I Want A New Drug: Do You Really Need Fish Oil or Probiotics? 💊

Pill fatigue is real, let's see where we can make some edits

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5 min read

SHRIMPIN AIN’T EASY

I do my best to not play the fear-mongering clickbait game here because it’s not in my best interest to leave my readers feeling grossed out, upset or judged like Judy.  That said, we need to talk about shrimp.  You may recall the highly nuanced farmed vs wild-caught fish topic from a few issues back, where we learned that more often than not, you want your fish from the wild, and eating low on the food chain (i.e. shrimp and oysters) is generally a good rule of thumb. 

It’s even more nuanced with shrimp: where many farmed varieties yield some unsurprising health risks due to antibiotics in the farm waters, which also harm surrounding habitats, some wild shrimp can also wreak havoc on ocean life, as “In some countries, as much as 90 percent of what gets caught in a shrimp net isn’t shrimp.” Meaning turtles and other small sea animals. 😔 I am an unapologetic shrimp lover; I’m not telling you what to eat or cut out, but I recommend getting a bit smarter on this topic. There are safe sources of both varieties, you just need to know what to look for. Here’s a super user-friendly guide that includes info for both shopping and dining.  At least now you have a good reason to go to Cheesecake Factory.  Kinda like reading Playboy for the articles, amiright? 👀

FISH OIL ≤ SNAKE OIL 

File under: WTF is happening under the sea? After decades of dutifully choking down our fish oil supplements in the name heart health and prenatal care, a new study finds that they may actually pose risks to cardiac health. That is, according to word on the (what’s that word again?) street…

The study found that the supplements increased risk of stroke and the arrhythmia known as AFib in people who are otherwise healthy. So those of us taking Omega- 3’s purely as a preventative measure may want to dial it down. However, for those who already have cardiovascular disease, the supplements were effective in slowing its progression. The study also indicated that over-the-counter fish oil is a no-no compared to prescriptions like Lovaza and Vascepa, but experts largely agree that eating more food sources of Omega-3 like wild salmon, mackerel and lake trout, or vegan sources like flax and chia seeds (though less effective than fish) is safest.

The upside: maybe there’s one less pill you need to make a part of your world.

HERE’S A TIP, MAKE THE CHANGE

While you’re contemplating your best food-based sources of Omega-3, let’s look at another head-scratcher of a supplement that you may or may not need. Probiotics are very buzzy and very confusing. There are strains for women, men, seniors, kids, people with diabetes, people with constipation, prebiotics, symbiotics, etc. And many of them overpromise on “live cultures” while not meeting the basic standards for Colony Forming Units (CFUs), which should be a bare minimum of 5 billion. I am less pro-probiotic and more pro-get it from your food, but there are limits to this approach if your gut needs a real overhaul. Quite simply, you might need a probiotic if:

• You’ve recently taken antibiotics for an infection- it can take up to two months for most bacterial groups to recover to pre-antibiotic levels.

• You’ve had medically necessary opioids or anesthesia in your system.

• You’ve had a colonoscopy—this is a double whammy of anesthesia AND a literal gut wipeout. They should really give you a parting gift bag…

• You don’t like eating fermented foods like kimchi, tempeh, tofu, sauerkraut and all that is good in the world, but no judgments.

• Things just aren’t moving as smoothly as they used to. 💩

All this to say, if you want a new drug, one with no doubt, you gotta study up. Be well, read your labels, and paid subscribers read on for my probiotic picks and some healthy summer travel tips!

WELL ON YOUR WAY

By now you’re prolly daydreaming about summer vacations, I offer Volume II of my picks to keep you feeling well while you’re wandering. Here’s a freebie: Equinox Hotels is hosting their first annual Global Sleep Symposium June 19-21 in NYC, and the experience of staying in their sleep-optimized guest rooms is just the tip of the iceberg, along with a range of experts and full immersion into their sleep mastery program. Book with the code EQSLEEP10. If you can’t stay at Equinox to make your travels healthier, here are a few other ideas, including preventing jet lag!: