Health, Diet, and Nutrition

Canada perhaps stands alone in the strictness of their health supplement standards, and this is definitely true for their fish oil requirements. In fact, the majority of fish oil supplements in the United States are illegal to sell in Canada! Canada is not alone in banning these inferior omega-3 fish oils; Denmark and Sweden have also prohibited them, and the UK & Norway are close behind. Why? The answer has to do with how bioavailable the omega 3 fatty acids are, or how easily your body absorbs them and makes use of them. The explanations is very scientific and technical, but I have simplified it greatly.

The reason fish oil supplements are so good for your health is because they contain omega-3s. Omega-3s are essentially fats — albeit good fats crucial to your health. In nature, fish contain omega-3s that exist in triglyceride form. Every molecule of omega-3 contains three fatty acids that are bound to glycerol, which is an alcohol molecule. You might be concerned about triglycerides because your physician looks at your blood triglycerides, but they are definitely not the same thing.

One unfortunate reality of our industrial world is that most fish contain toxic levels of contaminants, so the fish oil that’s extracted from them must be purified. Many fish oil manufacturers purify their fish oils using a process called molecular distillation. However, the fish oil that first came as a triglyceride is then converted into ethyl ester (or EE), a new unnatural molecule. Each glycerol molecule in the TG omega-3 becomes replaced with an ethanol base.

So why does this matter to you? Alcohol bases are all the same, right? Quite actually, no, there is a giant difference that has prompted several countries to ban it! It turns out that ethyl ester based fish oils are much harder for the body to absorb when compared to the more natural TG. Research studies, in fact, have observed that TG-based fish oil has nearly a 300% greater absorption rate, suggesting that EE-based oils are only 33% as effective as TG oils! But that isn’t all that makes it inferior. When contrasted with Triglyceride (TG) omega-3, ethyl ester (EE) omegas3 are absorbed up to 50 times more slowly! For the reasons mentioned, this Ethyl Ester fish oil is illegal in Canada and other countries. But they are completely legal in the USA.

It’s quite a predicament; a catch-22 even. If we are trying to avoid the toxic contamination in natural fish oils, then we are required to settle for a fish oil product that’s difficult for your body to digest and absorb, right? Try once more! The reason you can buy purified fish oils in Canada is because EE oils can actually be converted back into TG. But this raises the concern: If TG fish oil is so much better than EE, why don’t US manufacturers create TG products? Greater cost, of course! Converting EE fish oils into TG adds about 30% more to the cost of producing fish oil, and since US fish oil consumers don’t know the difference, the manufacturers don’t bother with the additional cost.

Furthermore, very few of them actually communicate that their fish oils are EE oils, so it’s exasperatingly hard to tell what they contain. It is safe to assume that any given fish oil supplement in the US is an EE product because the vast majority of them are. There exists only 2 brands in the US that are TG-based that are also tested by the third-party International Fish Oil Standards: See Yourself Well and Nordic Naturals.

Research shows that triglyceride-based omega-3 is often far superior to majority of omega-3 products being sold. If your current fish oil is EE-based and you want to ensure that you’re getting the best product for your health, you should definitely consider switching to a TG-based supplement instead.

Brittany M. Wallace is a health and nutrition expert, with particular expertise with Omega-3 Fish Oil.

A high level of sexual satisfaction is an important component of a high quality lifestyle for both men and women. Some specific dietary supplements have been shown to improve sexual function and satisfaction. When included in an overall program of healthy diet and exercise, these nutritional supplements can enhance the quality of life for a very modest investment.

Recent surveys found that for almost two-thirds of both men and women sexual activity is a crucial component to their satisfaction with their long-term relationships. Almost 40 percent of men and fifteen percent of women rate their current sex lives as being low on the satisfaction scale. Luckily ,there are many natural products available that can aid both men and women in having a healthy active sex life.

Scientific research has identified several herbs and plant extracts that promote male sexual health, and also can be valuable in other aspects of overall health. These include grape seed extract, green tea extract, and corn silk extract. Additionally, other nutritional supplements have been shown to be effective in maintaining male potency and improving overall sexual satisfaction. These include small quantities of zinc and selenium, and the amino acid L-arginine.

A particularly effective product that includes a number of important natural ingredients for men over the age of thirty is called Total Balance Men’s. This product consists of pure ingredients, and because these are combined into a single product, the consumer saves money over buying each herb or extract individually.

Enhanced sexual satisfaction is only one of many gains reported by consumers of Total Balance Men’s. Formulated to address many aspects of the aging process, users report a general increase in their sense of well-being, along with improved eyesight, increased energy levels, lower cholesterol, decreased night time urination, healthier hair and nails, and improved sleep. For maximum benefit, Total Balance should be combined with a daily omega 3 fish oil supplement for overall cardiovascular and nervous system health.

Of great importance is reasonable diet and daily exercise. No herbal product can replace common sense and a little work in achieving and maintaining good health.