As we all know, deep sea fishes are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (DHA), which can promote the brain and eye development of babies. However, from an earlier tests done by the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) on selected food samples, it is found that salmon actually contains the most harmful substance of non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL-PCBs). So, should we refrain from consuming fishes from now on? How, then, can we supplement DHA?

What is non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL-PCBs)?

NDL-PCBs is a type of substance the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has identified as harmful for humans. It will not only affect our endocrine system and interfere with the body’s level of thyroxine, it will also affect our immune system and alter neurobehavioral development. NDL-PCBs is a fat-soluble substance, which will dissolve in animal fats. Incidentally, out of the 71 food samples CFS has ran tests on, 59 of them contain NDL-PCBs, and fishes, seafood and other products contains the highest amount of NDL-PCBs! 

Is eating fish safe?

Salmon is found to contain the highest amount of NDL-PCBs, and a person should not have a NDL-PCBs consumption of more than 10Ng/kg of body weight, which is equivalent to a daily intake not exceeding 500Ng of NDL-PCBs for a person who weights 50kg. That accounts for around 8 to 9 pieces of salmon sashimi. As babies’ have smaller physical sizes, the daily limit will be reduced. For example, a 3 year old child who weights around 30 pounds can only consume 24g of salmon at maximum daily, which equals to around 2 pieces of salmon sashimi. Let’s take a look at the following table for reference. 

* 1mcg=1000 Ng

How to eat fishes healthily?

Under normal conditions, we do not need to be too cautious in eating the above fishes. The following healthy diet tips can help us to reduce the amount of NDL-PCBs absorbed.

1. Maintain a balanced and diversified diet, such as having more fruits and vegetables.

2. Avoid frequent consumption of seafood which are high in NDL-PCBs in large amounts, such as salmon.

3. Consume different types of fishes in adequate amounts, and choose those with lower amounts of NDL-PCBs.

4. Avoid overconsumption of animal fats, such as:

• Remove visible fats from food before cooking
• Avoid using animal fats for cooking and use olive oil
• Use cooking methods which require less oil (such as grill, bake and blanch)

Apart from eating salmon, how can we supplement DHA?

If we want to avoid contamination and supplement DHA easily, taking life’sDHA™ algal oil that extracted from micro sea algae will be a smart choice. Not only pollutant-free, it does not contains any fishy aftertaste as well, allowing everyone, no matter adults, children or those who are pregnant, to enjoy natural and safe DHA anytime and anywhere. The vegetarian formula is suitable for vegetarians as well.