13) TYPE 2 DIABETES SUPPLEMENTS
c) Issues with Fish Oil
Some people question why we would need omega 3 oils if our ancestors ate largely four legged animals. We need this class of nutrients, not because our ancestors ate so much fish, but because domesticated animals have had omega 3 oils removed from them by changes in their diet and by genetic engineering to make the meat more tender. The flesh of deer, bison and antelope is relatively low in total fat (especially saturated fats) but relatively rich in omega 3's (and very tough, this is why venison is typically cooked wrapped in bacon). In contrast, the tender meat of domestic cattle and pigs are high in total fat (especially saturated fats) and provide almost no omega 3 oils. The meat we eat today is nothing like the meat our ancestors ate.
As mentioned previously, this is where the "high protein" doctors diets miss the point. They repeatedly slam "modern carbohydrates". They fail to recognize that "modern meats" are just as bad because the basic fats they contain are now saturated fats instead of omega 3 fats. The amount of omega 3 oils have gone from 2% of the fats in wild boars to zero in domesticated hogs. Modern hogs have thirty times more saturated fat than wild boar. The fats in fish haven't been changed like that; no genetic engineering has been done on fish.
There is some concern that fish have too high a concentration of heavy metals and insecticides to be safe to eat. These concerns have been blown all out of proportion by the vegetarians and vegans. Good well done research has shown the effects are not that serious. There is a minor effect from a pregnant woman or a young child eating the meat of a large fish which is a "top predator" in the food chain (something like shark, swordfish or Mahi Mahi) which is estimated at somewhere around a 0.7% drop in IQ for the child if that child eats a lot of top predator fish. If the fish is lower on the food chain, there is actually a net increase in the child's I.Q. from eating fish. There is also less heart disease benefit from omega 3 oils from these top predators (about a 17% reduction in efficacy). But neither effect should stop anyone with type 2 diabetes from eating most fish whenever possible.
It has been estimated that if everyone in the USA ate three servings of white tuna per week there would be about 500 more deaths from mercury induced cancer per year but about 75,000 fewer deaths per year from heart disease. That is what is known in research circles as a "no-brainer". This is especially true if an individual is older. Mercury is a cumulative poison and tends to build up very slowly in the body. The risk for someone in their forties or fifties who starts eating fish is very low. Note that salmon is very high in omega 3 oils and very low in mercury. Albacore tuna is moderate in both. Unfortunately there are some freshwater lakes in the USA and elsewhere where there are limits on eating fish because of PCB or mercury contaminations. Take these warning seriously.
Current Chapter: 13) TYPE 2 DIABETES SUPPLEMENTS
a) Introduction
b) The Benefits of Fish Oil
c) Issues with Fish Oil
d) Flax Seed Oil
e) Bad Omega 6 oils
f) Nuts and Phytosterols
g) Aspirin Therapy
h) Magnesium
i) Vitamins C, D and E
j) High Water Intake© Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved.