Fish Oil Supplements

There has been many studies, and more coming, on the health benefits of omega 3 fatty acids.

It is interesting to note that most of these studies looked at omega 3 consumption as oily fish intake or as fish oil supplements.

Here's a discussion on fish oil capsules, and what part they have in your overall health regime.

What do fish oil capsules contain?

One fish oil capsule contains approximately 1g of natural fish oil.

Fish oils contains two types of omega 3 fatty acids, namely eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA).

This is in contrast to plant sources of omega 3 oils that contain alpha linolenic acid (ALA).

Most of the population in the US do not consume enough oily fish to meet the recommended intakes as stated by the American Heart foundation, or the Canadian recommendation of 1.2 to 1.6 g of omega 3 fatty acids per day.

Hence omega 3 intake can be increased by taking fish oil capsules to ensure a reliable intake on a daily basis.

Fish oil capsules versus oily fish

Though you may be able to obtain your omega 3 oils via oily fish, fish oil capsules are a very popular way of making sure that you have enough omega 3 fatty acids per day.

So why choose fish oil supplements?

The advantages of omega 3 supplements and capsules over trying to obtain enough omega 3 fatty acids via a diet of oily fish are:

1. You can get the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids with the convenience of a capsule.

2. You can ensure that you are getting an adequate and reliable amount of omega 3 fatty acids per day by using supplements, as the omega 3 content of fish is variable.

3. You can get your omega 3's and avoid exposure to mercury, which is a risk with increasing your consumption of fish. By choosing a fish oil supplement that has been purified, and certified safe in terms of mercury, PCB's and other environmental compounds, you gain the benefits while avoid this problem. For more information, see this page on mercury levels in fish species.

4. Cost savings of a quality fish oil supplement, versus eating quality fish on a consistent basis.

Choosing a fish oil supplement

When choosing an omega 3 fatty acid supplement, check the following:

1. That it is a pharmaceutical grade fish oil, which means that it has the amount of fish oil in each capsule, as is stated on the bottle. Some companies guarantee their potency.

2. That the company uses a quality source for their fish oils.

3. That the fish oil is certified to meet safety standards, and are free of environmental contaminants such as mercury, PCBs, and other heavy metals, preferably independently tested as well.

4. Many companies use vitamin E (natural tocopherols) to preserve the fish oil against oxidation.

5. That the company is reputable.

6. That the company values the quality and standards of their products.

Contraindications for fish oil supplements

Because fish oil capsules have an effect on reducing the stickiness of platelets, it is recommended that if you have any of the following conditions, that you see your physician to discuss whether you should take fish oil capsules:

1. You have a bleeding tendency

2. You are on blood thinning medications

3. You are about to go for surgery