Sure fish oil dietary supplements comprise “not a single milligram” of the omega-3 fat present in fish, based on a class-action lawsuit filed in opposition to The Bountiful Firm and its subsidiary Nature’s Bounty.1 In consequence, folks consuming these dietary supplements within the hopes of gaining omega-3’s many helpful results could also be being misled.
Wild-caught salmon, sardines and sure different fish are a wonderful supply of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two omega-3 fat identified for his or her function in mind well being, coronary heart well being and extra. It has been proven, as an illustration, that consuming fatty fish two to 3 instances per week reduces the chance of coronary heart illness and stroke.2
Nonetheless, as a result of most Individuals don’t devour a lot seafood, many depend on fish oil dietary supplements as a substitute. However Nature’s Bounty fish oil comprises no EPA or DHA, the swimsuit alleges.3
Are Shoppers Losing Billions on Artificial Fish Oil?
Fish oil is among the many hottest dietary supplements within the U.S. Globally, the fish oil market was valued at $1.9 billion in 2019, with estimates suggesting this may rise to $2.8 billion by 2027.4 Many of those {dollars} could also be wasted, nevertheless, attributable to a chemical course of that leaves many fish oil dietary supplements missing in precise EPA and DHA. In keeping with the swimsuit, which was filed in September 2021:5
“Defendants manufacture, label and promote a Product which they declare to be 1400 mg. of Fish Oil containing of 647 mg. of Eicosapentaenoic Acid (“EPA”) and 253 mg. of Docosahexaenoic Acid (“DHA”)—the important omega-3 fatty acids that naturally happen in fish …
In addition they proudly declare that the contents are USP verified, which, amongst different issues, assures shoppers that the Product “comprises the components listed on the label, within the declared efficiency and quantities” … Opposite to what’s represented on the label, nevertheless, this Product will not be fish oil, nor does it comprise a single milligram of EPA or DHA.”
Most Fish Oil Dietary supplements Include Omega-3 Ethyl Esters
The difficulty with most fish oil dietary supplements is the chemical course of used — trans-esterification — which transforms the oil into an artificial product that is far faraway from the oil you’d get when consuming sardines or different fatty fish. The swimsuit explains:6
“What was as soon as a low-grade oil derived from fish offal, has been subjected to a chemical course of by which its molecular construction and constituent components have been considerably remodeled and irrevocably altered right into a synthesized product that doesn’t in any other case exist in fish, or nature.
By way of this chemical course of, referred to as trans-esterification, an industrial solvent is launched into the fish oil with the intention to break its pure triglyceride bonds and cleave the glycerol spine from fatty acid molecules.
Thereafter, ethanol is launched to which the newly freed fatty acids bond to type fatty acid ethyl esters. Fish oil is stripped of a whole lot of its constituent sub components, and the Omega-3s, which embody DHA and EPA, are transformed into ethyl esters.
Critically, these newly shaped Omega-3s are completely different molecules than the Omega-3s which exist naturally in fish oil. The brand new chemical by-products are universally acknowledged by their widespread or typical title — Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters (“FAEE”).”
Dietary complement labels ought to use the product’s widespread title with the intention to inform shoppers of what they’re buying. However fish oil is trans-esterified, it turns into FAEE, the lawsuit alleges, and subsequently can not be referred to as fish oil on labels.
“To take action, as NBI [Nature’s Bounty Inc] has achieved, is fake, deceptive, misleading, illegal and perpetrates an actionable fraud on the consuming public,” based on the swimsuit, which added, “Defendants falsely represented the elemental nature of their product, and because of this false and deceptive labeling, had been in a position to promote these merchandise to tens of hundreds of unsuspecting shoppers all through New York and america.”7
Artificial ‘Fish Oil’ ‘Discovered Nowhere in Any Fish Ever’
Nature’s Bounty and The Bountiful Firm filed a movement to dismiss the lawsuit in February 2022. They denied that labeling their fatty acid ethyl esters “fish oil” was deceptive and likewise advised their label complies with federal legislation. In January 2023, U.S. Justice of the Peace Choose Anne Shields really helpful granting the movement to dismiss, writing:8
“If it has not already been made clear, the court docket states clearly right here that there’s nothing false about labeling the product as fish oil. Describing the product this fashion denotes nothing greater than an announcement of incontrovertible fact that the OM3’s [omega-3 fats] therein are derived from fish oil. It says nothing in regards to the course of by which crude fish oil makes its strategy to the OM3’s present in every capsule.
Plaintiffs don’t, and can’t, argue that different dietary supplements containing OM3’S derived from fish oil are correctly named provided that they’re derived through a special course of. All such merchandise get their OM3’s from fish oil. To counsel that molecular variations between such merchandise make a distinction to an affordable shopper is plainly implausible.”
The plaintiffs’ attorneys, Michael Braun and Mai Kats, pushed again, urging the district court docket decide overseeing the lawsuit to not take Shields’ suggestion, stating:9
“In brief, underneath Second Circuit precedent, plaintiffs are entitled to proceed with their declare that when buying defendants’ product, they learn the label and believed the product to be comprised of genuine fish oil — that’s, oil 1) derived from urgent contemporary fish and a couple of) containing each DHA and EPA.
Moreover, plaintiffs are entitled to point out, by discovery and skilled testimony, that cheap shoppers attribute a better worth to the marketed product — a clear product — than to the product they acquired, which is a lab-created, synthetic concoction, comprised of intensely and chemically-processed fish waste (offal) that lacks each DHA and EPA and consists as a substitute of unnatural ethel ester compounds discovered nowhere in any fish ever.”
Ethyl Ester Versus Triglyceride Types of Omega-3 Fats
Whereas the decide advised a “cheap shopper” will not care whether or not their omega-3 fat are in ethyl ester type, I might counsel most will completely care — in the event that they’re knowledgeable in regards to the distinction. In fish, DHA and EPA happen within the type of triglycerides,10 that are probably the most bioavailable.
A triglyceride consists of a three-carbon molecule that types a “spine” for the fatty acids to latch onto. Every carbon molecule is linked to a fatty acid, so in whole, a triglyceride consists of three carbons bonded to 3 fatty acids. In most industrial fish oil dietary supplements, nevertheless, the DHA and EPA are delivered within the type of ethyl esters.
Ethyl esters are primarily an artificial substrate, created by the micro distillation strategy of crude fish oil, by which ethanol and/or industrial alcohol is added. This combine is warmth distilled in a vacuum chamber, leading to a concentrated omega-3 ethyl ester condensate.
Not solely does this molecular distillation course of take away very important resolvins and protectins which might be essential in lowering irritation, but it surely additionally concentrates the EPA and DHA. You’ll be able to inform the focus of those two fat in any given complement by trying on the label. In fish, the oil consists of 20% to 30% EPA and DHA, whereas purified fish oil focus sometimes comprises between 60% and 85% EPA and DHA.11
Most firms produce ethyl ester fish oil as a result of it is cheaper to provide than the triglyceride type. Ethyl esters are additionally simpler to work with throughout processing, as they’ve a better boiling level, which turns into essential when the oils are heated and purified of environmental pollution.
Ethyl Esters Are the Least Bioavailable Kind
The issue with ethyl esters is that they’re the least bioavailable type of omega-3. Producers may convert them again into the triglyceride type by detaching the ethyl alcohol molecule and reattaching a glycerol molecule in a course of referred to as re-esterification,12 however most do not as a result of it is so expensive.
That is unlucky, as your physique metabolizes the triglyceride and ethyl ester types in a different way, and that is when the problems come up. For the reason that glycerol spine is lacking within the ethyl ester type, the EPA and DHA will scavenge for accessible triglycerides or steal a glycerol molecule from someplace.
A method or one other, the fatty acids should be transformed again into triglyceride type or your intestine epithelium won’t be able to course of them. When the ethyl ester type of EPA or DHA finally ends up stealing glycerol molecules, the molecule that misplaced its glycerol will then go trying to find a substitute, making a unfavorable domino impact. Additional, the fatty acids can’t be transported by your blood until they’re in triglyceride type.
However, whenever you devour omega-3s in triglyceride type, the fatty acids are first separated from the glycerol spine. The entire particular person components are then absorbed by intestine epithelial cells, the place they’re reattached to type triglyceride.
While you devour ethyl esters, they have to be processed in your liver. There, the ethanol spine is separated from the free fatty acids, and your physique should then reattach the free fatty acids to glycerol to type triglyceride. Your liver should additionally course of the ethyl alcohol, which can launch free radicals and trigger oxidative stress — the other of what you are making an attempt to realize whenever you devour fish oil.
Artificial Fish Oil Could Trigger Extra Hurt Than Good
Many are conscious of the truth that omega-3s are additionally PUFAs similar to omega-6s which might be so harmful when consumed in extra portions. However most do not know that omega-3 fat are literally ten instances extra perishable than omega-6 fat and much more vulnerable to oxidative injury. Fish oils are additionally usually far more immunosuppressive than omega-6 seed oils.
That is essential to know due to the entire processing that happens in processed fish oil. Invariably these extremely perishable fat will probably be broken and trigger much more hurt than good. I personally would by no means take processed fish oil within the ethyl ester type and strongly encourage you to noticeably rethink your selection if you’re taking them.
Even in the event you had been in a position to get unoxidized ethyl ester fish oils, absorption can be a problem. Free fatty acids of fish oil have an absorption fee of a minimum of 95%. EPA in its pure triglyceride type had a 69% absorption fee in a single examine, whereas ethyl ester types absorbed solely about 20%.13
Importantly, unstable molecules are additionally extra vulnerable to oxidative injury and thus rancidity, which suggests consuming artificial fish oil may probably trigger extra hurt than good. As defined by Douglas MacKay, N.D., senior vice chairman of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Accountable Diet:14
“The potential unfavorable well being results of consuming rancid fish oils haven’t been totally elucidated. Nonetheless, it has been proven that oxidized by-products of polyunsaturated fatty acids, together with DHA, are elevated in sufferers with neurodegenerative circumstances.
The triglyceride construction is the pure “resting” state for lipid molecules. The inherent construction of three fatty acids hooked up to at least one glycerol spine offers safety to the double bonds within the long-chain PUFAs from being uncovered to free radicals.
An ethyl ester fatty acid, however, exists as a single strand, and is uncovered on all sides to free radicals. Though there may be little knowledge that immediately compares the soundness of EE [ethyl ester] fish oils to TG [triglyceride] fish oils, such primary biochemistry suggests the superior stability of TG fish oils each inside a capsule or liquid in addition to throughout the physique.”
The Greatest Solution to Get Your Omega-3s
Ideally, it’s best to get your omega-3 fat from whole-food types. This contains wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sardines, anchovies, mackerel and herring. When you select to make use of a complement, krill oil offers a superior various to fish oil.
Krill oil comprises much less EPA and DHA per gram of complement than fish oil does. Nonetheless, krill oil is extra bioavailable because the EPA and DHA are certain in a phospholipid type, permitting you to take decrease doses whereas nonetheless reaping related outcomes.
