Most of the time I'm pleased that our choices in alternative supplements rest with just us, and not the FDA or some other government agency until I read an ad for a "burpless Omega 3."

If the majority of Americans are expecting a "burp" to be part and parcel of taking fish oil, my heart plummets for what does this say? We've come to expect it? If you are suffering indigestion from fish oil, toss it out! It's not your digestive tract nor does it happen with good oil. It's the oil! The source of the burp is one of several things - the oil's purity is in question, or it sat in 50 gallon drums in hot warehouses waiting sometimes as long as six months before it is placed into consumable form, i.e., a capsule, or the quality was harmed either in oxidation or lack thereof.

I've been reading information today from purveyors of fish oil in large quantities, how the cost is on the rise from the demand, fish being farmed to meet the supply (that won't have EPA or DHA), and knowing the statistics of consumption, this is not true. But, as with gasoline, prices rise when we want something in a big way. Maybe the demand is coming from other countries but certainly not America. Even though we all know we need fish oil, only 8, about 99 of the 8% who do buy it are purchasing supplements unaware of the importance of the source of fish - it must be fatty to have the levels of EPA and DHA that promote healing. It's essential for pregnant women, children, men, women, adults, and aging seniors. Why? Because we were designed to eat fish and we've systematically removed it from our diet consuming instead soybean oil, flax seed oil, polyunsaturated oil, hydrogenated oils, in huge quantities. Never mind the calories for now although that is important, too, but it's more than that. We are filled with chronic inflammation from an overabundance of all these seed oils.

If we only consumed a bit here and there of the various oils, we'd be fine as long as we added just as much oil from fish but we don't and Americans are paying the price in their health. The statistics are overwhelmingly true - 3 out of 4 Americans have either chronic pain, depression or a diet related disease. If two years ago, the statistics were 2 out of 3, and now its 3 out of 4, we have an enormous problem.

Find a good source of fish oil. If it makes you burp, toss it out. Make sure it's pure liquid, not capsuled, gelled, or any other covering that hides taste, texture and color. It is extremely difficult to manufacture a good source of fish oil in liquid form and a very delicate process that requires skill and molecular distillation. Because of the complexity of the process, and the fatty fish themselves, it's going to cost more than a $15.00 bottle for a two months supply of capsules. If it comes in a glass bottle, you're on the right track. If it's a pure fatty fish, you're doing good. Cod is a lean fish and while it is beneficial in many ways, studies show the EPA and DHA in lean fish do not have the healing benefits of fatty fish. And blended fish is just that, a hodgepodge.

If you should email or call the seller of your fish oil and receive a response, ask the right questions. Your health depends upon it.