Hello,
I agree with you. The fish oil capsules that I buy also have had the
toxins removed. I had to laugh when I saw the post about fish oil causing
cerebral hemmorages in some people and the related study in another post.
If those studies were true, that means that thousands of Eskimos would die
at early ages due to cerebral hemmorages. This is not happening. There was
a recent study in JAMA showing a third of the major medical studies were
eventually contradicted (source: Newsweek July 25, 2005). The post that I
mentioned is probably one of those studies.
Jason

On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 19:56:18 +0200, Enrico C wrote in
<news:12elpsmib4l.dlg@news.lillathedog.net> on
sci.med,sci.med.nutrition,misc.kids.pregnancy :

[...]

[...]

I have to point out, anyway, that that information is provided on a web
site who also sells *seal* oil.

X'Posted to: sci.med,sci.med.nutrition,misc.kids.pregnancy

On 26 Jul 2005 18:55:16 GMT, bae@cs.toronto.no-uce.edu wrote in
<news:2005Jul26.145516.8216@jarvis.cs.toronto.edu> on
sci.med,sci.med.nutrition,misc.kids.pregnancy :

Well, I've found studies that seem to confirm that, at least for EPA (less
for DHA), but there also factors inhibiting the conversion from ALA to
EPA/DHA, such as a diet rich in saturated fat and a high omega6/omega3
ratio, as often happens in a Western diet.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra
ct&list_uids=7910999&query_hl=2

Am J Clin Nutr. 1994 Jun;59(6):1304-9.     Related Articles, Links

   Dietary substitution with an alpha-linolenic acid-rich vegetable oil
increases eicosapentaenoic acid concentrations in tissues.

   Mantzioris E, James MJ, Gibson RA, Cleland LG.

   Rheumatology Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Australia.

   Thirty healthy male volunteers were randomly allocated into two dietary
treatment groups. The flaxseed group (n = 15) maintained a diet high in
alpha-linolenic acid (alpha-LA; 18:3n-3) and low in linoleic acid (LA;
18:2n-6) by using a flaxseed oil and spread that are high in alpha-LA. The
control group (n = 15) maintained a diet high in LA and low in alpha-LA,
typifying a Western diet. Both groups maintained their diets for 4 wk,
followed by another 4-wk period in which they supplemented the diets with
fish oil [1.62 g eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) daily and 1.08 g
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) daily] in a triglyceride form. The
flaxseed oil-containing diet resulted in significant increases in alpha-LA
concentrations in the plasma phospholipid, cholesteryl ester, and
triglyceride fractions (eightfold increase) and neutrophil phospholipids
(50% increase). EPA concentrations increased by 2.5-fold in the plasma
lipid fractions and neutrophil phospholipids. After fish-oil
supplementation EPA concentrations increased in parallel in both dietary
groups, remaining higher in the flaxseed group for both the plasma lipid
fractions and neutrophil phospholipids. The results indicate that
alpha-LA-rich vegetable oils can be used in a domestic setting (in
conjunction with a background diet low in LA) to elevate EPA in tissues to
concentrations comparable with those associated with fish-oil
supplementation.

   Publication Types:

       * Clinical Trial
       * Randomized Controlled Trial

   PMID: 7910999 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra
ct&list_uids=15576848&query_hl=2

Long-chain conversion of [13C]linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in
response to marked changes in their dietary intake in men.

Hussein N, Ah-Sing E, Wilkinson P, Leach C, Griffin BA, Millward DJ.

Centre for Nutrition and Food Safety, School of Biomedical and Molecular
Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, United Kingdom.

We studied the long-chain conversion of [U-13C]alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
and linoleic acid (LA) and responses of erythrocyte phospholipid
composition to variation in the dietary ratios of 18:3n-3 (ALA) and 18:2n-6
(LA) for 12 weeks in 38 moderately hyperlipidemic men. Diets were enriched
with either flaxseed oil (FXO; 17 g/day ALA, n=21) or sunflower oil (SO; 17
g/day LA, n=17). The FXO diet induced increases in phospholipid ALA
(>3-fold), 20:5n-3 [eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), >2-fold], and 22:5n-3
[docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), 50%] but no change in 22:6n-3 [docosahexanoic
acid (DHA)], LA, or 20:4n-6 [arachidonic acid (AA)]. The increases in EPA
and DPA but not DHA were similar to those in subjects given the SO diet
enriched with 3 g of EPA plus DHA from fish oil (n=19). The SO diet induced
a small increase in LA but no change in AA. Long-chain conversion of
[U-13C]ALA and [U-13C]LA, calculated from peak plasma 13C concentrations
after simple modeling for tracer dilution in subsets from the FXO (n=6) and
SO (n=5) diets, was similar but low for the two tracers (i.e., AA, 0.2%;
EPA, 0.3%; and DPA, 0.02%) and varied directly with precursor
concentrations and inversely with concentrations of fatty acids of the
alternative series. [13C]DHA formation was very low (<0.01%) with no
dietary influences.

PMID: 15576848 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra
ct&list_uids=8730609&query_hl=2

Eur J Clin Nutr. 1996 Apr;50(4):229-35.

   Alpha-linolenic acid in rapeseed oil partly compensates for the effect
of fish restriction on plasma long chain n-3 fatty acids.

   Valsta LM, Salminen I, Aro A, Mutanen M.

   Department of Nutrition, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki,
Finland.

   OBJECTIVE: To examine the ability of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in low
erucic acid rapeseed oil (RO) to compensate for the effects of a
restriction in fish intake on plasma fatty acid composition. DESIGN AND
SUBJECTS: Two times 6 weeks' randomized dietary intervention was used with
blind crossover design in 40 healthy unconfined women and men (age 20-46y).
INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were assigned to two fish restricted diets, namely
RO diet and Trisun-sunflower oil (TSO) diet, with similar proportions of
saturated : monounsaturated : polyunsaturated fatty acids (11.5:17.5:8.5%
of total energy, En%), but differing in their ALA content (2.2 and 0.3 En%)
and n-6 : n-3-ratio (3 : 1 and 23 : 1, respectively). The fatty acid
compositions of plasma triglycerides (TG), cholesterol esters (CE), and
phospholipids (PL) were analyzed by gas chromatography. Dietary intake was
evaluated based on 3- to 7-day food records. RESULTS: The proportion of TG
and CE ALA decreased on the TSO diet (from 1.6% to 0.9% and from 0.9% to
0.4%, respectively, P < 0.001) and increased on the RO diet (from 1.7% to
3.4% and from 0.9% to 1.3%, respectively, P < 0.001) compared to the
baseline level. The proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in all three
plasma fractions decreased on the TSO diet but not on the RO diet. The
proportions of docosa-hexaenoic acid (DHA) decreased on both experimental
diets and there was no difference in CE DHA between the diets. PL
docosa-pentaenoic acid (DPA) and PL DHA remained at a higher level on the
RO diet compared to the TSO diet (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: ALA is metabolized to EPA in humans to a significant extent.
The degree to which rapeseed oil (ca 50g/day) affects the proportion of EPA
resembled the effect of a weekly portion (50-100g) of fatty fish depending
on the fat content of the fish.

   Publication Types:

       * Clinical Trial
       * Randomized Controlled Trial

   PMID: 8730609 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra
ct&list_uids=9637947

Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1998;68(3):159-73.

   Can adults adequately convert alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) to
eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3)?

   Gerster H.

   Vitamin Research Department, F. Hoffman-Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland.

   A diet including 2-3 portions of fatty fish per week, which corresponds
to the intake of 1.25 g EPA (20:5n-3) + DHA (22:6n-3) per day, has been
officially recommended on the basis of epidemiological findings showing a
beneficial role of these n-3 long-chain PUFA in the prevention of
cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. The parent fatty acid ALA
(18:3n-3), found in vegetable oils such as flaxseed or rapeseed oil, is
used by the human organism partly as a source of energy, partly as a
precursor of the metabolites, but the degree of conversion appears to be
unreliable and restricted. More specifically, most studies in humans have
shown that whereas a certain, though restricted, conversion of high doses
of ALA to EPA occurs, conversion to DHA is severely restricted. The use of
ALA labelled with radioisotopes suggested that with a background diet high
in saturated fat conversion to long-chain metabolites is approximately 6%
for EPA and 3.8% for DHA. With a diet rich in n-6 PUFA, conversion is
reduced by 40 to 50%. It is thus reasonable to observe an n-6/n-3 PUFA
ratio not exceeding 4-6. Restricted conversion to DHA may be critical since
evidence has been increasing that this long-chain metabolite has an
autonomous function, e.g. in the brain, retina and spermatozoa where it is
the most prominent fatty acid. In neonates deficiency is associated with
visual impairment, abnormalities in the electroretinogram and delayed
cognitive development. In adults the potential role of DHA in neurological
function still needs to be investigated in depth. Regarding cardiovascular
risk factors DHA has been shown to reduce triglyceride concentrations.
These findings indicate that future attention will have to focus on the
adequate provision of DHA which can reliably be achieved only with the
supply of the preformed long-chain metabolite.

   Publication Types:

       * Review
       * Review, Tutorial

   PMID: 9637947 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Well, of course they should count that for the fat...

   

Anyway, I guess the USDA nutrional data on salmon refer to the flesh, with
no skin.

My wild guess: a lot! :)

So, what percentage of the whole flax seed do we actually digest, in your
opinion?

Yes, but you can use it instead of other fat.

X'Posted to: sci.med,sci.med.nutrition,misc.kids.pregnancy

On Sat, 6 Aug 2005 13:58:00 +0200, maison.mousse wrote in
<news:42f4a7ec$0$912$8fcfb975@news.wanadoo.fr> on
sci.med,sci.med.nutrition,misc.kids.pregnancy :

Would you expand on that?,  for instance quantify the HCN content in whole
flax seeds and the possible effects on human health from their consumption?

Thanks!

X'Posted to: sci.med,sci.med.nutrition,misc.kids.pregnancy

On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 03:55:01 GMT, Dan wrote in
<news:puiFe.1737$dR5.145@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com> on
misc.kids.pregnancy,sci.med,sci.med.nutrition :

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-06-14-fish-oil_x.htm

USA TODAY

Fish oil supplements found to set off irregular heartbeats

By Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY
Fish oil supplements could trigger potentially deadly heart rhythms in
people whose hearts already beat dangerously out of sync, doctors report
today.

The finding, from a study of 200 patients with implanted defibrillators
that shock the heart back to a normal rhythm, surprised researchers who
expected to find that fish oil guards against rhythm abnormalities in
patients who need protection most.

The heart gets its pumping power from cells that fire in sequence as
electrical charges race from one cell to another. Rhythm disturbances occur
when these circuits misfire, causing the heart to beat out of sync and lose
its pumping power. The result can be death caused by a kind of electrical
storm rather than the clogged arteries that cause "standard" heart attacks.

Four previous studies have shown that fish oils cut the risk of fatal heart
rhythm problems, called arrhythmias, in patients who had had standard heart
attacks.

The research team chose to test fish oil in patients who were prone to
arrhythmias because any benefits probably would be obvious and apply to a
lot of people. About 150,000 people each year receive implanted
defibrillators.

"Our initial thought was that this was a great population in which to show
that fish oil is anti-arrhythmic," says study leader Merritt Raitt of the
Portland VA Medical Center. His team's report appears in today's Journal of
the American Medical Association.

The research was carried out at six major medical centers from 1999 to
2003. Half of the patients were given fish oil. The rest were given olive
oil, a placebo.

Researchers found that 65% of the patients who took fish oil supplements
developed rhythm disturbances over the next six months, compared with 36%
of those in the placebo group.

Nearly two-thirds of subjects taking fish oil who had a type of rapid
heartbeat known as tachycardia experienced episodes, compared with 37% of
those taking placebo.

"This is a really interesting study," says Alice Lichtenstein, a Tufts
University cardiovascular nutritionist. "It's telling us that just popping
a pill doesn't always lead to the expected result. It may seem like a quick
and easy way of treating a problem, but usually things are a lot more
complex."

Dietary omega-3 fatty acids, the active ingredients in fish oil, repeatedly
have been linked to a decreased heart disease risk because of their
beneficial properties, Lichtenstein says.

"They're anti-inflammatory, they minimize clot formation, they may have a
mild antihypertensive effect, and, if people are eating fish, they're not
eating steak," she says. "That decreases their fat intake."

Raitt says he can only speculate why fish oil hurt rather than helped. But
he says other drugs shown to prevent rhythm disturbances also can cause
them.

"Drugs that affect rhythms are double-edged swords," he says. "The people
they're most likely to hurt are the ones with the sickest hearts, with
recurrent arrhythmias, the ones we had in our study."

===

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/293/23/2884?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hit
s=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=fish+oil&searchid=1121477019114_2327&stored_search=&
FIRSTINDEX=0&journalcode=jama
     

JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

        Vol. 293 No. 23, June 15, 2005    

        Original Contribution    
   

Fish Oil Supplementation and Risk of Ventricular Tachycardia and
Ventricular Fibrillation in Patients With Implantable Defibrillators

A Randomized Controlled Trial

Merritt H. Raitt, MD; William E. Connor, MD; Cynthia Morris, PhD, MPH; Jack
Kron, MD; Blair Halperin, MD; Sumeet S. Chugh, MD; James McClelland, MD;
James Cook, MD; Karen MacMurdy, MD; Robert Swenson, MD; Sonja L. Connor;
Glenn Gerhard, MD; Dale F. Kraemer, PhD; Daniel Oseran, MD; Christy
Marchant, RN, MBA; David Calhoun, RN; Reed Shnider, MD; John McAnulty, MD

JAMA. 2005;293:2884-2891.

Context  Clinical studies of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
have shown a reduction in sudden cardiac death, suggesting that omega-3
PUFAs may have antiarrhythmic effects.

Objective  To determine whether omega-3 PUFAs have beneficial
antiarrhythmic effects in patients with a history of sustained ventricular
tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF).

Design and Setting  Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
performed at 6 US medical centers with enrollment from February 1999 until
January 2003.

Patients  Two hundred patients with an implantable cardioverter
defibrillator (ICD) and a recent episode of sustained VT or VF.

Intervention  Patients were randomly assigned to receive fish oil, 1.8 g/d,
72% omega-3 PUFAs, or placebo and were followed up for a median of 718 days
(range, 20-828 days).

Main Outcome Measures  Time to first episode of ICD treatment for VT/VF,
changes in red blood cell concentrations of omega-3 PUFAs, frequency of
recurrent VT/VF events, and predetermined subgroup analyses.

Results  Patients randomized to receive fish oil had an increase in the
mean percentage of omega-3 PUFAs in red blood cell membranes from 4.7% to
8.3% (P<.001), with no change observed in patients receiving placebo. At 6,
12, and 24 months, 46% (SE, 5%), 51% (5%), and 65% (5%) of patients
randomized to receive fish oil had ICD therapy for VT/VF compared with 36%
(5%), 41% (5%), and 59% (5%) for patients randomized to receive placebo (P
= .19). In the subset of 133 patients whose qualifying arrhythmia was VT,
61% (SE, 6%), 66% (6%), and 79% (6%) of patients in the fish oil group had
VT/VF at 6, 12, and 24 months compared with 37% (6%), 43% (6%), and 65%
(6%) of patients in the control group (P = .007). Recurrent VT/VF events
were more common in patients randomized to receive fish oil (P<.001).

Conclusion  Among patients with a recent episode of sustained ventricular
arrhythmia and an ICD, fish oil supplementation does not reduce the risk of
VT/VF and may be proarrhythmic in some patients.

===

X'Posted to: misc.kids.pregnancy,sci.med,sci.med.nutrition

Real food is no longer an option for a lot of people considering our
fish now have high levels of mercury and other pcbs that make it CRAZY
to consume it. You're playing craps with your health if you eat fish
these days. There are still some fish products that you can perhaps eat
safely like canned salmon but you have to be sure WHERE that salmon
came from.
And it is probably just a matter of time before those few fish products
are also contaminated. China is now exporting a lot of packaged fish to
our supermarkets. They are one of the worst polluters.
Supplementing with EPA/DHA fish oil is the safest way to go. If you
think you have a heart condition, check with your m.d. first Or stick
to sardines & salmon.
I take over 1000 mg per day. No problems here.