# PCB in fish oil caps



## TrojanMan60563 (Mar 3, 2010)

Hey I saw this thing on the news last night about PCB being found in fish oil caps, and in some companies at a very high level. I read a little on it and its some chemical that has been banned from production for 30 years but still lingers in our waters(probably where its been dumped). I read that supplement companies and extract it from the oils or try to but some companies don't. Because supplements are not regulated nobody has to list the PCB levels on their label. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? PCB causes cancer and that is why it has been banned from being produced...scary shit when you eat 10 caps a day! Also makes me wonder if eating the fish itself could be filling you with PCB. It sounds like a more serious issue than mercury levels.

Any views on this are welcome...thanks


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## Merkaba (Mar 7, 2010)

I'm bumping this because I was wondering what some of the old heads would chime in with...cough cough BUILT cough cough


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## danzik17 (Mar 7, 2010)

All I can say on the matter is that brand and quality matter.  The generic fish oil brands cause my AST/ALT (liver enzyme) levels to skyrocket to literally 300-400% of their normal levels - I have bloodwork that proves this that correlates with me going on and off of fish oils.

I use Life Extension Foundation fish oil now.  It still raises my levels, but nowhere near to the extent that the generics did.


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## TrojanMan60563 (Mar 11, 2010)

I am shocked Built has not had anything to say. I know she is fond of it, and I've been eating 10 caps a day for like a year now.

Danzik if you search it online it says some of the worst offenders are some of the biggest labels...If they can take most or all of this out of the oil they are skimping to make money...that is bogus.

I think until I find out more about this I am going to stop taking it and go back to flax seeds ground up... I eat fish almost everyday too so I am a little nervous about that as well.

I know too much of anything isn't good, and fish in moderation is probably fine...but I eat a lot of fish and a lot of these fish oil caps.


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## ceazur (Mar 17, 2010)

Man I sure hope not, I just bought 2 new bottles!


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## TrojanMan60563 (Mar 17, 2010)

Well I have like 6 more huge bottles... I am tempted to call the company to ask what they do about this stuff in their product if anything. This was brought to light due to a lawsuit in CA. In CA by law they have to list any poisons on labels and these supplement companies don't obviously. So I'm not sure what to think/do.

I am shocked more people have not had something to say about this...it seems serious to me.


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## Merkaba (Mar 18, 2010)

I also would like to see some place where purity standards are tested/discussed for supplement companies....any?


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## jcar1016 (Mar 18, 2010)

Merkaba said:


> I also would like to see some place where purity standards are tested/discussed for supplement companies....any?


 You wont find any as sups arent regulated and tests cost money so if theyre not required they arent gonna.  Also Trojan if you are that concerned why not ditch the fish oil caps and go with safe natural sources.  Add farm raised salmon and other fish to your daily diet and you get all the benifits of Omega3 and omega6 without the PCB's and Mercury issues


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## TrojanMan60563 (Mar 18, 2010)

jcar1016 said:


> You wont find any as sups arent regulated and tests cost money so if theyre not required they arent gonna.  Also Trojan if you are that concerned why not ditch the fish oil caps and go with safe natural sources.  Add farm raised salmon and other fish to your daily diet and you get all the benifits of Omega3 and omega6 without the PCB's and Mercury issues



I have stopped taking them, and I do eat a lot of fish. I will have to be more picky when I shop because I think I eat wild salmon. Thanks for the advice on the farm raised fish. I thought I heard something about them not having the same nutrition values as the wild due to their diet in a farm....but I could be wrong.


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## ceazur (Mar 18, 2010)

Selling Fish Caps!! PM for Info


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## jcar1016 (Mar 18, 2010)

TrojanMan60563 said:


> I have stopped taking them, and I do eat a lot of fish. I will have to be more picky when I shop because I think I eat wild salmon. Thanks for the advice on the farm raised fish. I thought I heard something about them not having the same nutrition values as the wild due to their diet in a farm....but I could be wrong.


 You are correct but the diference is negligable at best its just sales propaganda so they can charge more for wild caught


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## Merkaba (Mar 18, 2010)

Well I've been thinking about a vegan omega complex anyways....  Damn they are expensive though.  Where's the Built!???


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## TrojanMan60563 (Mar 18, 2010)

Merkaba said:


> Well I've been thinking about a vegan omega complex anyways....  Damn they are expensive though.  Where's the Built!???



No clue...I'd have bet she'd have something to say on this topic...being a big fan of those fish caps I thought for sure she would have looked into it and put her 2 cents in. She if anyone would be able to validate or shed some light on this topic.

Farm raised fish for this kid from here on out...along with range meat/eggs/milk. Sugar is the devil!


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## Merkaba (Mar 18, 2010)

TrojanMan60563 said:


> No clue...I'd have bet she'd have something to say on this topic...being a big fan of those fish caps I thought for sure she would have looked into it and put her 2 cents in. She if anyone would be able to validate or shed some light on this topic.
> 
> Farm raised fish for this kid from here on out...along with range meat/eggs/milk. Sugar is the devil!



yep.  And sugar is the devil?  You mean grain fed?  

And for me sugar is the devil now.  I'm having a hard time cutting due to carbs wanting to linger around my diet!


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## TrojanMan60563 (Mar 18, 2010)

Merkaba said:


> yep.  And sugar is the devil?  You mean grain fed?
> 
> And for me sugar is the devil now.  I'm having a hard time cutting due to carbs wanting to linger around my diet!



I meant sugar you eat....in any form...if I could stop eating sugar I'd be where I want to be...mostly in the form of pasta...rice...potato...an rarely sweets. I want to stop eating sugar foods all together.


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## Merkaba (Mar 18, 2010)

TrojanMan60563 said:


> I meant sugar you eat....in any form...if I could stop eating sugar I'd be where I want to be...mostly in the form of pasta...rice...potato...an rarely sweets. I want to stop eating sugar foods all together.



Oh I'd be simply ripped to shreds.  Its funny I'll get these bouts of inspiration and be like, its just carbs.  I'll eat this and that and make it through the day and soon be where I want to be, just stick to it.  Then the next thing you know, that serotonin starts calling me.  Fucking drugs.


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## Merkaba (Mar 18, 2010)

( <---- Puts the "B" over the large Light and shines it in the night sky....)


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## Built (Mar 19, 2010)

LMAO!

I've read scaremongering over PCB, heavy metals etc for years, but have never seen anything credible that suggests the major brand names have any problems. 

Lesser known brands, I cannot answer. I seem to recall reading something in Consumer Reports a while back that said there were very few brands with problems; as I recall the brand I buy at Costco was fine.


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## TrojanMan60563 (Mar 19, 2010)

Built said:


> LMAO!
> 
> I've read scaremongering over PCB, heavy metals etc for years, but have never seen anything credible that suggests the major brand names have any problems.
> 
> Lesser known brands, I cannot answer. I seem to recall reading something in Consumer Reports a while back that said there were very few brands with problems; as I recall the brand I buy at Costco was fine.



What counts as credible? There is testing on like multiple large supplement companies that are exceeding legal PCB limits. It was on the major news channel ABC or NBC here in Chicago. I can probably find a link to their news.


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## danzik17 (Mar 19, 2010)

Built said:


> LMAO!
> 
> I've read scaremongering over PCB, heavy metals etc for years, but have never seen anything credible that suggests the major brand names have any problems.
> 
> Lesser known brands, I cannot answer. I seem to recall reading something in Consumer Reports a while back that said there were very few brands with problems; as I recall the brand I buy at Costco was fine.



I get the feeling it's an individual thing, kind of like allergies.  That's the only way I can think of explaining something where you experience no side effects, yet my liver values shoot through the roof on the same brand of oil.

Maybe I'm just extremely sensitive to PCBs or impurities?  Or maybe I'm allergic to fish and just don't know it.  I get the feeling it's the former though as my values stay in a more reasonable although still elevated range on certain oils (LEF to be precise).


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## Built (Mar 19, 2010)

TrojanMan60563 said:


> What counts as credible?



Well, if you have a test done by an approved analytical lab that shows a problem, show it to me. Consumer Reports is credible. Will Brink is credible. Mercola is not.


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## DaMayor (Mar 19, 2010)

Built said:


> Well, if you have a test done by an approved analytical lab that shows a problem, show it to me. Consumer Reports is credible. Will Brink is credible. Mercola is not.



Whats' this? You dispute the great Mercola?

Expound.


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## Merkaba (Mar 20, 2010)

Lawsuit: Disclose PCB Levels in Fish Oil - CBS News


http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/truth-fish-oil-concerns/story?id=9994049


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## Built (Mar 21, 2010)

I'd like to see the actual side-by-side reports. Any of these reports list those-or the testing protocols used? Batches vary; quality control methods need to investigate with this in mind. I take a lot of this stuff; it is important for me to know if the brand I use is unsafe, and/or if its safety is variable.


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## TrojanMan60563 (Mar 21, 2010)

Built I don't know if CBS lists where the test were done or specific info on how they were done. From what I read it doesn't just seem like a BS story. That is why I posted it because I know many people on here consume these fish oil caps, myself included. It makes me a little curious to know if there is something fishy going on.


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## Will Brink (Apr 16, 2010)

Merkaba said:


> Lawsuit: Disclose PCB Levels in Fish Oil - CBS News



To which they conclude with:

"CBS News, pointed out two 2008 reports that found no unsafe levels of dioxin, mercury or PCBs in a wide array of products - one from Consumer Reports and another from the well-regarded supplement testing publication ConsumerLab."

You will note those are mostly budget brands listed. PCB levels - as found by those two groups and others - tend to be quite low in modern fish oil products, but I still wouldn't use budget brands personally and will buy from premium companies who have higher QC standards, etc.


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## Built (Apr 16, 2010)

Thank you Will. 

As a segue, what is your opinion of Poliquin's recommendations for 1.5g fish oil per pound bodyfat, for cutting? I have yet to see any rationale behind why he suggests going so high, but I'm interested to hear your take on this. 

(the dosing recommendation is based on 30% EPA/DHA fish oil, or about half a gram of EPA/DHA per pound bodyfat)


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## jcar1016 (Apr 16, 2010)

Hey Built,

Curious to hear your thoughts on the new prescription med Lovaza.  Sounds preety good maybe too good. What you think?


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## Will Brink (Apr 16, 2010)

Built said:


> Thank you Will.
> 
> As a segue, what is your opinion of Poliquin's recommendations for 1.5g fish oil per pound bodyfat, for cutting? I have yet to see any rationale behind why he suggests going so high, but I'm interested to hear your take on this.
> 
> (the dosing recommendation is based on 30% EPA/DHA fish oil, or about half a gram of EPA/DHA per pound bodyfat)



Some of my fish oils thoughts are here:

Are You An Educated Consumer? Lessons in Saving Money By Reading Labels: Fish Oil Supplements.


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## DaMayor (Apr 16, 2010)

Very informative, Mr. Brink.


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