Omega 3 Fish Oil

http://www.ifosprogram.com/IFOS/ConsumerReport.aspxIll not repeat all the amazing health benefits to omega-3 fish oil, and the only side effect is sometimes fishy burps if you take on an empty stomach.  Many are deodorized to reduce that occurrence.  The important part is the dosage.  First you have to identify the active ingredient EPA and DHA the ALA found in Flax seed, often added to boost the numbers, does not count.  The body has to uses huge quantities of ALA to convert into small amounts of EPA, fish oil is much cheaper.  Add up the EPA and DHA per serving, sometimes this is one capsule, other times they are sneaky and a serving is three capsules.  This is the measure of what really counts.  A healthy person needs a maintenance does of about 2,500 mg each day.  If you are suffering from obesity or any kind of -itis (arthritis) or at risk for cardiovascular disease like heart attacks, then you should work up from 2,500 to 10,000 or even 15,000 mg.  EPA thins the blood out really well, and is able to cross into the brain unlike many anti-inflammatory.  The brain in fact wants to consists of 50%  DHA so considering modern diets have very little, out brains are likely starving, and using old parts.  Now the concerns about mercury and dioxins and PCBs.  Mercury cannot attack to the fatty acids, so if your capsules are concentrated (and dont by them if they have lots of filler) then there is no mercury in them.  If your capsules are molecularly  distilled then that takes care of the PCBs and Dioxins.  Some parts of the ocean are cleaner than others, while smaller fish lower on the food chain are also cleaner.  I have seen many reports indicating 95% of the capsules tested had very low levels of contaminants and equal or more than claimed EPA and DHA values.  Freezing your capsules is a simple test, they should remain soft if they are pure.  You do get what you pay for to a point, there is lots of marketing and branding out there, but for those who place a premium on safety check here before you select a brand.  IFOS

Bone Health

Calcium, Magnesium, and Vitamin D3, everyone knows these as critical ingredients for healthy bones.  There are more side benefits to these three essential minerals and pro-hormone.  Inside each muscle cell is a compartment of calcium which the the cell uses in the process of creating the electric current that that contracts the sarcomeres and thus the muscle fibers.  Calcium also serves as the body's pH buffer to prevent an over acidic environment.  High carb and grain in the diet lead to acidic conditions.  This causes the body to pull calcium from the bones in order to raise the pH to acceptable levels.  pH is critical because many enzymes only function in narrow ranges of pH.  Magnesium helps the body to slow down, that's how milk of magnesia works, it slows down the peristaltic muscle action helping loosen you up. D3 is a pro-hormone that regulates all sorts of important body functions.  90% of the US population is very low in D3, side effect include weakness, fatigue, and even chronic fatigue syndrome and depression.  Get your sun, the further north you live the more you need, especially in the fall and winter.