Fish oil is derived from various kids of fatty fish and is widely used as a popular dietary supplement. The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, makes no recommendations about fish oil supplements, nor does the United States Department of Agriculture require it as part of its daily recommended nutrients. Fish oil is an excellent source of some nutrients.
FDA
The FDA is responsible for ensuring the safety of the nation's food supply, medications and drugs. Fish oil, in general, is used as a dietary supplement, a category that places it in the category of food and thus, under the agency's authority. However, the FDA has no power to approve dietary supplements, and there are no requirements that a fish oil manufacturer has to get FDA approval before selling the product in the United States.
USDA Recommendations
While the FDA doesn't make nutritional recommendations or issue guidelines, the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, along with the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Science, does. The USDA makes recommendations for all people for how much of each key nutrient people should ingest. Though fish oil itself is not a nutrient, it does contain mane nutrients that the USDA recommends people ingest each day.
Fish OIl and Health
The Office of Nutritional Supplements, part of the National Institutes of Health, reports that fish oils are an excellent source of vitamin D, one of the daily recommended nutrients all people need. The office reports, for example, that 1 tbsp. of cod liver oil contains three times the average person's daily recommended allowance for vitamin D. Other fish oils contain similar amounts of vitamin D, as well as other nutrients.
Fish OIl Supplements
While the FDA does not have to approve fish oil supplements before a manufacturer sells them, the agency can limit the sale of any fish oil product it finds is unsafe. While it is generally up to the manufacturer to ensure the fish oil supplement is safe before it sells it, the FDA has the power to investigate supplements it suspects are unsafe and remove them from the marketplace if they prove to be so.
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