Purchase Fish Oil

Awareness of fish oil benefits has dramatically increased over the past few years causing many consumers to rush out to purchase fish oil supplements. This is due, in large part, to doctors and physicians being more willing to discuss the health benefits of fish oil with their patients and to even recommend taking a fish oil dietary supplement. Many doctors cite their willingness to do so as a result of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “qualified health claim” given on September 8, 2004. In a nutshell, that regulatory agency stated that “supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA [n-3] fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.” Other governments, such as the Canadian government, are willing to accept that a certain fatty acid does even more: “DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, supports the normal development of the brain, eyes and nerves.”

This is significant because fish oil benefits were virtually unheard of until the 1970s when it was found that the Greenland Inuit Tribe, who consumed incredibly large sums of fat from the seafood in their diets, had little to no cardiovascular disease within its population. Further research revealed that this high fish oil dosage reduced blood pressure, heart rate and triglycerides, thereby contributing to overall health improvement.

Fish oil nutrition has been linked to the two omega-3 fatty acids contained therein: “EPA” (or eicosapentaenoic acid) and “DHA” (or docosahexaenoic acid). Because these essential fatty acids cannot be produced by the human body, it is necessary for us to consume them in our diets. Fish are the most widely available source of the omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are acquired by fish in one of two ways. First, various species of fish eat microalgae that produce them. Second, other fish species (i.e., primarily predatory fish), eat the species of fish that consume the microalgae. Either way, the fish, like humans, do not produce the omega-3 themselves and acquire them through their diets.

However, consumption of fish is being more and more risky due to water contamination by heavy metals (such as mercury, lead, nickel, arsenic, and cadmium), fat-soluble pollutants (such as dioxin and PCBs), and other industrial and environmental chemicals. The risk is magnified when consuming predatory fish that can, over their lifetimes, accumulate significant levels of toxins in their tissues due to repeatedly consuming other fish that accumulated toxins themselves.

As such, many consumers are learning that they can avoid, or at least minimize, this fish oil side effect by purchasing fish oil pills. When you purchase fish oil supplements, however, there are several things you should be aware of.

First, you should purchase fish oil supplements that have an enteric coating. This fish oil pills are made with an extra coating around the fish oil that will not dissolve in the stomach. Instead, it will only dissolve when the fish oil tablet reaches the intestines. This is an added fish oil benefit because research has shown that when the fish oil reaches the intestines, the health benefits of fish oil are increased dramatically. Additionally, because the enteric coated fish oil supplements do not dissolve in the stomach, the likelihood of experiencing the “fish burps” or a fishy aftertaste is severely lessened.

Second, where possible, you should try to purchase fish oil supplements in triglyceride form. The reason for this is simple. One of the most common fish oil side effects, especially when first starting a fish oil regime, is gastrointestinal discomfort. Triglyceride fish oil pills have been shown to be easier to digest that ester form fish oil. Keep this in mind when researching the cost of fish oil products as ester fish oil is cheaper to manufacture and, therefore, cheaper to buy.

Third, when purchasing fish oil supplements, you want to by purified fish oil products. This is the process in which manufacturers takes steps to remove the presence of pesticides, fat-soluable pollutants, and heavy metals. After all, one of the best health benefits of fish oil is the fact that they provide the opportunity to lessen the risk of consuming contaminated fish. Do not fumble on the goal line by buying fish oil capsules that have not been molecularly distilled. [The highest quality fish oil are molecularly distilled under vacuum and have all but eliminated the presence of contaminants. However, some researchers are against this process as they believe that it changes the nature of the fish oil. Unfortunately, the research on this issue is inconclusive as of now.

Finally, be sure to verify the fish oil dosage required to obtain the recommended omega-3 fatty acid daily intake. The Food and Drug Administration recommend that that daily intake not exceed more than two grams per day from fish oil supplements. However, you also want to make sure that when you purchase fish oil supplements, you buy them with the correct EPA and DHA levels. Most fish oil products have a two to one ratio. Additionally, do some basic math and determine how much DHA and EPA you are receiving in each fish oil dose.

With that said, there are several fish oil manufacturers that provide quality fish oil supplements. Although it is entirely possible to purchase cheap fish oil supplements from big box companies or discount nutritional stores, steer clear of those fish oil concentrates as they may be stale or even contain unacceptable contamination levels. Instead, go with Carlson Fish Oil, PFO Pure Fish Oil, Xtend Life Fish Oil, Norwegian Fish Oil, or Kirkland Fish Oil. Each of these companies are reputable fish oil manufacturers and guarantee freshness and purity. By doing so, you will be able to avoid some of the fish oil side effects such as the “fish burps” (i.e., that fishy aftertaste associated with rancid fish oil) and heavy metal toxicity.

Legal Disclaimer: The statements and information upon this website have not necessarily been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products featured are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consumers should always consult their own medical practitioner(s) with any medical or health concerns before starting any new diet, product or supplement.