Some fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help protect the heart. The American Heart Association recommends two servings a week of fresh fish at least 3.5 ounces in size. For those who have heart problems or cannot obtain fresh fish, supplementation is necessary. When picking a fish oil supplement, there are some indicators of higher quality.
Reading the Label
High-quality fish oil will contain EPA, DHA, DPA and ALA. Some labels will say they contain 1,000 mg of fish oil. If it only contains a total of 500 mg of EPA, DHA, DPA and ALA, then the other 500mg of oil is made up of something else, often listed as "other omega-3." It is hard to know what that something else is and if the benefits outweigh the risk.
Ingredients
The types of fish highest in omega-3s are salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna, anchovies and sardines, according to the American Heart Association. Many fish oil companies will claim their products are high in omega-3 oils but list other fish on the label. The type of fish and other ingredients used to make the oil have to be listed under the ingredients. If this list does not contain any of the high-omega 3-containing fish near the top of the list, it is not a high-quality omega-3.
Doing Research
Many websites, from Women's Health to Fish Oil Review, test and compare fish oils side by side. Both Women's Health and Fish Oil Review recommend purchasing pharmaceutical-grade fish oil, since the quality of the fish is high and the impurities are kept low. These sites go on to say high-grade fish oils rarely cause stomach upset or "fish burps" and the supplements that do are likely low-quality or have gone rancid. Higher-quality fish oils will often be found in a cool or refrigerated section of the store and need to be kept in the fridge at home.
Talking to the Manufacturer
Depending on how proactive the consumer wishes to be, the manufacturer has results from the latest testing, listing how many parts per million there are of toxins and what fish were used to make the oil. This is not always common information on the label. A company willing to print that information on the label generally means they have nothing to hide. The more people that request and understand this information, the more the manufacturers will have to be responsible for their contents. Currently the state of California is suing several manufacturers for not being up front about what is in their supplements. The state of CA would like the fish oils to be above and beyond the FDA requirements for safety.
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