Does Baking and Frying Fish Destroy Omega-3 Content?

You’ve likely heard that eating fatty fish is a good way to get more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids into your diet. And that’s true!

But if you’re a fan of fish fry, you may not be getting as much omega-3 as you think. In fact, how you prepare your fish can affect the amount of omegas in your meal.

In this article, we’ll look at how frying, baking and canning fish affects its omega-3 content. And for all of you interested in taking your omega-3 levels up a notch, we’ll also address the favorite question: Can you cook with fish oil?

Omega-3 Content in Fried Tuna Versus Cooked Tuna

How does cooking affect the omega-3 content of fish? It’s a pressing question in an age of widespread omega-3 deficiency.

Today, over 80% of the world’s population doesn’t even get half the recommended daily intake of omega-3s. That’s problematic, since low omega-3 levels are connected with worse health outcomes for the heart, brain, joints and more.

To date, a number of researchers have studied how different cooking methods affect the amount of EPA and DHA omega-3s in fish. For example, one study from India examined the omega-3 content in fried tuna. Researchers found that 70 – 85% of the EPA and DHA content was destroyed due to the high heat in the frying process.

Study investigators also explored several other ways of preparing tuna. The verdict:

• Canning destroyed most of the omega-3 content in the tuna.
• Cooking the tuna, as opposed to canning, frying and microwaving, preserved the greatest amount of EPA and DHA fatty acids.

EPA and DHA Content in Baked Fish

Another study from Greece compared different ways of preparing fish – this time working with anchovies and sardines.

The researchers found that when they baked sardines rich in EPA and DHA for 20 minutes at 200°C (about 400°F), the fish retained its rich EPA and DHA content. However, when they fried the fish, researchers noted that the fatty acid profile changed completely. It no longer resembled the fatty acid structure of the fish!

The Healthiest Way to Prepare Fish

Studies on cooking fish consistently rank frying as the least healthy option.

This isn’t terribly surprising. When you fry fish in a skillet, you expose the omega-3 fatty acids to high temperatures and oxygen at the same time. As the fatty acids get overheated, they begin to break down, meaning you end up with significantly less omega-3 in your meal.

In both studies cited above, baking or boiling the fish best preserved the omega-3s. Combining the fish oil with other cooking oils—specifically olive oil—also seemed to add extra protection to the omega-3 fats.

These findings match the conclusions found in other studies. One comprehensive review recommended baking and steaming fish as best, followed by boiling, grilling and microwaving.

Following the researchers’ advice, we should ask for baked or steamed fish presentations, rather than deep frying or even pan frying meals. And while one study isn’t enough to raise red flags about all canned fish, it would be appropriate to suggest that canned food may not have the same nutritional value as fresh food.

Omega-3 Implications for Research Studies

For omega-3 researchers, these findings could be crucial to future epidemiological studies. When analyzing how diet impacts health outcomes, researchers typically record the consumption of seafood, but not how that seafood is prepared.

For example, in a large study of omega-3 fatty acids some years ago, the researchers  concluded that omega-3s lacked any real health value. But these same researchers included deep fried fish and chips as a source of omega-3s. Study results may have been completely different if the impact of fish preparation had been included in the analyses.

To accurately determine the advantages of consuming omega-3 fatty acids, we need to pay attention to the preparation and quality of the source material used in the studies. As the above findings indicate, not all fish and fish oil provide the same values of omega-3s.

Can You Cook With Fish Oil?

For many people, getting enough omega-3s from eating fish alone isn’t possible or realistic. In these cases, getting a high quality liquid fish oil is a good way to increase your levels.

A fresh liquid fish oil, like Omega Cure®, has little taste and can be enjoyed on its own. Or, you can incorporate it into cold foods, like a homemade salad dressing or smoothies.

Frying or sautéing with fish oil is a bad idea. Fish oil has a very low smoke point, which means it starts to break down at a relatively low temperature and reduces the nutritional value. In these instances, other oils such as olive oil or avocado oil are more suitable.

What About Baking with Fish Oil?

At Omega3 Innovations, we also make a unique supplement called the Omega Cookie®. It’s a chocolate chip meal replacement bar that contains as much omega-3 as a 5 oz fillet of salmon (2000 mg of EPA and DHA).

Oftentimes, we get the question: How do we know we’re not destroying the omega-3 fatty acids in the Omega Cookie when we bake it?

In creating the patented Omega Cookie®, we measured the impact of temperature and time on nutritional value. We conducted several 12-week long trials, where we measured changes in omega-3 index levels to see if the fish oil in the cookie was being effectively absorbed.

Our average participant doubled the amount of EPA and DHA in his or her cell membranes – a clear indication that the fish oil was still present after baking and was being absorbed well.

We have found a way to bake with fish oil without creating any fishy taste, all the while maintaining the nutritional value of fresh fish. Rest assured, you can eat any Omega3 Innovations product with confidence, knowing they deliver the best omega-3 fish oil on the market today.

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