Europe and all our neighbors on the other side of

the pond have been well aware for decades,

perhaps centuries, making fish an every day

staple was keeping them a lot healthier. As

American researchers began to catch up about five

years ago, and doctors began telling their

patients to take Omega 3, fish oil supplements

sprang up on shelves from Walgreens to Costco.

As we perused the shelves, often grabbing the

first one thinking they were all equal, for the

best price of course (I love those good deals,

too), took them home feeling proud we took an

active role in our health.

I tried so many knowing it would help with

painful inflammation, bring blood pressure down,

lower cholesterol, recommended by the American

Heart Association for a healthier heart, the list

of why we ought to take fish oil is endless. But

the indigestion from every one was more than I

could bear and benefits not coming through. I

would ask my doctor which one, what brand and he

said he didn't know, just take one daily.

I tried all priced fish oil, from inexpensive to

most expensive, until one day a capsule got

squashed on my kitchen counter and the odor had

me fleeing the kitchen. The smell was so

overpowering, determined to get to the truth and

my search began in earnest.

I looked at labels on the bottles in my cabinet.

I had blended fish oil, cod liver oil, EFA blend

capsules, balanced essential fatty acids, and as

I began to research, soon realized the source of

fish was the most important. It had to be a fatty

fish and if it wasn't fatty, specifically, salmon,

sardines, tuna or mackerel, it wasn't going to

help. Neither blended, cod nor white fish fit

the bill. Cod is a lean fish, blended is just

that, a mixture. While all those fish are good

for us, it is the EPA and DHA from fatty fish

that hold healing properties we are looking for.

And that is today's textbook science.

Then I began to ask those manufacturers about

their fish source, lab and purification process.

A few I reached by phone, and in some cases, no

one replied. Of those who did respond, much to

my chagrin, replies were a bit nebulous. Most

contracted out to fish oil suppliers from a

number of different sources. Yet their labels

said, "pharmaceutically licensed laboratory."

Licensed where? Somewhere in Europe was the most

often heard reply.

Well here's what I learned. If that fish oil was

truly distilled in a pharmaceutical grade lab,

using a molecular distillation process there

wouldn't be an odor causing you to run from the

kitchen or suffer indigestion. Remember the

capsule that squashed on my kitchen counter? It

specifically said "distilled in a pharmaceutical

grade laboratory."

I was on an airplane the other day and of all

things, sat down next to a fellow I graduated

high school with 38 years ago and hadn't seen

since. With a long ride to Dallas, we talked

about our lives, health, and learned he just had

a quadruple bypass. As our conversation turned

to fish oil, he said his wife was a trauma room

physician and he was presently taking the new

prescription fish oil, OMACOR®, prescribed by his

cardiologist. He took out a capsule; we pricked

it, and had to flush it down the plane lavatory.

He had been complaining of indigestion every time

he swallowed one and was told in a few weeks he'd

get used to it.

Check, check and re-check the source of your fish

oil. Prick it! If it has any odor whatsoever,

throw it out for it has not been properly

purified. There are miraculous healing benefits

to be had but remember, all fish are not created

equal nor are all purification processes what

they say they are. Seems everyone has rushed in

jumping on this band wagon creating fish oil

supplements with few passing the prick test. But

rest assured, there are some great ones out there.