I was driving to pick up my daughter from school one day when I heard an interesting talk on the radio. It was about the ability of our oceans to regenerate from all the destruction that we cause. Until recently, the scientific community believed that the oceans had immense resources to deal with all the garbage that we dump in them and with all the intensive fishing. That is no longer the case.Just like little toddlers who push the limits to see how far they are allowed to go, we humans have pushed our oceans to the limit and now we need to start taking care of them. Only in the last 50 years, the number of large fish in the ocean has dropped by 90%, a study shows. We fished 90% of both open ocean species including tuna, swordfish, marlin and the large groundfish such as cod, halibut, skates and flounder.
One way we can all contribute to the well-being and restoration of the incredible resource that are our oceans is by using DHA and EPA supplements that come from algae instead of fish.
The natural living community is clear about one thing: we need DHA supplements. They are vital nutrients that our body cannot manufacture but which can help immensely our bodies’ neural function. All the crunchy mamas keep spoonfuls of fish oils close at hand. The problem it that we kill fish just for that oil. Much of the oil is being extracted from large fish which also carries the risk of high levels of mercury. Here, you can read about a study done to compare the risks and benefits of fish oils with mercury.
There are Omega-3 fatty acids in other plant sources, like flax seed, walnuts and others, but the quality of those is different from the DHA and EPA found in fish oil. A complex study about that difference you can read here.
What has been revealed in the past few years is that fish don’t produce these fatty acids themselves–they take it from the algae they eat. So the solution has become evident: DHA and EPA supplements taken directly from algae. Fish stay safe. It’s a great solution for vegans. The algae are farmed under controlled conditions so there is no risk of mercury exposure. It seems like the perfect idea to me.
