Omega-3 fats are some of Mother Nature’s most potent medicines. They reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, as well as ease inflammation, asthma, and pain.
As positive research results on these healthy fats continue to mount, fish oil manufacturers and salmon purveyors have benefited from what has turned into a healthy trend. Now pharmaceutical companies are trying to get a slice of the omega pie.
Natural substances aren’t patentable, but GlaxoSmithKline has found a way around that. By chemically manipulating fish oil, they have created Lovaza – an omega-3 ethyl ester that can be prescribed for around $2.75 per pill.
Unlike real fish oil, though, Lovaza comes with a laundry list of “side effects,” the most common being infection, flu symptoms, and upset stomach. But they don’t end there. Enlarged abdomen, fecal incontinence, and suicide are also listed as risk factors in the prescribing literature.
Sound pretty scary? It may get scarier. Long-term side effects of any pharmaceutical are largely unknown when the drug is released to the public, and more often than not go unreported.
If that isn’t enough, here’s the kicker. Lovaza is approved for use in heart disease – as a cholesterol-lowering medication. Can you guess what the carrier of Lovaza’s fish oil might be? It’s partially hydrogenated soybean oil – a known promoter of heart disease.
Instead of “asking your doctor what Lovaza can do for you,” why don’t you ask your doctor what Lovaza actually does? If he is prescribing this poison, chances are he’s in the dark about its harmful side effects.
Find a new physician. And get your omega-3s – side effect free – by enjoying wild salmon, sardines, and taking Carlson’s fish oil.
[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the founder of Healing Gourmet – the world's leading website on the power of foods to promote health and protect against disease. Her latest work is a revolutionary health transformation program called, Your Plate, Your Fate. In this 7-part program you'll learn how to protect your health and optimize your weight by maximizing the nutrients in your food. Plus, you'll get 3 bonus books to help clear your kitchen of harmful ingredients, spot the nutritional deficiencies that could be setting you up for disease and the 20 tests your doctor should perform (but probably hasn’t) to guard your health. Learn more here.]
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