The Truth About Good Fish Oils
Posted on August 25, 2009
There are plenty of good fish oils on the market, but there are also some bad ones. Some of the concerns that you may have include contaminant content, potency or nutritional value and environmental issues.
Here's a look at all three.
Contaminants are not something that you will see listed on the label. In the US, manufacturers are required by law to provide a safe supplement, but there are no specific regulations concerning exactly what that means.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition and the International Fish Oil Standards are rules concerning contaminant content that manufacturers can voluntarily adhere to. Manufacturers are not required to participate, but many of them do. Some manufacturers have their own high standards. In order to find out, you can look for a manufacturer that has a website and posts an official Certificate of Analysis or COA on it.
The COA comes from an independent laboratory that is capable of testing for mercury and other heavy metals, as well as for PCBs and other cancer-causing chemicals. The manufacturers do not have the equipment to do the testing themselves.
A COA will help you identify good fish oils more easily than anything else. The manufacturer must pay for the testing. So, if it's one of the cheaper brands, testing might not have been conducted. If it's a store brand, there's really no way to find out about testing, without contacting the manufacturer, which can really be an ordeal.
The Environmental Defense Fund made an effort to contact dozens of different manufacturers by mailing surveys to them. Some failed to respond. Imaging how difficult it is for an individual to get information if a major organization has trouble.
If the manufacturer produces good fish oils, they will be proud of the fact. They will provide information freely. The results should indicate that no contaminants were detected.
The COA will also list the amount of omega-3 fatty acids that is in each capsule. A 1000mg capsule should provide a minimum of 500mg of omega-3s. The rest will be omega-9s or omega-6s. The omega-6 content should be very low.
There are some manufacturers that claim to provide a balanced amount of omega-3s, 6s and 9s. The whole purpose of supplementation is to increase your omega-3 intake. Most people get too many omega-6s through their diet. The point is to correct that imbalance. The value of omega-9s in the diet is, as yet, unclear.
So, good fish oils contain a maximum of 40mg of omega-6s per 1000mg capsule.
The relevant environmental issues have to do with fishing practices. Most manufacturers buy the raw oil from a fishery. The worst fisheries use methods that damage the underwater ecosystem.
Some companies basically vacuum up entire schools of fish, along with plants and sediment from the ocean floor.
It takes a little time to do the research, but if you want to do what's right for your health and what's right for the environment, you will take the time.
Good fish oils are always worth the effort.
I have found the best value of fish oil product made from Hoki. A fish found in the deep water of the pristine ocean off the coast of New Zealand, that is naturally high in DHA and EPA for less than $20 a month.
Whatever product you buy the best fish oil is always pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplements because your health depends on it, so why not buy the very best? That's what I do.
See my website for more details of omega 3 fish oil products – the key to optimal health.
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