Well, I can't pronounce it, but do understand why we need it. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid in fish that tens of thousands of research studies confirm is essential for a host of things, from cardiovascular health, high blood pressure and cholesterol, painful chronic inflammation, circulatory, and so-on through the list of diet-related diseases.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is another long-chain essential fatty acid in fish that countless research shows is beneficial for Alzheimer patients, all manner of brain deficiencies, children with attention deficit disorder, eye impairments, and more recently, macular degeneration.

So basically, it's two essential fatty acids that we need to improve our health. Of all the countries in the world, Americans suffer more disease and illness from rarely eating fish and instead, consuming Omega 3 seed oil in its place. Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, National Institutes of Health, world's leading authority on Omega 3 explains it all so well. (Visit http://www.nih.gov).

There are thousands of world-wide studies on the healing benefits of EPA and DHA and if they all got together, talked to each other, they could stop ending each study with "but more research is indicated." Suffice it to say, Americans need EPA DHA Omega 3 more than the citizens of most countries. As we systematically removed fish from our diets replacing it with an over abundance of Omega 3 from seed oil from fast food eating, restaurants, prepackaged foods, we hardly take in a drop of essential Omega 3 EPA DHA from Fish Oil. I am capitalizing that for a reason. We are getting plenty of Omega 3 Seed Oil, so plentifully we are floating in it causing chronic inflammation. See TIME cover story, 2/04. Research has come a long way since that article.

Today's textbook science. If they ever got together and talked, they could agree conclusively.

Now the latest research tells us that not all EPA and DHA are created equal for the healing benefits from fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna far outweigh the benefits of cod and other white fish.

Now you can see why it is so important to know the source of the fish in the supplement you are taking. One of my first purchases of fish oil was a "blended fish" with no noticeable improvements in my blood pressure or chronic pain. Well, little did I know then but the price was just so reasonable!

If you want your health to improve, and since every medical research study from Harvard to UCLA all say we have to either eat more fish or supplement, make sure it's a fatty fish from the right source, molecularly distilled, guaranteed free of contaminants or you're not only wasting your money, your health will not improve.

Lois Smithers has spent years researching Omega 3's and other sea-based health solutions. A former avid equestrian who suffered competition injuries, she credits Omega 3 with ending painful chronic inflammation from two fractured vertebra. Together with Debra Morgan, they own Sea-Based Health, LLC, whose main focus is the latest Omega 3 research and sea-based solutions for today's challenging health problems. To sign up for their Omega 3 Health Tips Newsletter, best Omega 3 sources, and latest medical research, visit, http://seabasedhealth.com