Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil Capsules

You may have heard of the term "pharmaceutical grade fish oil".

But what does this mean? And is it important to look for this in a fish oil supplement?

While there is no single definition for pharmaceutical grade when applied to fish oil, the oil being pharmaceutical grade usually implies that:

1. The fish oil has been purified and therefore has a sufficiently high concentration of the marine omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA per gram of fish oil. For example, a fish oil capsule containing 1g of fish oil should have a good level of omega 3s. Many brands have only 300mg of omega 3s which is in the low end of amount of omega 3 per capsule. These are often cheaper, but do not provide the amount of omega 3s that a capsule with 450-500mg of omega 3s will for example.

2. The amount of DHA and EPA as stated on the bottle, is what is in the capsule. Some companies guarantee their potency.

3. Because of purification process, it is expected that there will be a low or undetectable level of contaminants such as mercury and PCBs, and other compounds. This means a safer product, but also, there will usually less side effects such as reflux as well. Fish oil with toxins will have less beneficial effects as their benefits are negated by the txic effects of mercury, heavy metals, PCBs and dioxins.

Because there is no single definition of pharmaceutical grade, instead of just looking for the words “pharmaceutical grade” in the fish oil product description, look individually for all three of the above points.

You can also look at these points when assessing a fish oil supplement brand or company:

1. Whether the company describes getting their fish oil from quality sources.

2. Whether the fish oil has been tested independently and/or their products have been certified to comply with safe levels of mercury, PCBs and other compounds according to national or international standards. You can also look at independent research laboratories, such as www.consumerlabs.com yourself to check their potency, as well as their safety in terms of environmental toxins. This is an area where quality fish oil capsules have an advantage in avoiding mercury intake.

3. Reviews of their product by consumers.

Which Fish Oil to use?

If you're wanting a fish oil which has a rich level of omega 3s, is effective and is especially good at reducing the chances of mercury and other toxin intake, have a look at Xtend-Life fish oil.

The reason why the Xtend-Life omega 3 fulfils all these requirements of an ideal fish oil is that:

1. Their fish oil (50%) is sourced from natural New Zealand hoki oil from fish located in a pristine area of the Southern Ocean. This means avoiding exposure to contaminants and heavy metals, a s unlike many Northen oceans these pristine waters are not near any shipping lines.

2. The other 50% of their fish oil is from South Pacific tuna which is molecularly distilled to get rid of mercury and other heavy metals and contaminants.

3. They utilise safety standards that are more strict than even the IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) for toxins such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium, lead, PCBs and dioxins. For example, their specification for mercury is set at the level of detection at 10ppb (parts per billion), which is 10 times less than that set by the IFOS.

4. The fish oils' anti inflammatory effectiveness is more than typical fish oils, due to the synergy between hoki fish oil and tuna fish oil.

5. Their bioavailability is higher as they are natural triglyceride or ethyl ester form, NOT a synthetic triglyceride that other fish oils are made of

Also, the amount of DHA, EPA and DPA per 100mg capsule is more than 450mg, higher than many (cheaper) brands who have typically 300mg.

If you want a fish oil with a rich concentration of omega 3s that is safe, then have a look and get the Xtend-Lifec Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil.

You can read more about their safety specifications, effectivess and safety and even a Certificate of Analysis for their current batch of product.