Are Prescription Fish Oil Capsules the Right Choice?

Many doctors feel that prescription fish oil capsules are no better than over-the-counter supplements. The reasons mentioned have to do with cost and quality. Here’s another reason for anyone that cares about the Chesapeake Bay.

I was born and raised in Virginia. I have lived here all of my life. The Chesapeake Bay is one of our most precious natural resources.

For hundreds of years the Bay has helped to support and feed people living in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. For thousands of years before that, it sustained native populations.

In recent years, the survival of the Bay has been threatened. Industrial pollution and farm run-off has been a serious problem. PCBs are still a major contaminant, even though the chemicals have been banned for years. Similar problems exist in most of the planet’s oceans.

You probably realize that if our oceans die, we die. Scientists have recently reported that “dead” oxygen diminished zones in the ocean are growing. In the book “The Most Important Fish in the Sea: Menhaden and America”, H Bruce Franklin explains the connection between the tiny menhaden and those dead zones.

Menhaden is a species found in many places. But, one of the major breeding grounds is the Chesapeake Bay. According to a recent article published in Forbes magazine, prescription fish oil capsules, marketed in the US by Glaxo Smith Kline, contains oils from the menhaden.

Environmental groups have been concerned for years about the practices used by menhaden fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay. US assessments say that the overall Atlantic stock is robust. But, recreational fishermen and conservationists have noted a significant decline in the population of the Chesapeake Bay.

People don’t usually eat menhaden, because it is bony and smelly. But other species that we do eat feed off of it. Birds and other wildlife rely on it. It is a species that helps to keep the water clean.

I have taken fish oil capsules for years. I never skip a day. They help me think and improve my mood. But, I am always picky about the brand that I buy.

I always check to make sure that the species is small and sustainable, that the fishing practices used by the company are considered ethical. I never buy anything that comes from the menhaden. It is too important to the survival of the Bay and the oceans in general.

Prescription fish oil capsules are not the right choice for me or for the environment. Take a good supplement, instead.

Patsy Hamilton is a health writer and fitness expert. Read more of her diet and exercise tips at http://best-fish-oil-dietary-supplements.com