How to Recognize the Safest Fish Oil Supplement

With the important of taking a quality omega 3 product, many people want to know what is the safest fish oil supplement. The truth is there are ways to distinguish between a poor and excellent product. And you may be surprised to learn that price is not always a determining factor.

The following guidelines are intended to give you a solid basis for choosing the fish oil supplement which will give you the most benefits.

1. Reduced amounts of omega 3 essential fatty acids tend to be present in less expensive brands.

Because it’s always wise to read product labels, you are apt to find that some of the cheapest brands of fish oil derived from cold water fish have about 1/3 of the EPA and DHA typically found in the more expensive brands. So, if you’re thinking you’ll just purchase twice the amount, you’re really not doing yourself any favor.

2. Even if the label reads "molecularly distilled" you can’t be sure of quality.

It’s important to be aware that not all distillation processes are the same. Some fish oil providers use a process which involves crushing the fish and then immersing the mash in a chemical solvent bath of fish fat and hexane. The mixture is then drained and put through an evaporation process which leaves behind the oils rich in omega threes.

Now, the manufacturers who employ this process take great pains to ensure there are little to no traces of solvent remaining in the fish oil. However, rather than taking that chance, there is a much better process which uses carbon dioxide in a pressure chamber.

During the pressurization process the carbon dioxide works to dissolve the fat. When this is complete, the pressure is reduced leaving behind pure fish oil.

Even though this is not a true molecular distillation process, it still produces a fish oil of superior quality.

3. If you see "marine liquids" on the label you can count on fishy burps.

A common problem associated with fish oil supplements is flatulence and fish burps. This condition isn’t caused by the oil but by the fishy liquids that are left behind during processing. Although the amount of these liquids is usually minute, they have a tendency to rot or ferment in the supplement capsule. These rotted substances interact with your digestive system which then produces the aforementioned gas.

Even though these spoiled liquids probably won’t result in vomiting or diarrhea, they are still bad enough to make things unpleasant. So you can see why it’s important to make sure the fish oil supplement does not contain “marine liquids.”

4. You must be sure to avoid certain ocean-borne contaminants at all costs.

There is a harsh reality we must face when it comes to our oceans. Over the recent past they have become contaminated with industrial contaminants. While this contamination is present in all our oceans, there is a higher concentration found in the coastal waters of the northern and southern hemispheres. So if the water is contaminated it stands to reason that any marine life living in these waters will also be contaminated.

Some of the more common toxins found in fish and other marine life pulled from these waters include PCBs, polyvinyl chlorides, chlordane, dioxin, mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic.

This is why it’s important to try to buy fish oil products which have been made from fish caught in the cold waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is also best to look for products made by companies that maintain and go beyond standards set by their governments. This means rigorous testing for all the above-mentioned toxins, as well as, salmonella and E.coli.

5. Supplements made from krill have their own unique drawbacks.

If you weren’t aware, krill are tiny shrimp-like creatures found in the extreme-most northern and southern latitudes, living alongside the floating ice packs. As they feed, they sink down the sides of the ice, excrete their waste and then rise again to the surface. As such, any krill-based supplement you take should be made from those krill gathered in nets at the surface.

The drawbacks associated with omega-3 supplements made from krill result from the likelihood of contamination. A lot of these microscopic marine creatures carry potentially-toxic levels of fluoride in their tiny shells. Furthermore, krill-based supplements are often more expensive than fish-based products despite the fact they contain a lot less EPA and DHA.

So there you have it! It isn't difficult to figure out what is the safest fish oil supplement when you have a foundation of basic information. You can also take advantage of a short cut courtesy of my well-researched recommendation.