Caution: Healthy Choices Could Be Hazardous to Your Health

Data shows that there is a tremendous benefit to consuming more Omega-3 fatty acids, which aren’t made within the human body and must be sourced from our foods. Omega-3 fatty acids are known for their many essential health boosts. 

Among the Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids…

• Lower blood pressure.
• Reduce triglycerides.
• Slow the development of plaque in the arteries.
• Reduce the chance of abnormal heart rhythm.
• Reduce the likelihood of heart attack and stroke.
• Lessen the chance of sudden cardiac death in people with heart disease.

These healthy benefits aren’t available in red meats or fruits and vegetables. Fish, however, are a food source known to be incredibly rich in them. Unfortunately, more and more research is showing that fish are also known to be disappointingly rich in microplastic pollution. 

Plastics aren’t just a problem when we see them floating in the ocean or stuck in branches along the highway. Plastics have been found in microscopic form in the most remote places on the planet. Miles underneath the ocean. High up in mountain streams. Research over the past several years has already established that plastic is absolutely everywhere — even when you can’t see it. 

And it’s what you can’t see that is really the problem. 

The implications of plastic’s inundation in our world are just being uncovered as it relates to our diet and overall health. As microscopic plastic is flushed into rivers and streams – and eventually moving into oceans – it’s being consumed by fish. These sources of essential fatty acids are also feeding us the results of our toxic manufacturing processes. 

Health-conscious consumers will only eat “wild caught” fish, because they are often free of hormones and not tainted by the toxic environments that many farm-raised fish are exposed to. However, these fish caught in the wild still consumed massive amounts of plastic while in the ocean or freshwater lake or river. They often were unable to digest these plastics that eventually absorbed into their bodies. 

Somewhere in between completely healthy choices and complete disregard is the reality in which we live when it comes to plastic consumption. Consuming Omega-3 fatty acids is an essential part of a healthy life. If you’re going to get them from your diet, you’re probably also going to consume plastic along with them. So be aware of what you’re consuming. Be smart about the food choices you make. And be aware of the research and work being done to unpack the true implications of plastic in our diets.