Best Fish Oil Supplements - How To Spot The Best Supplements Easily

Some brands do not claim they have the best fish oil supplements, while other manufacturers do imply their product possesses the highest quality oils on the market. But how you can tell which of these really deliver what they promise? You can do a quick check by:

Reading the Product Label

When the label indicates 1000mgs, does this mean it is better than 500mgs supplement? It depends on what 1000mgs or 500mgs refers to. 1000mgs is basically the amount of fish oil contained in each soft gel. And actually what you should look for is the content information of Omega-3.

A good product should have 500mgs of Omega-3, which consists of three major components: DHA, EPA and DPA. These are usually listed separately in the label. Also, it is more health beneficial when DHA has higher content compared to EPA. This is because DHA (which required by the brain in large amount) can be converted to EPA as needed but not the other way around.

Next, check if you can find "No additives or flavors" in the label. Some manufacturers add flavors or fragrances to mask fish rancidity (due to oxidation). The flavors or fragrances may not pose adverse health effects, but oxidized oil will risk your long-term health, as it contains free radicals.

Researching for Certificate of Analysis

Do a search for Certificate of Analysis or COA on manufacturer's website. If there is none, forget about what you are considering and proceed with your next option. You can easily check the product freshness and purity using COA. This will help you further to identify the best fish oil supplements.

Freshness is measured by oxidation. It is expressed in total oxidation or TOTOX, anisidine and peroxide value. Peroxide value shown in COA is not adequate to conclude whether the product is fresh or not. It is only considered fresh when TOTOX value is less than 17 mEq/kg.

How pure is pure? Manufacturer's COA should able to demonstrate a list of heavy metals (e.g. mercury, lead, arsenic and etc.), PCBs and dioxins with detected concentration lesser than international purity standards (e.g. European Pharmacopoeia). Stating "Not Detected" for these contaminants is just not enough to assure purity.

It is crucial to learn how to choose the best fish oil supplements to maximize their health benefits. With an easy check, it will save you from wasting money, time in filing for a refund or even risking your own health.