How to Choose the Right Fish Oil Supplement

The health benefits of fish oil supplements are wide ranging and well known. While eating fish to get the benefits from the source would be ideal, fish oil supplements are a boon for people who don't like eating fish or for people needing to take large doses of fish oil to treat chronic conditions like autoimmune diseases, arthritis, high triglycerides, and cardiovascular disease. The beneficial components of fish oil include two types of omega-3 fatty acids called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). With the dizzying array of fish oil supplements available in the market, choosing the right supplement is a difficult task. Find out more about how to choose the right fish oil supplement here.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A high quality pure fish oil supplement

1. Read the labels on the product to make sure that it lists the ingredients EPA and DHA on it. Just because a supplement says that it contains 1 gram of fish oil in a capsule does not mean that all of the one gram is in the form of omega-3 fatty acids. The words EPA and DHA are the true indicators of the amount of the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids in a supplement. If a one gram (1000 mg) fish oil supplement lists that it has 300 mg of EPA and 300 mg of DHA, the supplement contains 600 mg of omega-3 fatty acids.

2. Take a supplement that provides the most EPA and DHA in the smallest dose. A person needing to take 3 grams of fish oil for reducing triglycerides would have to swallow 10 pills of a lower quality supplement that contains 300 mg of omega-3 fatty acids! A higher quality supplement with 600 mg of omega-3 fatty acids in each pill would be a better solution.

3. Consider taking a higher potency fish oil liquid supplement when a larger dose of omega-3 fatty acids is prescribed for therapeutic purposes such as triglyceride reduction, or for rheumatoid arthritis. A teaspoonful of fish oil is easier to swallow than 10 capsules.

4. Find out the source of the fish oil supplement. Fish oil supplements made from fish that are harvested from cleaner waters have a lesser chance of contamination from lead, PCB's and dioxins.

5. Find out the kind of fish used to make the fish oil supplement in consideration. Sardines, anchovies, and salmon are known to be the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids.

6. Look for a fish oil supplement that is pharmaceutical grade. A pharmaceutical grade supplement often contains a higher potency of EPA and DHA in a single pill. Pharmaceutical grade also indicates that a product has met freshness and purity standards.

7. Find out if the fish oil supplement has met purity and freshness standards in third party testing. Quality fish oil supplement manufacturers such as Nordic Naturals are able to provide documentation of third party testing to prove the freshness and purity of their supplements.

8. Get a sample of the fish oil supplement and test it for taste. People who are not big fans of fish should consider a fruit flavored version that masks the fishy odour.

Tips & Warnings

• Store fish oil supplements in the freezer to retain freshness.
• Take fish oil supplements before bed to avoid fish burps in the day.

Resources

• Finding the fish oil supplement that is right for you
• Omega 3 fatty acids, and fish oil
• Test results of fish oils at International Fish Oil Standards
• International Fish Oil Standards tests Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega

[deepakumar]

on 7/17/2009 I cannot agree more. Even if you can buy a six month supply of omega-3 for $10, if you dont get the benefit of it, you just wasted $10!

[cynvela]

on 4/19/2009 Great article about fish oil supplements. I take one that has a unique capsule that prevents fishy taste. :)

[goldiec]

on 4/12/2009 Great article on choosing the right fish oil! 5*

[sonni57]

on 4/9/2009 Good tips on how to choose fish oil supplements.

[Arathi]

on 4/7/2009 Alrady, the Costco fish oil supplement actually tested well in a consumer report testing for purity. If you are just taking it for general good health, they are great. But if someone needs to take it for a health issue, they are not potent enough.