How to Choose A Good Fish Oil Supplement?

There are plenty of fish oil capsules out there; unfortunately, some of them can do more harm than good.

According to the recent study, a handful amount of such supplements had a huge level of PCBs, from 12 nanograms per recommended dose to 850 nanograms!

What are those PCBs?
Carcinogens.

You think that’s bad? Unfortunately, all foods we eat contain PCBs.

See the chart below.

Here are some tips to avoid potentially bad supplements:

- Avoid supplements that contain no information about the fish itself.

Better brands will always tell you fish species and their location. The best fish oil is made from anchovies, sardines and mackerel. Tiny fishes have a short lifespan; therefore, they don’t soak in toxins for a long time.

- Avoid cod liver and shark liver oil as they contain more mercury.

- For the best results, buy Lovaza or pharmaceutical grade fish oil.
It is purified and more expensive.

- Buy 3rd party tested supplements. For example: International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) rating is a good measure. 5 stars is the absolute maximum.

1 Star for Oxidation Level Less Than 75% of CRN Standard
1 Star for PCB Levels Less Than 50% of CRN Standard
1 Star for Dioxin Levels Less Than 50% of WHO Standard
1 Star for Passing All CRN/WHO Testing Categories
1 Star for Greater Than 60% Omega-3 Concentration

Alternatively, check Consumer Reports and ConsumerLab.com tests.

- Check the amount of Omega-3 per pill.
600-1000 and above is a way to go.

* Pictures source.

I wouldn’t blindly trust this chart, but it’s better than nothing.

So here you have it. Hopefully, it will help you to avoid at least some of the brands.

Stay healthy.