The International Fish Oil Standards Program Assists Consumers In Finding The Best Fish Oil

comprehensive studies make it easy to discover the vast health benefits we could derivefrom fish oil but selecting the best fish oil is never an easy job. Heart disease prevention, anti-inflammatory properties, and even hair loss prevention are just a few of such health benefits that have been associated with fish oil. For this reason, the fish oil supplement industry has flourished, which has its positive and negative effects.

One positive effect is that these omega-3 supplements are easily accessible to those who desire to take advantage of their health benefits. The negative effect is that many companies jump on the bandwagon for easy profit by producing inferior types of fish oil supplements. Choosing the right brand is made difficult with all those brands available.

However, to choose the best fish oil becomes easy by trying to distinguish the better fish oil supplements from the inferior products. Here are a few basics to keep in mind.

Fish oil supplements are good for us because they contain omega-3 fatty acids; specifically DHA and EPA. It is only logical that the best fish oil brands contain more of these omega-3s compared to the lower-quality products. Be sure to check the label in your fish oils; the more DHA and EPA, the better. 600mg of Omega-3, which means a 60% concentration, is the ideal amount each capsule should contain for every 1,000mg of fish oil. Fish oil supplements, like all fish products, are subject to toxin hazard, but the best fish oil should be pure and free of toxins. For this reason, doctors do not prescribe fish oil supplements to pregnant women, even though it can offer positive effects to the baby's brain development as studies show. Because a reliable regulation board did not exist, it was difficult for people to determine which fish oil supplements were pure. Thanks to the Nutrasource Diagnostics Inc. of Canada , which came up with the International Fish Oil Safety (IFOS) program.

Unlike before the IFOS program, where standards for toxin-free fish oil supplements were too soft, a strict set of world standards for purity of fish oils has been applied based on five parameters:

* Passes all Council for Responsible Nutrition and World Health Organization testing categories

* 60% or higher Omega-3 concentration

* Oxidation Levels less than 75% of CRN standard

* PCB Levels Less than 50% of CRN standard

* Dioxin Levels Less Than 50% of WHO standard

A 5-star certification from the IFOS should be the minimum for a fish oil supplement to be considered a top-of-the-line product. This stepwill surelynarrow the selection process for the best fish oil. Two brands, Nordic Naturals and See Yourself Well, are 5-star certified that are available in the United States. To summarize, the best fish oil should offer not only quality, but also wellbeing. Check the label to see whether it has the suitable amount of Omega-3 that you need and don't forget to checkthe 5-star certification from the IFOS!