Fish Oil Fast Fact #180: Beauty and the Beast: Fish Oil Faux Pas to Avoid

If you are like most people, then most fish look basically the same to you. After all, they are all pretty slimy, scaly and rather bug-eyed, right? But when it comes to your health, calling a mackerel a salmon can be a serious mistake rather than a simple menu misnomer. This is because while both fish contain omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential nutrients that your body must have to function but cannot manufacture on its own, they are very different outside of this one similarity. Mackerel, tuna and other fatty fish that are usually used to make omega 3 fish oil supplements often swim in polluted waters and their meat and oil can contain traces of heavy metals like mercury. These contaminants are not only bad for the fish, but they can also build up in humans’ systems when they consume the fish and create health problems over time. This is why when you are selecting a fish oil supplement, calling a salmon a tuna is more than just a minor name problem, it could be a serious “health faux pas.”

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