Fish oil is made inside the actual tissues of oily fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in this oil and are thought to have many overall health benefits. Caution is the keyword in eating a number of the fish rich in fish oil content. Several of the fish also have higher than average harmful substances such as mercury, dioxin as well as other contaminants. The fish in question include sword fish, albacore tuna, sharks, king mackerel, and tilefish. Salmon provides the most grams of omega-3 acids per ounce and is not on the list of fish with higher contaminant content.

Fish oil is used as a element in aquaculture feed and more than 50 percent of the world's fish-oil used in aquaculture feed is fed to farmed salmon. There is other research that suggests that farm produced salmon possess elevated levels of contaminants.

The increased interest in a lot of these omega-3 fatty acids present in fish oil is the result of a scientific study done in Iceland on why the people residing there don't have or have a very low rate of heart related illnesses. It was found that the fats they ingest originates from the sea and the fat almost all other people in the world eat comes from land animals. Since then a lot of research has been completed on the effects of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish as well as other sources. The average American diet is a lot higher in the omega-6 acids and the imbalance between that and omega-3 acids could be the cause of many problems.

How sea food is cooked also can impact the effectiveness of consuming premium seafood with omega-3 fatty acids. Baking and broiling are the recommended ways of preparing fish. Having fried fish can cancel out the good components of high-quality fish and even in some cases increase the chance of heart disease.

The omega 3 fatty acids could be received if you take dietary supplements. As with everything else, you will find quality fish oil supplements and those that are of a lower quality containing higher levels of toxins. One should discuss taking dietary supplements with their medical professional prior to embarking on a program where you include fish oil supplements along with other medicines. If you're on chemotherapy, this certainly needs discussing with your physician because fish supplements can have a harmful effect in some cases. Furthermore, as with almost everything - too much of a good thing can be bad.

Medical research has discovered that overdosing with these supplements may have a reverse effect and raise the risk of strokes. Hopefully knowing more about the use of fish oil will help you have an educated conversation with your doctor on whether to include it in your daily routine. Also, in the consultation with your physician don't forget to discuss the dosage amount.