Omega 3 Seed Oil - How Are We Getting So Much Of It? Food and Drug Administration, American Heart Association

It should come as no surprise that 40% of our trans fat consumption here in the US is coming from commercial baked goods which is defined as cakes, cookies, crackers, doughnuts, pies and bread, 8% fried potatoes, 4% shortening and 5% popcorn and chips. The FDA defines trans fats as "From hydrogenated (hardened) oil found in fried foods, commercial baked goods, processed foods, and margarine." We consume an additional 17% from margarine. Add to that, 21% from animal products and it becomes rather clear, we are swimming in seed oils and fats.

Monosaturated fats from avocado, olive, peanut and canola oils and polyunsaturated oils from seafood, safflower, sunflower, corn and soy may help reduce cholesterol but only if you swap those for saturated fats. The distinction is critical - a replacement has to happen in order to lower cholesterol. Eliminate the saturated fats which the FDA defines as whole milk, butter, cheese, fatty meats, coconut oil, palm oil and cocoa butter, the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol, and substitute monosaturated fats and you might lower your cholesterol.

Having the fast food lifestyles Americans have today, it is highly unlikely we can significantly change our eating patterns to such an extent we can drastically reduce our seed oil consumption for it's all around us at every turn. The only feasible way to change the fatty acid cart and tip the scales in favor of fish oil fatty acids is to either consume fish everyday or supplement with a high quality, molecularly distilled fatty fish oil - one that is what it purports to be and is refined as it promises it is. All you have to do is prick a capsule and you'll know.

It is clear in research of our evolution; we were physiologically designed to consume fish, not just once in a while, but as a basic staple in our diet. Our neighbors in Mediterranean countries, as well as China and Japan know a far better health than Americans, as is clearly demonstrated in the statistics of heart disease and depression in those countries compared to America.

The link to cognitive disorders is not just possible, it is very real. We are writing an estimated ten million prescriptions every year for antidepressants for kids between the ages of one and 17. That is a staggering amount. Countless research today clearly shows a link in deprivation of essential fatty acids (PUFA's) from fish oils in cognitive disorders. A friend of mine's son suffered severely from ADD. He had been taking the prescription drug, Concerta, for three years when she began to add a high potency fish oil supplement to his diet. Without stopping the Concerta, within two weeks the change in her son's behavior was so startling, she slowly weaned him off Concerta. Today, he's a smart, clear-headed teenager getting good grades again with behavior problems a thing of the past. This begs our attention for our young children. And this is just one of thousands of such testimonies across America.