The Benefits of Fish Oil Are Many, But Remember, Not All Supplements Are Created Equal

The Benefits of Fish Oil Are Many, But Remember, Not All Supplements Are Created Equal

Let's face it; the vast majority of health conscious people are aware of the fact that there are countless health benefits to be had if one's diet includes plenty of omega-3 rich fish oil. In fact, I would need to write an entire book if I wanted to mention and discuss all the different health benefits of fish oil. However, in the next few paragraphs, I am going to discuss a few things which one needs to think about when shopping for omega3 supplements, rather than focus on all the benefits.

In a perfect world, we'd all get enough fish oil in our diet, but we don't live in a perfect world. Very few diets contain sufficient amounts of omega 3, so it's almost always necessary to supplement our diets with a fish oil supplement. The problem is, not all supplements are created equal, and some may actually do more harm than good.

These days there's a lot of information which explains all about the importance of processing the oil correctly, Poor processing can render omega3 useless, but it's not only the processing we need to be concerned with. We also need to think about where and how the omega 3 is obtained. We know it comes from fish, but where do the fish come from?

The concentration of heavy metals, such as mercury for example, found in the world's oceans is increasing all the time. It's also a well documented fact that concentrations are higher in certain areas than they are in others. In a nutshell, you need to find a brand containing oil from fish which have been taken from closely monitored waters. Even then, the manufacturer should have a bullet proof purification procedure in place.

Different countries set different limits with regards to purity. Supplement manufacturers have to ensure heavy metal contamination doesn't exceed these limits. Many manufacturers only strive to meet the legal limits, but there are a few manufacturers who have higher standards. Some produce fish oil which is so pure, that even the most stringent laboratory tests can't find any contaminants.
Freshness is another important factor, and fortunately, it's easy to determine if a manufacturer is using fresh omega 3. First and foremost, you should steer clear of supplements that contain any type of preservatives. If preservatives have been added, it's because the manufacturer wants to prevent the oil from becoming rancid, and that tells us the oil isn't fresh. Lastly, if you take supplements than contain no added preservatives, and you experience fishy burping, then you can be rest assured the oil is not fresh. If the oil is 100% fresh, there will be no taste of fish if you were to burp after taking your supplements.

The benefits of fish oil really are plentiful, so it is definitely worth your while to find the best possible supplements, even if it means you have to pay a little bit more.