And of course farm-reared fish live in the same polluted oceans, but they are worse because they have an artificial diet that includes fish scraps, hormones and antibiotics, plus the water in these ponds is not usually circulated as it is in the ocean.  Waste from these ponds is a major source of ocean pollution. Also, fish farms are lobbying to permit the adoption of a Genetically Modified Salmon that grows to maturity 3 times as fast as normal Salmon. 

A recent Consumer Lab evaluation of the leading fish oils found toxins, rancid products, and deceptive labeling.

In a recent Consumer Lab evaluation of the leading fish oil supplements CL reported that all fish oil supplements reviewed by CL were found to contain at least trace levels of PCBs and some have trace levels of lead. Toxins such as dioxin are so powerful that there is no level that can be detected that does not pose a serious health risk to humans when consumed. Dioxin is the same chemical that is well known as "Agent Orange". Furthermore, CL cound that several of the brands tested were already rancid when purchased. Neither the FDA nor any state health or consumer agency tests for these contaminants, and no manufacturer tests for all of the thousands of chemicals that pollute the oceans and fish farms.

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The benefits of Omega 3 have long been promoted as playing a vital role in health and well being. The most commonly promoted source of Omega 3 fatty acids has been from the consumption of oily fish, but recent studies and a growing battery of evidence suggests that this may not be the right way to get your daily dose of these essential fatty acids.

Background. Over the last few years, more farmers are adding corn and grain to cattle feed. Although this fattens up the animals quickly and is highly profitable for the meat producers, it lessens the effect of their natural diet – grass – and greatly reduces the amount of Omega 3 produced.

So to compensate for declining Omega 3 levels in livestock, fish has been widely promoted as the best source of Omega 3. But once again, changes in how fish are produced in corporate fish farms is severely impacting the quality, safety and nutrition of farmed fish. To compound matters, the USDA and FDA recently approved a switch from natural Salmon to a genetically modified variety of fish that grows almost 3 times as fast, but has not been used for food nor tested for safety on a large human population yet.

Ocean fish, although better than farmed fish, represent a small fraction of the supply of fish oil and suffer from high rates of contamination with heavy metals, pesticide residues and highly toxic chemicals that now pollute every one of the world’s oceans. PCBs have been found in the waters around the Antartic.

Since fish oil supplements are not routinely tested for many of the chemicals we know to be toxic at low levels it is next to impossible to know if you are consuming these toxins in your Omega 3 capsules. Both farmed fish and ocean fish are affected by the pollution now pervasive in all of the world’s oceans. Independent testing of fish oils, even the more expensive and well known ones, has shown that all samples were contaminated to one degree or another. 

The Omega 3 from fish is difficult for some people to digest and utilize effectively. Fish oil contains about 35% saturated animal fats. An equivalent amount of DHA from GO-3 has no animal fat and is easily absorbed by the body thereby providing more Omega 3 benefits. Fish oil is not an antioxidant and quickly becomes rancid. Even though some fish oil supplements contain the antioxidant astaxanthin, the concentration is so low as to be of no significant antioxidant effect, contrary to claims made by fish oil suppliers. GO-3 is a very potent multi-antioxidant that stays fresh and active for at least 24 months and provides the additional benefits of a wide range of antioxidants.

Some fish oil supplement sellers claim that because the fish they use come from a sustainable source certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, MSC, that they are not impacting fish stocks. There are two fallacies with this claim. First, the standards fail to adequately address critical issues of fishery sustainability, such as overfishing and the impacts of destructive fishing. In addition, in some cases the requirements for meeting the standards are not stringent and weak language is used which leaves room for interpretation and lowering of the standards. Secondly, the issue of fish stocks is a global issue, not a local issue. Taking fish from one area, such as the Alaska coast, regardless of the level of sustainability in the local environment, adds to the decline in global fish stocks.

But perhaps more importantly, the very credibility and integrity of the Marine Stewardship Council has been questioned more than once by fishing experts. In an article in the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper Chris Pincetich, a marine biologist with the Turtle Island Restoration Network, said: "The MSC has rushed to accept applications from hundreds of fisheries around the globe in order to grow their business and network. Many of those are actually viewed by scientists as unsustainable. They should really take a closer look before they even engage with those fisheries." In that same article the reporter stated: “The body which certifies that fish have been caught sustainably has been accused of "duping" consumers by giving its eco-label to fisheries where stocks are tumbling.”

Fish oil suppliers go to great lengths to convince you that their products, unlike their competitors, are safe. The fact is that most fish oil comes from a few large corporate processors who sell to virtually all supplement companies. The supplement companies themselves have very little control over the quality or purity of the oil they purchase.

Do not simply accept the claims of the fish oil supplement sellers. Do your own research. Use the Internet to inform yourself of the safety, health benefits and the pros and cons of fish oil.

Fish oil is a fat, the most concentrated source of calories. 

Aquaculture – a destructive and unhealthy practice.

The diminishing stock of fish in the ocean has led to an explosion in the popularity of aquaculture, or fish farming, over the last 30 years. The situation with fish is only marginally better than beef, poultry and pork. Now virtually all Salmon and many other large fish sold in the US and Europe come from fish farms.

Most Omega 3 fish oils are also extracted from fish raised in aquaculture ponds. Because the water in these ponds is not refreshed as it is in nature, diseases must be controlled with antibiotics and chemicals. Fish are also fed with a mix of fish by-products and hormones to increase growth. Using ocean fish to feed farm fish depletes ocean stocks even further. The waste from these ponds is highly detrimental to the ocean eco systems into which it flows.

Very recently the US government approved a genetically modified salmon species which grows more than twice as fast as natural salmon. This is a disturbing development in terms of its impact on human health and ocean salmon stocks, once this new species enters their ecosystem. Furthermore, fish oil is 25% to 35% saturated fat, a dietary contributor to unhealthy arterial plaque. GO-3 contains no saturated fat and none of the calories from this fat, and none of the pharmaceutical additives found in meat and farmed fish.

Aquaculture may mean cheap salmon for the consumer, but intensive aquaculture methods and the chemicals and proteins contained in the pellets fed to farmed fish as a replacement for their natural diet of sea algae produce fish with far less nutritive value and serious health issues.

Eliminating algae from the diet of fish also eliminates the beneficial Omega 3 oils. Farmed fish are also injected or fed with a range of chemicals including growth hormones, antibiotics and even coloring, to ensure the flesh of farmed fish is the same ‘pink’ as wild salmon (consumers would not find the natural colour of farmed fish to be at all appealing).

But even if you decide to avoid the chemical cocktail that may be present in farmed fish and stick to wild fish to get your Omega 3, you could still be consuming some rather nasty chemicals. According to the FDA, PCBs, for example, are probable human carcinogens and can also cause non-cancer health effects, such as reduced ability to fight infections, low birth weights, and learning problems. Every ocean on this planet is contaminated with varying levels of PCBs.

You may have noticed that the Salmon you buy often contains holes in the flesh. These holes are created when tumors or parasites are removed from the fish during processing.

Health Alert. Genetically modified salmon approved by the US Government.

GMO Salmon, which grow almost three times as fast as natural Salmon, will be permitted in corporate aquaculture farms for the first time. Did the FDA or USDA ask you if you wanted this? Don’t feel bad. They did not ask the top scientists in the field either.

In March 2011, the FDA and USDA approved genetically modified salmon in Aquaculture ponds. Most fish oils come from farm raised fish. We at Biotivia believe that this was a serious and needless capitulation to corporate greed at the expense of safety and common sense. This misjudgement will have major adverse impacts on both human health and ocean salmon stocks. This is one genie that can not be put back in the bottle.

The seas suffer badly from man’s contamination. We use the world’s oceans as a dumping ground for our toxic industrial waste, urban garbage and toxic fuel bunkers carried on cargo and cruise ships. Oil spills which pump millions of gallons of toxic petrochemicals and dispersant into the ocean only add to the problem.

Intensive studies by biologists specialising in wild fish stocks have shown that fish readily absorb and retain many of these chemicals. Included in this dangerous mix are some of the most poisonous substances known to man, such as dioxin, mercury, PCBs, pesticides, and thousands of other toxins.

Mercury, if consumed by pregnant women, can cause mercury poisoning and damage the foetus. It can also cause organ failure and mental and physical fatigue and retardation. The well-known effects of PCBs and lead on human physiology have been thoroughly documented in thousands of studies.

Dioxin is so potent a toxin that there is no amount so small as to be non-toxic. This is the chemical also known as Agent Orange. Although the more ethical fish oil supplement producers attempt to filter out these chemicals it is virtually impossible to remove all of them economically. Many of them are difficult to even detect and are not tested for by the fish oil producers. Why even risk consuming these toxins if there is an alternative that is safe, clean and healthier?

What is the answer? Say ‘no’ to fish oil!

So if our wild fish stocks are contaminated with heavy metals and literally thousands of other chemicals known to be detrimental to our health, and our farmed fish are being injected with hormones, antibiotics and colorants that have no place in our diet, and contain very little of the beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids, how are you supposed to get your Omega 3, 6 and 9 daily dose?

It is very unlikely that our normal diets can provide adequate amounts of these essential Phospholipids. Eggs, for example, which used to be a good source of Omega 3, now contain almost none of it due to the farming methods and type of feed used. Even so-called free range eggs are only marginally better. Many foods are supplemente with Omega fatty acids, however the amount added is insufficient to be of much value.

So until now whatever choice you made was a major compromise between safety, purity and potency. GO-3 answers the call with a safe, pure and powerful Omega 3 supplement made from renewable, clean eco-friendly ingredients.