Krill & Fish Oil Marketing Schemes: What are they really selling?

The Health Coach

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to properly extract oil from dead animals (e.g. cod liver or krill or salmon) so as to preserve all the active ingredients and prevent it from going rancid at the same time?

Truly, this would be a great feat, if it could be accomplished successfully. The point is that it can’t be done successfully; hence, we have a LOT of people paying LOTS of money for fish and krill oils that are both rancid and devoid of much of their original nutritional value.

This is an extremely unfortunate situation because of how many people buy these oils in the midst of serious healing crises, medical emergencies and other grave health challenges. Not a pretty picture … at all!  

And all of this hype and hoopla is ‘created’ in the interest of delivering large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids to the individual who has been convinced that he is deficient in these essential fatty acids. When will the old Hegelian Dialectic ever end: Problem ~~~ Reaction ~~~ Solution?

It will only end when people wise up and start thinking for themselves, especially applying just a little common sense to their health and wellness needs. Here’s a piece on cod liver oil which every user ought to read prior to spending their hard-earned money on these expensive products.

Cod liver oil has a variety of health benefits but has serious side effects as well. It should be taken with caution.

Please bear in mind that most of the objective and balanced pieces like this one don’t even address the two most important issues which we bring up in this coaching session — namely rancidity and loss of nutritional value. First of all, who in the world ever wants to be ingesting rancid oils of any kind, from any source, with any meal? Likewise, when the nutritional value of a food substance is denatured so quickly and rendered virtually useless except for some essential oil content, do you really want to take it every day of your life?! What is the point, unless you want to pay the salaries of those supposed health product marketeers who are hawking these wares with all the smoke and mirrors of the Snake Oil Salesmen of yesteryear.

The Modern Version of the Snake Oil Salesman

Truly, this little game is quite fascinating to watch for The Health Coach. Even the smell of these fish oils is terrible, as if that isn’t enough of a sign that something is very not quite right with them.

We think that Dr. Edward Kondrot got it right when he started comparing fish oils to vegetable-derived oils in his prescient article entitled:
ARE FISH OILS CONTRIBUTING TO BLINDNESS??

Here is a key paragraph from this article which also states that “Fish Oil just does not work! It is another example of finance masquerading as science. In this case developing a market for the waste products of fish and of medicines long history of mistakes and wrong dietary recommendations.”

“Fish oils have been shown to be beneficial in many health conditions, however there are issues with fish oils. One is the quality of the fish oil being taken. Many people are taking fish oils that are either rancid (usually sold cheap over the counter) or fish oils that contains heavy metals due to the poor purification process. Additional problems seen with fish oils is poor absorption of this type of supplement. Any patient that has had their gallbladder removed or has had gallbladder issues in the past, most likely will not absorb fish oils properly which could cause irritation of blood vessels and other tissues. Furthermore, as we age our ability to absorb essential oils decrease due to reduction in lipase function. Lipase is an enzyme secreted by the pancreas that breaks down fat soluble nutrients (lipids). All of this should be taken into account when supplementing patient with fish oil.”

Dr. Alfred Zamm, DO, MD from Kingston NY, who The Health Coach consulted with during the early ’90s, said it best when he said that mercury amalgam fillings are obviously a bane to human health because mercury is a poison when found in the human body.
Likewise, rancid fish oils contribute a toxic load to the overall body burden simply because they’re rancid. Just as mercury is a poison, fish oils (krill oil, too) are by and large rancid coming out of the blocks, so why even go there. And why spend so much money on the more expensive krill oils?!

THE SIDE EFFECTS OF COD LIVER OIL

What you have just read if you clicked on the link above are just of the few of the side effects of Cod Liver Oil. Doesn’t it strike you that this same list of adverse health effects could easily be found in a pharmaceutical advertisement which is obligated by law to post the known side effects? Just because cod liver oil or krill oil is ‘natural’ does not mean it is not a very potent and potentially toxic in amounts exceeding YOUR body’s capacity to properly digest and metabolize it.

This is where everyone is called upon to exercise their discrimination in determining just how many health products and nutritional supplements they will have foisted upon them. You know the MLM guy who just won’t take “NO!” for an answer, don’t you?

As for a more complete look at krill oil, here is a list compiled by By Leena Palande at Buzzle.com.

Krill Oil Side Effects:
Allergic Reaction: Those who are allergic to krill oil may experience skin rash, difficulty in swallowing, bloating, nausea and vomiting. In extreme cases, breathing difficulty is experienced after ingestion of the oil. If you are allergic to seafood then it is better to avoid krill oil. Food allergies can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, lightheadedness, swelling in face or all over the body. Those who are allergic to shellfish must strictly avoid krill oil as krill is a type of shellfish only.
Interference with Routine Medicines: Studies show that krill oil can cancel the effects of some of the routine medicines and can lead to toxicity, for example, blood-thinning and thyroid medications. So you should inform your doctor about routine medications and should discuss with him whether taking krill oil can be beneficial for you. If you need to take aspirin, warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, etc., or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve), etc., you should consult your physician before opting for krill oil. Herbs like ginkgo biloba and garlic increase the chances of bleeding. So while taking such herbs, consumption of krill oil should be avoided or small amount of the oil should be consumed.
Digestion Problems: Ingredients and quality of krill oil may vary from brand to brand. Good quality krill oil may not cause any side effects but if the oil is not pure as it should be, then it may cause certain side effects like loose motions, indigestion and diarrhea. It can also result in bad breath. Side effects of krill oil may vary from person to person, depending upon the quality and quantity of krill oil consumed and overall health of the person. Excessive consumption of krill oil may lead to stomach problems like nausea, heartburn, loose stools and a fishy taste in the mouth.
Avoid during Pregnancy/Breastfeeding/Surgery: Though krill oil can be beneficial for pregnant women, more studies are required to prove its benefits and to ensure that there won’t be any side effects. So, to be on the safer side, pregnant and breast-feeding women should avoid it. Similarly, it is believed that krill oil can slow down the process of blood clotting. Thus it may increase the risk of bleeding during or after surgery. So, people are advised to stop taking krill oil at least 2 weeks before surgeries.”

What is especially noteworthy is that krill are small shrimp-like crustaceans and belong to the same subphylum of seafoods to which many people are allergic. Therefore, it is advisable to look very closely at any possible allergy to shellfish. By and large, The Health Coach recommends strict avoidance of all shellfish and their byproducts for anyone working through chronic or infectious disease, auto-immune disorders, multi-infection syndromes, as well as any other major health challenges. Sorry, but shellfish are usually one of the first to go when trying to clean up the diet.

Conclusion:
What we have strongly suggested through this session is that seafood oils have a cost/benefit ratio that needs to be very carefully considered, especially by those who are burdened by a toxin overload. Even if you are not unduly burdened, you would want to seriously consider any regular substantial expenditure on a product that is rancid. Especially when such products are devoid of much of their nutritional value (with the exception of omege-3s) because it is fundamentally a very unstable animal byproduct.

May you enjoy great health,
The Health Coach

Best Recommendation:
By far the best source of omega-3 fatty acids are vegetable sources. They’re much easier to digest and in a much better complex when coming from plant-based sources.
Flax seed is particularly high in omega-3s, but we DO NOT recommend flax seed oil. Best to receive the oil from the whole organic, fresh seeds whenever possible. That’s because extracted flax seed oil goes rancid very quickly as well.
There are a variety of ways to eat flax seeds, but our favorite is to drink a cup of flax seed tea. Boil a cup of water and add anywhere a 1/2 teaspoon of seeds or more and let it steep for as long as possible. Then drink up, but chew the seeds as much as possible.
Other sources include walnuts, cashews and pecans as suggested at this website: OMEGA 3 VEGETABLE SOURCES

A Litmus Test:
Take a dead cod fish or cod liver and let it sit out for a bit. How healthy do you think the oil contained within the dead body will be in an hour, a day or a month?
Take a flax seed and let it sit out for a bit. How much will the integrity of that oil be diminished, as long as it is not ground up with mortar and pestle?

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Since The Health Coach does not diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure, or heal any type of disease or medical condition, the information contained at this website is not intended to provide specific physical, mental, emotional or psychological health advice.
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© 2012 The Health Coach

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