The Fish Oil Fix

by Amy Medling, founder of PCOS Diva

Fish Oil (DHA) has long been recognized by medical and health professionals as a vital supplement for maintaining health and as a very important component of the PCOS diet.  Fish oil, derived from cold water fish, is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids like Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

For women with PCOS, it is an effective tool for:

• Lowering testosterone,^[1]
• Reducing fatty liver, cholesterol, triglycerides and lowering blood pressure
• Managing mood, improving depression and heightening brain function
• Improving insulin levels, hair and skin quality, and ovulation
• Inhibiting inflammation

In addition to fish, other sources such as nuts, seeds and flax oil contain Omega 3 fatty acids.  Unfortunately, many women with PCOS are unable to efficiently process the Omega 3s found in these alternative sources because our bodies require an enzyme called D6D to convert them into a usable form.  Many women with PCOS have a D6D impairment, and so, cannot benefit from these sources.  You can essentially skip this conversion step by taking a fish oil supplement in a form that most everyone can utilize. For more detailed information about D6D and fish oil, read my post, “Fishin’ For a Remedy for PCOS.”

For women with PCOS, fish oil may be effective in treating two of the symptoms we all share, inflammation^[2] and insulin resistance^[3]. For this reason, I was thrilled to include fish oil in my line of PCOS Essentials.  As you know, I very carefully research and choose each product and use them myself.  PCOS Diva Ultra DHA is no exception.  It is an important supplement for women with PCOS, and I wanted to be sure that we had the best product available.

It is nearly impossible to consume enough fish to gain the benefits your body needs, so science has helped us out by developing technologies to deliver the nutrients efficiently.

I am particularly confident in my PCOS Diva Ultra DHA for 2 reasons: chemistry and quality.

Chemistry: The fish oil found in PCOS Diva Ultra DHA is composed of a triglyceride (TG) version of the nutrient instead of ethyl-ester (EE).  It is derived from natural sources and processed in a way that makes it more bioavailable than its ethyl ester cousins.  You see, in order to take in enough fish oil to be effective, its molecular structure must be concentrated.  Otherwise, you would have to take many, many capsules to get the desired dosage.  In order to do that, the naturally occurring molecules in fish oil (TG) are broken away from their glycerol backbone and concentrated onto an ethanol molecule, creating ethyl-ester. Most manufacturers leave it at that.  A very few manufacturers will then spend the extra time and money to reconvert the EE concentrate back to a molecule with an identical structure to the naturally occurring triglyceride, but in a more concentrated form.  Research shows that TG is better absorbed into the body then EE, and is more effective sooner^{[4], [5]}.  PCOS Ultra DHA makes this conversion, so it can go to work right away to alleviate our symptoms.

Quality: Like you, I have been concerned with all of the news stories recently of supplements being pulled from the shelves because they did not, in fact, contain the nutrients that were advertised on the label.  How does that happen?  Simple- the FDA does not regulate supplements.  That means that the vast majority of supplements on the market come with no quality assurance of ingredients or consistency from tablet to tablet.  I am proud to say that PCOS Diva Ultra DHA is independently tested and GMP certified to assure consistent quality of ingredients as well as that it contains no harmful materials such as pesticides, dioxin, PCBs or heavy metals.

I am proud to offer you PCOS Diva Ultra DHA.  It is the highest quality version of a key supplement. Order yours at the PCOS Diva store individually or in a cost effective bundle with PCOS Diva Essentials Multivitamin and PCOS Diva Vitamin D.

Amy Medling, best-selling author of Healing PCOS and certified health coach, specializes in working with women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), who are frustrated and have lost all hope when the only solution their doctors offer is to lose weight, take a pill, and live with their symptoms. In response, Amy founded PCOS Diva and developed a proven protocol of supplements, diet, and lifestyle programs that offer women tools to help gain control of their PCOS and regain their fertility, femininity, health, and happiness.  

[1] Azadeh Nadjarzadeh, Ph.D., The effect of omega-3 supplementation on androgen profile and menstrual status in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized clinical trial, Iran J Reprod Med. 2013 Aug; 11(8): 665–672.
[2] Festa, A et al, Chronic subclinical inflammation as part of the insulin resistance syndrome: the Insulin Reistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS), Circulation, 2000, 4(102):42-7
[3] Strolien, LH et al, Fish oil prevents insulin resistance induced by a high-fat feeding in rats, Sciuence, 1987, 21(237):885-8
[4] Lawson, L.D. and B.G. Hughes, Human absorption of fish oil fatty acids as triacylglycerols, free acids, or ethyl esters. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1988. 152(1): p. 328-35.
[5] Krokan, H.E., K.S. Bjerve, and E. Mork, The enteral bioavailability of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid is as good from ethyl esters as from glyceryl esters in spite of lower hydrolytic rates by pancreatic lipase in vitro. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1993. 1168(1): p. 59-67.