4. Omega 3 and Aspirin
Summary
Aspirin + Fish Oil produces Resolvins that reduce the body’s inflammatory response to COVID-19, and speeds recovery,
In Australia, the best fish are freshwater farmed Jade and Silver Perch: high oil without sea-sourced contaminants.
Supplement the fish with quality Omega 3 capsules, and very low dose aspirin which can be food sourced.
Why:
The production of Resolvins from fish oil is boosted by a chemical reaction with low dose aspirin
Seafood sourced Omega 3 is better than plant sourced as they provide EPA & DHA, while plants provide ALA which isn’t as effective.
High consumption of oily fish is recommended, almost daily.
Eating oily fish, rather than taking supplements, offers a greater nutritional benefit.
Fish are good sources of Vitamin D and Melatonin.
Fish eaten with vegetables, fruit and nuts and other nutrients and compounds found in the Mediterranean Diet such as Melatonin, Vitamins C and D cultivate a healthy gut microbiome.
It means less inflammation-boosting Omega-6 from the Western Diet which otherwise negates the Omega-3 benefits.
A bonus is that they help thin the blood, and hence should counter clots triggered by COVID-19. (6a)
What:
Fish
1. Jade and Silver Perch - inland Australian native farmed fish with the highest Omega-3. Some people don’t like them as they are … “too oily”. That is why we need them. Jade Perch is the world’s oiliest fish with around 3 times the amount of Omega 3 as Salmon. The oil sustains them while they wait out droughts in waterholes in rivers leading to Lake Eyre.
2. Sardines - although sea-sourced, because they are small have built up less toxins
3. Tinned ocean Salmon.
Avoid farmed Salmon, and large fish like Swordfish despite being high in Omega 3.
Supplements
Omega 3 capsules should be treated as a daily supplement when needed to rapidly escalate your anti-inflammatory efforts such as with infection.
Problems with non-medical grade fish oil include risks of being rancid (which is not obvious), contaminants, inaccurate dosage and damage to the sea environments.
Other sources
Walnuts, seaweed, algae, flaxseed and chia seeds, although not as good as the ALA needs to be converted, and fish are much better at it than humans.
Grass fed livestock & eggs from grass fed chickens. Grass fed = Omega 3; Grain fed = Omega 6 which is way too high in Oz & US diets.
Aspirin
There may be some allergy and other risks associated with aspirin, it’s natural equivalent salicylate acid, nuts, and even fish.
100 mg cut in half taken every second day with food, or a quarter daily, seems adequate as it is only a trigger.
Alway take it on a full stomach.
Aspirin concerns also include bleeding and reduced bone density with long term use. However, the aspirin dose suggested for triggering Resolvins is very low being less than 1/12 of a full adult dose, and hopefully only needed for a matter months, to achieve a positive outcome
To play it safe it would seem that you can get sufficient salicylate acid (aspirin) in the right foods. Some are very high.
Where:
Silver Perch are more widely available than their Qld cousins, particularly in NSW. In Sydney, they are popular in Asian restaurants, are plentiful at the Sydney Fish Markets. The freshest can be purchased at Marrickville Seafood Outlet, 277 Marrickville Road as they keep live fish to supply the local restaurants.
Jade Perch like the warmer climes of Qld.
Sardines from Pro Seafoods in Port Lincoln, Sth Australia. Available from Poulos Bros Seafoods and Claudio’s Seafood at the Sydney Fish Markets. Also, Manettas Seafood Market - Fresh Seafood Delivery Sydney, Melbourne & Central Coast
To help keep our Sinch Health personal supplier of Silver Perch (a Mid-North Coast fish farm) in business, and making weekly deliveries to Sydney during the virus crisis, we are testing the idea of offering a Sydney Metropolitan delivery of orders of 5 KG of cleaned, whole Silver Perch ready to cook/freeze $199 + $25 delivery. Email to orders@sinch.com.au, or sms 0412 235949
Omega 3: We use BioCeutical UltraClean EPA/DHA Plus “Practitioner Only”. 240 capsules are $70+ at Chemist Warehouse and Priceline - you need to ask at the Script Counter.
Fish Cooking Tips
To preserve the integrity of the Omega 3 oil, it is better to avoid high heat.
Use a slow cooker or sous vide method rather than “chuck it on the BarB”.
Eat the skin - it, and the darker flesh supporting it holds a lot of the goodness.