Seafood is not only a great source of protein, but also rich in long-chain omega-3 EPA and DHA fatty acids. Unfortunately, the quality matters. Some types of seafood may contain high levels of heavy metals such as mercury that could be harmful to health. The way seafood is prepared can also have an impact on the delicate nature of the polyunsaturated EPA and DHA oils. The best dietary sources of EPA and DHA omega-3s include salmon, anchovies, herring, shad, sardines, Pacific oysters, trout, and Atlantic and Pacific mackerel. Especially if pregnant or breastfeeding, it’s important to limit or avoid intake of swordfish, King mackerel, tilefish, Bigeye tuna, marlin and orange roughly because of high levels of mercury. Cooking, especially frying, can harm the inherent properties of polyunsaturated oils. For this reason, fried fish is not recommended as a dietary source of EPA and DHA omega-3s. Additionally, the kinds of fish that are typically used in frying, such as haddock, tilapia, or cod, and other white fish tend to have low amounts of polyunsaturated oils. Regardless of intake, scientific data from national surveys and blood analysis has shown that a majority of U.S. adults don’t meet dietary recommendations for omega-3 intake and have lower than recommended plasma levels of EPA and DHA omega-3s.1,2 For these reasons, dietary supplementation is a useful strategy for receiving EPA and DHA omega-3s from fish in optimum amounts daily to fulfill nutritional gaps or to receive desired benefits.*