esters are made up of one fatty acid attached to an ethanol molecule are created synthetically by a process called trans-esterification. This involves the removal of the glycerol backbone from triglyceride (TG) and then attaching an ethanol molecule to each of the 3 free fatty acids released from the glycerol. The resulting ethyl ester (EE) form allows for concentrating EPA and DHA at a lower temperature.
Many fish oil supplements are sold in this form. Some companies choose to re-esterify the EE form back to its TG form which are identical to natural triglycerides but with higher concentration of EPA and DHA. This is a costly process which is why re-esterified triglyceride form supplements will be more expensive.
