If you aren't informed on alkylglycerols you can read about their therapeutic potential here:
https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC2953404/
https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC2920550/
Alkylglycerols are glycerol-based lipids (just like typical triglycerides) except that instead of an ester bond between the glycerol and the fatty acid there is an ether bond (they are also known as glyceryl ether lipids). Alkylglycerols hold great potential in the realm of immune-boosting and cancer-fighting compounds. They also have the unique property of enhancing penetration of the blood brain barrier (whether this is a good or bad quality I don't know)
However, alkylglycerols supplements are at high risk for contamination with dioxins and heavy metals like mercury. This is because they are mostly derived from the fatty tissues of deep-water predators high up in the food chain (sharks, skates, and ratfish). In fact, I was supplementing with Ratfish Liver Oil by Rosita (https://evclo.com/pr...fish-liver-oil/) but stopped immediately when I read this report by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority:
https://www.nutraing...il-supplements#
Despite what Rosita claims on their website (that they have a method of filtration that removes all contaminants), the NFSA found that their Ratfish Liver Oil tested way over the EU limit for dioxins. Dioxins are very pernicious toxins which take many many years to eliminate from your body. They are cancer-causing endocrine disrupters and there is no safe upper limit for ingestion. The concentration of mercury in Rosita's Ratfish Liver Oil, on the other hand, was not over the limit. However, I suspect that alkylglycerol supplements derived from sharks (like Bell Lifestyle's Shark Liver Oil sold on Amazon) may very well be over the limit for methylmercury.
This appears to be one of the tragic results of human industry on the environment. Dioxins and methylated mercury compounds that persist in our oceans are a direct result of human activity. It is a shame that we have contaminated the seas which hold such promise in understanding health and disease. These days, you can't even eat fish (a rich source of protein, omega 3's, astaxanthin, selenium, and B-vitamins) regularly without risking your long-term health.
So, if anyone can be of assistance here:
Besides human breast milk and shark/skate/ratfish liver oil, are there any safe sources of alkylglycerols?
Edited by Furniture, 05 June 2020 - 12:11 AM.