Looking at the major risk factors for early death, a group of researchers found that consuming too few omega-3 fatty acids was even more deadly than eating too many trans fats. Ranked as the 6th greatest killer, omega-3 deficiency has been attributed to 84,000 preventable deaths in just one year. Yet a whopping 77 percent of people polled don’t know low levels can be harmful to their health. Here’s what you need to know.

I’ll be the first to admit that fish oils aren’t my top choice as a source of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA.

Thanks to overfishing, marine pollution, threatened habitats, and cesspool-like fish farms, many omega-3 fish oil supplements are becoming more of a health hazard than a beneficial contribution to diet.

Fish oil is mostly derived from species that contain high levels of heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, lead, chromium, and arsenic, and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and radioactive substances like strontium.

If you knew better, you wouldn’t eat these fish, so why would you want to supplement with their oil?

At the same time, we’re facing a crisis... Because the American diet is so woefully deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and far too heavy in omega-6 fatty acids, we’re seeing epidemic levels of both omega-3 deficiency and omega-3 and -6 imbalances.

I believe everyone needs a reliable source of omega-3s to help maintain an adequate intake of omega-3s and a healthy, optimal omega 3-to-6 balance.

Although my preference for a clean, sustainable, and bioavailable source of omega-3 fats is krill oil - and I believe that is the ideal option for most people - I realize this may not be for everyone