Hot weather can impair blood circulation and metabolism. It is because of this influence that we often feel tired and lethargic in the summer. While avoiding the heat and doing light exercise such as stretching to promote blood circulation, taking Omega 3, which is effective in improving blood circulation, is also a way to manage fatigue and lethargy caused by the summer heat.
Omega 3, easy to go rancid in summer
Omega 3, a representative nutritional supplement, is well known to have excellent effects on improving blood circulation and improving blood triglycerides. It is also effective in protecting the skin barrier, which is easily damaged by UV rays in summer. Although it is an essential fatty acid with many advantages, it is not synthesized in the body, so it must be consumed regularly through food or nutritional supplements. Omega 3 is found in nuts and blue-green fish, and if it is difficult to get it in your daily diet, it is also a good idea to take commercially available nutritional supplements.
After purchasing an omega 3 supplement, you should be as careful about storage as it is about taking it. This is because when omega-3 fatty acids go rancid, chemical changes can occur that can turn into carcinogens. There is an opinion that taking rancid omega 3 causes cellular mutations and normal DNA denaturation. Several studies have shown that rancid fatty acids damage living organs, cause inflammation and cancer, and worsen arteriosclerosis.
Omega 3 oxidation occurs in three stages. In the first stage, omega 3 absorbs oxygen and turns into lipid peroxide, and there is no significant change in taste and smell. You can feel the change in smell and taste only when you go from step 2 to step 3. Omega 3, which has been converted to lipid peroxide, produces an aldehyde component and an alcohol component, and a strong fishy smell starts to appear and the color becomes cloudy. If the product smells bad and the color is cloudy when you open it, it is highly likely that rancidity has progressed and you should not take it. Be careful when you touch it, as there is a possibility of rancidity if it is soft or if several capsules are sticky.
‘Cryogenic supercritical’ with low risk of rancidity
To prevent rancidity of omega-3s, they should be stored in the refrigerator or in a cool place. There is also the possibility of rancidity due to debt, so it is better to purchase products packaged in opaque containers as much as possible. They should not be stored near appliances that may transfer heat, such as microwaves or gas stoves. Even if it is stored in a cool place, it must be tightly sealed after taking it to prevent rancidity.
In order to reduce the risk of rancidity, products manufactured by the ‘low temperature supercritical’ method have recently been released. The low-temperature supercritical method is one of the omega 3 extraction methods, and the stability of the product is guaranteed compared to other extraction methods. In general, omega 3 extraction is carried out in two stages, and ‘molecular distillation extraction’ and ‘low temperature supercritical extraction’ are mainly used.
Molecular distillation extraction is a method of extracting omega 3 at a high temperature of 180-200 degrees. As mentioned above, omega 3 is weak to heat, so there is a possibility that the molecular structure will change during the high temperature extraction process and the product may go rancid. On the other hand, low-temperature supercritical extraction is characterized in that it is extracted using carbon dioxide that is harmless to the human body at a low temperature of 50 degrees or less. There is little risk of rancidity, and no chemical solvents are used, so you do not have to worry about residual solvents.