Dr. Weeks’ Comment: Those numbers were unbelievable when I first read them in The PEO Solution by Prof. Brian Peskin. It was beyond comprehension the waste involved in processing 17 pounds of fish to create one capsule of pharmaceutical grade fish oil.
“…. A typical fish portion is 4 oz (113g). Consuming 1g of crude fish oil is comparable to eating one-sixth portion. That gram of crude fish oil yields about 250 mg of health-grade fish oil, so it takes two-thirds of a portion to produce a single gram of health-food-grade fish oil. But it takes 100g of “health-grade” fish oil to yield just 1g of “pharmaceutical grade” fish oil. Thus, a single capsule of “super pure” omega 3, EPA, DHA, etc. is the equivalent of 71 portions (over 17 POUNDS) of unprocessed FISH! [Note: 3-5% (av.) oil yield.] Source: Sears B., Q & A with Dr. Barry Sears: Omega-3 ultra-refined fish oil, www.cbn.com/ health/NaturalHealth/drsears_qanda.aspx#14, accessed June 20, 2013….” SOURCE: http://peo-solution.com/scientific-support/PEO%20Solution%20chapter%207.pdf
For the past many years, we have championed organic non-GMO seed oils and have discouraged consumption of fish oil. Eating wild (not farm raised) fish is excellent but not the distillate which has become the #1 supplement sold in USA : fish oil (including krill oil). Eat the seed – eat and rub on you the omega 6 rich seed oils. The challenge is to consume NON-OXIDIZED seed oil – since once you open a bottle of flax or other oils, it starts to decompose and rancidify – it becomes toxic so that half way through the month, you are hurting yourself when drinking that seed oil. Patients love the 2 oz packet of SOUL which has the equivalent of 3 servings of organic non-GMO seed oils individually packed with the most powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory seed oils (black cumin, black raspberry and Chardonnay grape oil).
The following quotations about how polluted fish are were sent to me by Robert Cohen the “Not milkman” at www.notmilk.com
“In many places fish become so contaminated by the
filth on which they feed as to be a cause of disease.
This is especially the case where the fish come in
contact with the sewage of large cities. The fish
that are fed on the contents of the drains may pass
into distant waters and may be caught where the water
is pure and fresh. Thus when used as food they bring
disease and death on those who do not suspect the
danger.
– Ellen G. White, Ministry of Healing
* * * *
Definition: A pescatarian is a self-professed vegetarian
who eats neither red meat nor chicken, but eats ocean
dwellers, incorrectly reasoning that sea creatures
such as the cephalopod sea squid, cherrystone clam,
and Patagonian toothfish (Chilean bass) feel no pain.
Gourmet pescatarians give colorful names to such animals
such as fried calamari, vongole oreganata, and blackened
Chilean sea bass.
Today’s scientific review was written by Spanish and
Tunisian microbiologists and oceanographers and appears
in the June 25, 2014 issue of Veterinary Microbiology.
Abstract (Unedited)
“Fish are always in intimate contact with their environment;
therefore they are permanently exposed to very vary external
hazards (e.g. aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, viruses, parasites,
pollutants). To fight off pathogenic microorganisms, the epidermis
and its secretion, the mucus acts as a barrier between the fish
and the environment. Fish are surrounded by a continuous layer
of mucus which is the first physical, chemical and biological
barrier from infection and the first site of interaction between
fish’s skin cells and pathogens. The mucus composition is very
complex and includes numerous antibacterial factors secreted by
fish’s skin cells, such as immunoglobulins, agglutinins, lectins,
lysins and lysozymes. These factors have a very important role to
discriminate between pathogenic and commensal microorganisms and
to protect fish from invading pathogens. Furthermore, the skin
mucus represents an important portal of entry of pathogens since
it induces the development of biofilms, and represents a favorable
microenvironment for bacteria, the main disease agents for fish.
The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge
of the interaction between bacteria and fish skin mucus, the
adhesion mechanisms of pathogens and the major factors influencing
pathogen adhesion to mucus. The better knowledge of the interaction
between fish and their environment could inspire other new
perspectives to study as well as to exploit the mucus properties
for different purposes.”
* * * *
“In Michigan and several other areas, Diphyllobothrium
latum, the fish tapeworn, has been identified in man.
Opportunity for infection occurs when undercooked fish
is eaten. A 51-year-old man passed a long, whitish string
which he took to his physician. He had had no bowel
complaints, but reported a fishing trip to the Northwest
area eleven months before.
The fish tapeworm normally lives in the small intestine
of fish in subarctic and temperate regions. It is the
largest tapeworm found in man. It competes with the host
for nutrients, which is the major cause for disability
produced in man. Especially notable is megaloblastic
anemia due to vitamin B-12 deficiency since the tapeworm
inhabits the parts of the small bowel where B-12 is
absorbed. Numbness of the extremities is the most common
complaint, along with fatigue, weakness, and dizziness.
All of these are vague and non-specific complaints and
can go on for years before the appropriate diagnosis is
suspected.”
– Agatha Thrash, M.D.