Best Fish Oil Key Attributes: What Makes a Fish Oil Supplement Really the Best Fish Oil?

Fish oil supplements should meet certain key quality standards before they can be considered to be the best fish oil. Discount fish oils don't really give any benefit and you may be starting to wonder why there is all the hype around fish oils. Chances are you are getting harmful effects and no benefit from that $10 fish oil bottle that lasts 6 months.

The most important attribute of fish oils is their omega-3 fatty acids content, in particular DHA and EPA which are scientifically shown to have significant health benefits. Most scientific studies were conducted at high amounts of EPA+ DHA - with quantities in 1 - 4 gram of day and thus concentration of EPA and DHA become one of the most critical attributes. For persons with risk of heart disease, American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 1 gram of EPA+DHA. Depending on the concentration level of a fish oil supplement, this can be anywhere from 2 grams  to 12 grams of fish oil. Obviously you want the concentrated product, otherwise you are paying for filler oils!

There are many other attributes and the following is a guide to educate about all the key quality attributes of a high quality fish oil that actually can provide you with the benefits that is highly publicized.

A valuable resource is The International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS). IFOS is a global program that provides a service to consumers and industry groups that promote the use of omega-3 products in every country of the world. As a reliable source for third party validation, the IFOS program performs testing for the omega-3 supplement industry and reports the findings following a ranking system for fish oils and cod liver oils. IFOS, through Nutrasource Diagnostics Inc. (NDI, with its certified and accredited reference laboratory partners) tests consumer-ready fish oil products submitted by the manufacturer.

It is worth looking at the reviews by ConsumerLab, which is an independent testing lab that tests most national brands of health supplements. I purchased their 2008 report for omega-3 fatty acids/ fish oils supplements guide and this lists you the best omega-3 fish oils with clear ranking for purity, concentration and freshness (oxidation levels).

The key criteria can be summarized as below:

Transparancy and truth in labeling: The label needs to clearly specify nutritional information. Amounts of EPA and DHA should be explicitly specified. The ingredients should specifically state the kind of fish used to extract the oil. Commonly used fish includes anchovies, sardines, and salmon.

Manufacturing Process: You don't have to be a scientist to distinguish manufacturing process. Look for molecular distillation as a very important keyword. In addition the process itself, look for the manufacturing facility specifications. For a product to be labeled pharmaceutical grade, the manufacturing needs to occur in what is known as a GMP facility - the same kind of facilities used to make prescription drugs with strict quality controls in place. So, having a product that is "pharmaceutical grade" and "molecularly distilled" is very important. Products manufactured close to the fishing source generally tend to be able to capture the maximum fresness. For maximum absorption, the natural triglyceride form (the form of most fats we normally intake) is ideal.

International Standards: Standards are set to protect consumers. Fish oil quality standards do not exist in the United States. The USP does not have strict standards on toxin levels. However, we can look for standards set by other nations such as the the European Pharmacopoeia Standard (EPS)  which guarantee quality products by setting maximum allowances on peroxides, heavy metals, dioxins, furans, and PCBs. Similarly, IFOS has set strict standards for impurities and freshness. Look for a product that has a five star rating from IFOS.

Endorsements and Awards: Fish oil is so mainstream that we can easily identify market leaders and reputable companies that has won recognizable awards internationally is recommended. These could be awards given by ConsumerLab ratings, socially responsible business awards, environmental responsibililty awards or even direct endorsements by non-profit organizations such as American Heart or American Pregnancy Associations.

Omega-3 Research: It is also useful to see which brand is commonly used in all the various clinical trials by various research institutions (academic) to study the benefits of fish oils so that you know that this is a reliable company/ brand that is trusted by researchers and doctors alike.

Cost effectiveness:  As a final note, you don't want to spend a fortune. Something that does not cost more than $10 - $20 per month (or max of $20 - $30 per month for concentrates) is a reasonable price to pay for a product that meets all these requirements.

High quality fish oils are commonly found in health food stores and organic food stores. Examples include Vitamin Shoppe, Whole Foods, Wild Oats etc. They are also available online and look for online retailers who are authorized by the manufacturer to meet certain standards.

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