Fish Oil Supplements

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While fish oil supplements have been around for many years, they have recently become more popular due, in large part, to the willingness of many family doctors and physicians to recommend fish oil pills to their patients. In fact, some medical professionals actively speak about the health benefits of fish oil while dismissing the minimal side effects of fish oil. This fact is interesting in that doctors are usually hesitant to recommend anything that cannot be scientifically proven. But why is that?

The benefits of fish oil are directly related to the fact that fish oil contains Omega 3 fatty acids, which consists of docosahexaenoic acid ("DHA") and eicosapentaenoic acid ("EPA"). Omega 3 is also known as an essential fatty acid, meaning that the human body is unable to produce it naturally and, instead, must be consumed in our diet.

According to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the health benefits of fish oil supplements include: lowering blood triglyceride levels; reducing the risk of heart attack; reducing the risk of dangerous abnormal heart rhythms; reducing the risk of strokes; slowing the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques; lowering blood pressure; and reducing stiffness and joint tenderness associated with Rheumatoid arthritis.

However, because there are so many different fish oil manufacturers available on the market, deciding on which fish oil supplements to take can be a daunting task. With that said, there are several keys points you should consider before you buy fish oil products, thereby contributing to the over all fish oil nutrition.

First, if you are concerned about fish oil side effects such as the "fish burps", diarrhea, or other gastrointestinal discomfort, you should explore enteric coated fish oil softgels. This type of fish oil product is manufactured with a enteric coating that prevents the fish oil from being dissolved until it reaches the small intestine. This is important because research has shown that fish oil concentrate is up to three times more effective when dissolved in the small intestine as opposed to the stomach. Additionally, this special coating eliminates the fishy aftertaste and bad breath, as well as the fish oil repeat, because it is not dissolved in the stomach.

Second, you want to purchase fish oil supplements that have less oxidation. This is accomplished by buying fish oil pills that are produced using low temperatures, resulting in fish oil with less oxidation.

Third, the smart consumer will try to buy purified fish oil supplements. This type of pure fish oil is manufactured by distilling, at a molecular level, the fish oil, thereby removing the heavy metals such as mercury, as well as PCB's, dioxins, pesticides and other industrial and environmental contaminants.

Fourth, to fully experience the health benefits of fish oil, the best fish oil supplements will contain the proper EPA and DHA levels. After all, you are taking these omega 3 fish oil supplements for the fact that they are providing you with these essential fatty acids that your body cannot produce on its own. Do not assume that all fish oil tablets are created equal and contain the same omega-3 levels. Many fish oil manufacturers "tweak" the serving sizes listed on the product labels to fool consumers into thinking they are getting more EPA and DHA per each fish oil dose. However, you should consider this fish oil dosage marketing tactic when purchasing fish oil supplements and, instead, try to compare the omega 3 fatty acid levels based on how much is contained in each fish oil pill or fish oil tablet.

Finally, the best fish oil supplements will also be available at the right price. This last factor depends, of course, upon the fish oil dose contained in each supplement, as well as the particular manufacturer of the fish oil products. While it is true that you can probably go out to your local grocery store or nutrition store and purchase fish oil supplements rather cheaply, you should do yourself a favor and only buy the best fish oil supplements available. Otherwise, you will run the risk of purchasing an inferior fish oil product that does more harm than good (i.e., very little omega-3 fatty acids coupled with unacceptable levels of contaminants).

With that said, there are five fish oil manufacturers that provide both the purity you are looking for as well as a competitive price per fish oil dosage.

First and foremost is Carlson Fish Oil. Made by Carlson Labs, this family run business is probably one of the most popular brands supplying fish oil concentrate to the world's consumers. One of the reasons for this popularity is the sheer number of different products they produce. Another is the high standards of freshness, potency and purity that they strive to achieve, using international protocols established by AOAC. They also have an FDA-registered laboratory that they use to test their products to ensure that freshness and purity.

Next up is Xtend Life Fish Oil. Like Carlson Fish Oil supplements, this company is extremely popular with consumers. They harvest their fish from the pristine waters off of the southern coast of New Zealand. They also guarantee freshness and purity but use AsureQuality as their independent, third-party laboratory to test such products. They pride themselves on their fish oil concentrate providing extra anti-inflammatory benefits.

Third, is Health From The Sea, which manufactures PFO Pure Fish Oil. This producer of fish oil molecularly distills its products. Creatively, they have also engineered the fish oil supplements to be encased in fish gelatin. Like other quality fish oil suppliers, the potency and purity is guaranteed.

Another very popular manufacturer is Nordic Naturals, who makes Norwegian Fish Oil. This company exceeds all expectations and exceeds the Norwegian Medicinal Standard (NMS) and the European Pharmacopoeia Standard (EPS)), as well as the voluntary standards set by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED).

Rounding off the list of great fish oil companies is Kirkland Fish Oil. Like other pharmaceutical fish oil supplements, Kirkland Signature Fish Oil is made through a filtering process that is guaranteed to remove the impurities such as heavy metals, PCB's and dixoins.

Significantly, each of these fish oil manufacturers have worked extremely hard at providing a quality fish oil concentrate at a competitive price.

Legal Disclaimer: The statements and information upon this website have not necessarily been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products featured are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consumers should always consult their own medical practitioner(s) with any medical or health concerns before starting any new diet, product or supplement.