The 11 Best Fish Oil Supplements
Contents
The supplement world can be a tricky place to navigate. You want to do the right thing for your health, but who can you trust?
The fact is that many omega3 supplements don’t contain the ingredients they say they do, and nowhere is the playing field more murky than with fish oil.
Fish oil is one of those “run of the mill” supplements that even doctors recommend for their patients. Millions of Americans take it, and in some cases, this improves their health, however, not all fish oil is created equal. In fact, some large brands sell jars of fish oil that would be labeled as harmful if the true ingredients were known to consumers.
See also: Why fish oil supplement benefits may hinge on genetics
How common are fish oil impurities?
Consider these statistics:
Over 70% of fish oil supplements do not contain the levels of EPA or DHA stated on the label.1
This study found that a quarter of omega-3 fish oil supplements tested had high levels of oxidized (harmful) lipids.2
High levels of oxidized lipids, an indication of lipid decomposition, were found in over 80% of more than 35 fish oil supplements from New Zealand, with only 8% meeting international standards.3 50% of Canadian fish oil contains oxidized lipids.4
This study found that omega-3 fish oil products from three of the largest fish oil brands in the US were full of oxidized lipids, toxins and saturated fats. Yes, saturated fats in fish oil!
Suffice to say, oxidized lipids are not a good thing. Rather than protecting heart health, as fish oil supplements are supposed to do, they can do damage:
oxidized lipids have demonstrated negative effects on atherogenic lipids and other biomarkers of cardiovascular disease and may be predictive of clinical events in patients with cardiovascular risk or disease.
Bottom line: the fish oil industry has a big problem. There are serious impurities in many of the top selling brands on the market.
If you’re still set on supplementing with fish oil, the rest of this post will be devoted to strategies you and your family can use to ensure that your fish oil supplement is good quality.
What to look for in a good fish oil product
These are the four most important factors in choosing a good fish oil.
Purity
Look for oils that are either EuroFins- or IFOS-compliant. These European labs operate under standards much higher than even the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), testing for a number of additional contaminants ensuring your fish oil is of the highest quality. The easiest way to verify the purity of your fish oil is to ask the manufacturer for a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for your specific batch. Any legitimate manufacturer should be able to provide a batch-specific COA. This will tell you the exact content of not only EPA and DHA (the good stuff) as well as levels of oxidation (Peroxide Value), heavy metals, and any potential bad bugs (E.coli, staph, salmonella, yeast, and mold).
Freshness
The easiest way (not always the most pleasant) to determine the freshness of your oil is a simple “bite test.” A high-quality, fresh oil will be relatively free of any fishy tastes or smells. The oil should also be relatively translucent, free of any cloudiness or “floaters.”
Form
There are currently four (4) primary forms of omega-3s available in supplemental delivery. This is a source of a lot of confusion for consumers looking for the most bioavailable omega-3 oil. Omega-3s occur naturally in the triglyceride form so it would make sense to supplement in this form as well and the nutritional sciences suggest just that. There is a cheaper, faster manufacturing process that yields what is called an ethyl ester (EE). This semi-synthetic form of omega-3s contains an ethanol backbone that have shown difficulties in both absorption and bioavailability (how well it is incorporated into cell membranes). A large majority of fish oil is in the EE form. Products that contain the triglyceride form will list this somewhere on the bottle while an ethyl ester might be listed as something along the lines of “marine oil concentrate.” Other forms include phospholipids (sub-therapeutically dosed capsules) and monoglycerides (expensive, lack human clinical data). These last (2) forms are driven more heavily by marketing then they are actual science, further contributing to the confusion.
Potency
Lastly, check to see the actual content of EPA and DHA, the therapeutic components of omega-3 fatty acids. Many companies will attempt to deceive consumers by boosting amount of omega-3s but when you look at the supplement facts box you find a fairly low content of EPA and DHA. Ideally, a product should contain close to a gram of a balanced mix of EPA and DHA. Therapeutic ranges fall anywhere between 1 and 6 grams per day depending on clinical conditions. For compliance reasons, the fewer capsules someone has to take the more likely they are to stay complaint and reap the well documented benefits of fish oil supplementation.
Finding the best omega 3 supplement: Fish oil reviews
Amber, our resident food and supplement tester of vegan egg fame, took the reins for these tests.
OK, so our interview gave us some criteria to use in separating the fish oil wheat from the fish oil chaff. We know you’re busy, so we went ahead and evaluated some of the top brands on Amazon and gave our analysis in the notes that follow.
Fish oil brand comparison
| Brand | Product link | Gene Food rating | IFOS status | EPA/DHA | Form | Freshness | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosita Cod Liver Oil | View on Amazon | A+ | No IFOS rating; third party testing done here | 443 mg EPA, 605 mg DHA | Triglyceride | Fresh, reminiscent of good quality salmon roe | 5 fl oz. |
| Nordic Naturals ProOmega-D | View on Amazon | A | No IFOS rating; not on labdoor | 650 mg EPA, 450 mg DHA, 180 mg other Omega-3s | Triglyceride | Fresh, bright flavor | 180 softgels |
| Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega | View on Amazon | A | No IFOS rating; similar Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega product received 73.8/100 Labdoor score | 650 mg EPA, 450 mg DHA, 180 mg other Omega-3s | Triglyceride | Clear lemon flavor, no distinct smell | 180 softgels |
| Nordic Naturals Omega Curcumin | View on Amazon | A- | No IFOS rating; not on Labdoor | 490 mg EPA, 350 mg DHA, 160 mg other Omega-3s | Triglyceride | Bright and lemony flavor, can see the curcumin when opening a capsule, no smell | 60 softgels |
| Carlson the Very Finest Fish Oil | View on Amazon | B+ | 5/5 star IFOS rating; 60.9/100 Labdoor score | 360 mg EPA, 240 mg DHA | Triglyceride | Capsule coating has a sugary taste, bite test led to no fishy taste or smell, mostly lemon, clear liquid | 240 softgels |
| Orthomega 820 Capsules | View on Amazon | B+ | No IFOS rating; not on Labdoor | 430 mg EPA, 390 mg DHA | Triglyceride | Not cloudy, OK smell, relatively pleasant taste that's more lemon than fish | 60 softgels |
| Dr. Tobias Triple-Strength Omega 3 Fish Oil | View on Amazon | B | No IFOS rating; 71.9/100 Labdoor score | 400 mg EPA, 300 mg DHA | Not indicated | Not cloudy, but definitely tastes like fish using the bite test, and a little bit fish smell | 180 softgels |
| Nordic Naturals Omega-3 | View on Amazon | B | No IFOS rating; not on Labdoor | 745 mg EPA, 500 mg DHA | Triglyceride | Clear, easy taste, somewhat like olive oil with lemon and rosemary accents, no smell | 8 fl oz. (48 teaspoons) |
| NOW Ultra Omega-3 | View on Amazon | B- | No IFOS rating; 72.7/100 Labdoor score | 500 mg EPA, 250 mg DHA | EE (listed as fish oil concentrate) | Slightly cloudy, mostly tasted fresh but might have been masked by the addition of Vitamin E | 180 softgels |
| Kirkland Signature Fish Oil | View on Amazon | C- | No IFOS rating; 59.3/100 Labdoor score | 250 mg total (does not list EPA and DHA separately) | Not indicated | A bit of a fishy taste here, but clear liquid | 400 softgels |
| Nature Made Burp-less Fish Oil | View on Amazon | D | No IFOS rating; 61.1/100 Labdoor score | 250 mg total (does not list EPA and DHA separately) | EE (listed as fish oil concentrate) | Not cloudy, but some fishy taste and smell | 150 softgels |
#1. Rosita Cod Liver Oil
This is a new addition for us that has been making the rounds on many integrative health blogs, and after a taste test, I can see why it’s becoming so popular. The taste is the freshest I have encountered. The flavor profile on this is reminiscent of a good quality salmon roe at a high end sushi restaurant, you can taste and smell the purity. The Rosita product (View on Amazon) also offers a natural source of Vitamin D and K, which is great for someone like me whose VDR genes don’t allow for high doses of vitamin D in supplement form. Then, you have the fact that the product comes available in liquid rather than capsule form, which allows for controlled dosing. I’m not always a fish oil guy, but when I do take it, I find I do best with smaller, staggered doses. I don’t necessarily want the full dose offered in the capsule products.
1 tablespoon of the Rosita product gives 605mg of DHA and 443mg of EPA.
The fish is sourced from wild caught fish off the coast of Norway. They have an entire page on their website devoted to testing and transparency and the results are impressive.
Gene Food Rating: A+
#2. Nordic Naturals ProOmega-D
This product came on our radar after doing research on the cognitive benefits of fish oil, specifically in those who have suffered from traumatic brain injury. The EPA/DHA content, as well as overall Omega 3 amounts, mirror the Ultimate Omega product, which we also love, however, the ProOmega-D (View on Amazon) has been used in clinical settings to treat patients with brain injury. ProOmega-D is considered the “professional version” of Ultimate Omega. You can read the case study of the patient who used ProOmega-D to aid recovery after a serious head injury here. As with all Nordic Naturals products, ProOmega verifies potency, freshness, and purity with a certificate of analysis for each batch and bottle of its fish oil products.
Gene Food Rating: A
#3. Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega
The Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega (View on Amazon) fish oil product has one of the highest amounts of EPA/DHA per serving of all products reviewed, which is a big plus. But one of the best things Nordic Naturals has going for it — and why it ranks so high in a few spots on this list — are its Certificates of Analysis being made so easily available. Nordic Naturals offers Certificates of Analysis for all its omega-3 products, verifying potency, purity, freshness, non-GMO, sustainability, and no radionuclide activity. We have an example below of how to find your lot number on a Nordic Naturals bottle (right by the expiration date), as well as what a typical Certificate of Analysis looks like.
Once you’ve got your lot number, head to Nordic Naturals’ website to enter and obtain your Certificate of Analysis for that batch. You should expect your lot number to contain its bottling date/expiration date on a Certificate of Analysis and amounts of environmental toxins, heavy metals, and oxidation that are lower than standard. This example is from another Nordic Naturals product, which we review directly after this one.
Gene Food rating: A
As open about its purity and potency as Nordic Naturals seems to be, we would love for them to be IFOS-certified. While none of the Nordic Naturals fish oil products we reviewed are on Labdoor, the following omega-3 products from the company received excellent or good scores there: Nordic Naturals Algae Omega (vegan, 97.9/100 Labdoor score) (View on Amazon), Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA (74.5) (View on Amazon), and Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega D-3 (73.8) (View on Amazon).
#4. Nordic Naturals Omega Curcumin
Omega Curcumin (View on Amazon) is a fish oil blend that adds curcumin, N-acetyl-cysteine, and glutathione to the usual Nordic Naturals formula. If you’re looking for an added anti-inflammatory benefit from your omega-3 supplement, this is a good choice to consider. Both glutathione and curcumin are difficult to absorb due to low bioavailability, which is why you often see them added to liposomal preparations. The problem with these liposomal products is they encase the nutrients in what are often unhealthy fats that are high in omega-6 fatty acids. By encasing glutathione and curcumin in omega-3 fats, bioavailability is increased without the need to use cheaper phospholipids that can raise TMAO and other inflammatory markers.
Gene Food rating: A-
The doses of all additional ingredients are well balanced. The 400 mg of curcumin is a good therapeutic dose, while the 150 mg of glutathione and 200 mg of NAC are good starter doses for most people. Our particular lot number was bottled in October 2017 with an October 2019 expiration date, with amounts of environmental toxins, heavy metals, and oxidation that were lower than standard. We would, however, love for Nordic Naturals products to be IFOS-certified. While this Nordic Naturals fish oil (and the other one mentioned in this post) aren’t on Labdoor, other Nordic Naturals fish oils received decent scores there.
#5. Carlson the “Very Finest” Fish Oil
The Carlson brand of fish oil (View on Amazon) instructs its users to take two soft gels that total 700 mg when taken together at mealtime. Carlson boasts a special concentrate of Norwegian fish body oils from deep, cold-water fish (anchovy, sardine, and mackerel), with purity guaranteed by an independent FDA-registered lab.
Gene Food rating: B+
We really like the 5-star IFOS rating, plus the clearly labeled triglyceride form (not many brands disclose the form of their fish oil on nutrition labels). The capsule itself is the only one with an actual taste on the outside — sweet, most likely from the glycerin — which can be a little off-putting for some, but probably helpful if you’re knocking back five of these a day. We’re only giving this one a slightly lower rating because its Labdoor score is middle-of-the-pack.
#6. Orthomega 820 Capsules
Orthomega (View on Amazon) has the highest concentration of EPA and DHA per softgel (and is the most expensive at nearly $1 each pill), yet the recommended serving is just one softgel per day. If you went with the Dr. Tobias brand, you’re looking at a similar amount of EPA/DHA per softgel, but double the amount ingested daily if you follow Dr. Tobias’ recommendations. Orthomega also just uses anchovy for its fish oil while all other brands have some combination of fish; it also contains rosemary extract in its antioxidant blend.
Gene Food rating: B+
This one is pretty pricey, but has a good taste and a nice amount of EPA/DHA. Still, we’d like to see an IFOS/Labdoor review.
#7. Dr. Tobias Triple-Strength Omega 3 Fish Oil
Dr. Tobias’ Triple-Strength (View on Amazon) brand of fish oil is a best-seller, containing herring, anchovy, sardine, salmon, and mackerel (in addition to soy — good to know if you’re allergic or have sensitivities). Suggested serving is two 1,000-mg softgels taken daily with meals. Tested and certified by a third-party lab and purified with molecular distillation, this fish oil contains 800 mg EPA and 600 mg DHA per two-softgel serving.
Gene Food rating: B
We like the idea of triple-strength and the value of a pretty good fish oil concentration of EPA/DHA for your buck. It also ranks a bit higher than other brands on Labdoor.
#8. Nordic Naturals Omega-3
This was the only brand tested that wasn’t a softgel. Instead, you’ll take one cold, refrigerated teaspoon daily (1,560 mg) with food, if you dare. Luckily, it’s easier than expected, and Nordic Naturals (View on Amazon) delivers a whopping 745 mg EPA and 500 mg DHA per single teaspoon of purified deep sea fish oil from anchovies and sardines. Certificates of Analysis also are available upon request.
Gene Food rating: B
This was our favorite, in terms of taste and ease of use, in addition to the amount of EPA/DHA per serving, was a winner. However, for those concerned about saturated fat, the liquid form of this Nordic Naturals product contains 8% of your daily recommended amount of saturated fat (whereas other fish oil brands contain between 1%-3%, typically).
#9. NOW Ultra Omega 3 Fish Oil
The nice thing about NOW Ultra Omega 3 (View on Amazon) is you only need to take one softgel per day (but can take two). It also has one of the higher amounts of EPA in this list, but on the low end of DHA. This brand also uses the lower-quality form of fish oil as concentrate rather than triglyceride. Its biggest benefit is the highest Labdoor score of all the fish oil brands we included in our taste test.
Gene Food rating: B-
We like that NOW Foods is a family owned company and were impressed by the Labdoor score, but like many other brands here, hoped for an IFOS-compliant product. We also prefer triglyceride form of fish oil over the cheaper EE, any day of the week.
#10. Kirkland Signature Fish Oil
Kirkland Signature (View on Amazon) is a big brand you’ll find at Costco, and if you’re a regular fish oil customer, you may lean toward this brand based on quantity vs. cost — just 6 cents a day for this supplement. Instructions are to take 1 softgel (containing mackerel, anchovy, menhaden, herring, and sardine) two times daily, in which you’ll get about 500 mg of EPA/DHA total per day. The problem is, Kirkland does not offer a distinction of EPA or DHA amounts on its nutrition label.
Gene Food rating: C-
The low price tag on this one is a convincing argument, but it has the lowest Labdoor score of all brands tested and no IFOS rating, in addition to lower levels of EPA/DHA than some competitors.
#11. Nature Made Burp-less Fish Oil
Nature Made (View on Amazon) is one of the more popular commercial brands of supplements. Their Burp-less Fish Oil contains anchovy and sardine, with a suggested serving size of two softgels daily with meals. The oil’s country of origin is Peru, but it is encapsulated and quality tested in the U.S. Like Kirkland, Nature Made does not offer a distinction between EPA and DHA levels in its product.
Gene Food rating: D
We’re not a huge fan of the taste, nor the form (EE) of this fish oil. It’s on the lower end of Labdoor scores, as well, and has no IFOS rating, plus low EPA/DHA concentration.
Fish Oil Quality FAQ
What better way to understand the ins and outs of the fish oil world than to interview an insider. To get the inside scoop on what to look for in a fish oil supplement, I interviewed a friend who works at a high end supplement manufacturer. My intention here is to give you the real deal as to how “the sausage is made,” and then some actionable tips for finding a good brand.
I think we could see some marketing pushes for different technologies focused on bioavailability of omega-3s. Something that has made an impact in the medical world over the last year, I’ll reserve my comments on its clinical relevance, are Omega 3s in the monoglyceride form. While there has been no published data on the raw material, the idea is that these “predigested” fats are better absorbed than the more common ethyl ester, thus similar benefits can be expected with less oil. We could also see some of self-emulsifying technologies you would generally see utilized in lipophilic pharmaceuticals applied to your fish oil products. In my opinion, until we see these technologies backed up by good studies, consumers would be best served being directed towards a high quality oil in the re-esterified triglyceride form (like we list below).
A large majority of fish oil used to create marine-derived omega-3s come from small, fatty fishes like: sardines, mackerel and anchovies. Other sources include: tuna, cod, salmon, herring among a few others.
This can vary greatly from brand to brand. While actual “catch to capsule” timeframes are difficult to track down, it is speculated that the industry average is 2-3 years. That would mean, a large majority of the fish oil products sitting on the retail shelves contain the oil from fish were harvested in 2014-15.
That is difficult to say … being that the fish oil industry has now been going strong for several decades, many of the quality control issues that once existed such as heavy metal contamination, toxins (pesticides) and oxidation are rare today. There are several organizations, like The Global Organization for EPA and DHA (GOED) and The Council of Responsible Nutrition (CRN), that have developed standards for fish oil products that set specific limits for heavy metals, a wide variety of pollutants and oxidation limits. With that being said, there have absolutely been instances of unacceptable levels of these contaminates being found in products in the retail setting. Note: When I clicked through to the GOED website, most of the links to members were broken, and General Mills was listed as a member, so caveat emptor.
This is probably one of the most misunderstood steps in the manufacturing process. The idea that heat used in the distillation process oxidizes the oil is completely unfounded. The “crude” fish oil goes through a careful multistep molecular distillation and filtration process where the crude oil is refined down to an omega-3 concentrate free of heavy metals and contaminants. During the molecular distillation the oil is exposed to low heat in a vacuum setting, no oxygen is present during this step that could potentially lead to oxidization of the oil. This necessary step removes many of the undesirable free fatty acids and contaminates present and concentrates the oil down to the desired EPA and DHA content.
Krill oil delivers EPA and DHA in the phospholipid form. Based on this, companies have made and continue to make the “superior bioavailability” claim while having no long term data to back up those claims. The studies leveraged by these companies are generally poorly designed, utilize different dosages, do not specify forms, wrong outcome measures, single dose, etc. The only study, that I know of, that compared equal dosages of EPA/DHA as Krill oil and Fish Oil (TG form) found nearly identical increases in Red Blood Cell concentrations over a (28) day period. While the studied dose (1.3 g) can easily be obtained in (2) fish oil capsules, it would take more than (18) OmegaRed krill oil capsules to reach the dose. As it currently stands, krill oil is simply not an economical way to get your EPA/DHA.
Key takeaways on the best fish oil
As you could have guessed by combing through the impurity stats we cited at the outset, there is a wide disparity in the quality of fish oil products on the market today. Most are garbage. If you’re planning on including fish oil in your supplement regimen, it is crucially important to do your homework so you know exactly what you’re getting. Many popular brands do more harm than good. Hopefully this review and “taste test” will help you find a good quality omega-3 supplement.
This is a good article. Thanks for the info. Many years ago I was studying fish oil and EPA/DHA supplements in general, and I ran across a study on effective dosing, and was shocked at the amount of EPA/DHA that was required to be minimally effective. When I looked at the fish oil supplements available, you pretty much had to take a whole bottle to get a minimally effective dose. In reading the study notes, I ran across a statement that suggested that some krill oil supplements were more concentrated. I found a krill oil supplement, and started taking it in a dose I estimated to be above the minimally effective dosage. It took about 6 months, but I started noticing changes in my skin health that I assumed was a result of this regimen. After a couple of years I fell off track, and stopped keeping up with the supplements. It took almost 6 months before I started seeing my skin issues return. I noticed, restarted the supplements and the skin problems cleared up on cue. One easy to demonstrate issue was my scaly elbows, a problem I have had since my late teens (in my late 50’s now).
So fast forward to today… The artic sourced krill oils I had been using (and mentioned in the study) became unavailable or very expensive. I switched brands, and sources, now the krill is Antartic sources. I started studying the issue again after seeing a new item where the FDA approved a new drug based on fish oils, and the studies for that product had a reported conclusion that fish oil supplements were junk, due to the amount you needed to take to get an effect. I shrugged that off as information I already knew from years before. But I ran across another web page that made the case that fish oils had more DHA/EPA than the krill oil I was taking.
A big surprise to me because that was /not/ the case when I studied supplement dosing years back. So I started digging around, and found this page, as well as /lots/ of supplement labels (on amazon where I can read them without buying anything) and it seems that while I wasn’t paying attention, the fish oil supplement industry has changed a lot since I started taking Krill oil. This is great news to me because taking a handful of pills every day is expensive. But it seems “fishy” to me that suddenly krill oil went from being more powerful to less powerful in that time. I suspect that fish oil is going through more processing now to concentrate the DHA/EPA, while the Krill oil is still the same it was when I started. There are good krill oils and junk krill oils, but I wonder how much I can trust a label. When my artic oil became unavailable, the first two brands I tried to replace it with did not seem to work, so I suspect they were junk.
But now that I have read this article, I’m forced to ask myself how I can tell when I can believe a label, and brand-specific recommendations. I’m glad you mentioned Labdoor, as well as the EuroFins and IFOS standards, that gives you a lot more credibility… But there is still a degree of faith required. I’ve seen many many examples of trusted sources of information and product recommendations that turn out to be nothing more than lies. And living in the home town of Whole Foods, I’ve seen dozens of examples of our “most trusted” food store not living up to it’s own hype, but still charging prices that imply otherwise.
It is frustrating that you can’t trust a label, you can’t trust the information that is here to inform us. I’m hopeful that Labdoor, EuroFins and IFOS exist at all, but they only cover a small fraction of the supplement market. Are there other sources of data you can share? With all of the fake, incomplete, or wrong information out there, how do we know what to trust? How can I do something as simple as deciding I can trust the info on this page? How do I know this isn’t another source of fake information like I find everywhere else? My BS detector isn’t going crazy, but only because you site some legit sounding sources of information. But How can you rank products not on Labdoor and not carrying a standards compliance label? How do you get the information for your “Gene food rating”? Do you have lab data that you are using? This site seems trustworthy, and my own research has led me to some of the same products that other articles cite, but I have to be cognizant of the funding you derive from your Amazon links when I weigh what to trust. But I get it, a web page must make money to fund it’s existence, and there is nothing wrong with that (I started the first ISP in Austin in 1987, and invented the web hosting business, so I know first hand how that money train works).
So thanks, John, for the good article… Forgive my healthy dose of skepticism, I’m an engineer and I ask lots of questions, no disrespect intended.
Who and what brands do you current use for your Omega-3 fish oil or Krill oils or most recommend for label accuracy and potentency
Curious and would love to hear feedback on Life Extensions fish oil. They do quite a bit of R&D.
Would you please research Omega-3 named DPA and Menhaden fish oil?
Menhaden oil is the only fish oil (real fish oil) that is FDA affirmed as GRAS (generally recognized as safe). Therefore, this would technically be the best fish oil provided that it has not been chemically altered and converted to ethyl esters which are not fish oil. It took many years for the FDA to affirmed the GRAS status of this real fish oil and limits its use in foods to 3 grams total EPA+DHA.
DPA can’t be marketed as a dietary ingredient or as a dietary supplement because it is a component of the FDA approved drug Lovaza and Epanova. Remember the race to market clause in the FDCA act.
any feedback on Nature’s Way supplements? specifically their Mega-DHA Premium Fish Oil 1000mg.
Who knew so many people were crazy for fish oil. How about just eating fish 3 times week and adding Chia seed & flaxseed daily.
Informative article. Have you heard of Pharmanex Marine Omega & Opti Omega? Pharmanex claims their supplements go through very stringent tests and their fish oils are free from mercury, lead and other pollutants.
Hi, I am 39 diagnosis of sarcoidosis I am in need of Anti-inflammatory fish oil. I read about curcumin mixed with fish oil, do you have any recommendations I can discussing with my doctor? Thank you
Hi John,
Thanks for this article. After reading this article, I have dug deeper into this fish oil business. What do you think about the authenticity of sites like labdoor.com etc?
Thanks,
TG
Good article on the triglyceride form of Omega 3 but no mention at all on Krill which contains phospholipid-bound Omega 3s considered by some recent research to be superior (for a couple reasons including bioavailability) to the triglyceride form.
Did you do any testing on Res-Q 1250. EPA 780 mg DHA 600 mg
Ingredients: Highly refined and concentrated omega-3 marine oil
(derived from or more anchovy, sardine,mackerel) capsule (gelatin,
glycerin and purified water) Product of Norway.
I’m wondering why at least the 1st 12 reviewed as best Fish Oil products in Labdoor are not even mentioned here in your interesting article.
Is our only concern Omega-3 ? (Including EPA and DHA). I’ve seen other products that contain Omega 5, 6, 7, 9 and 11 that get included in their total of 1000 mg of Whole Omega Fatty Acids.
Thank you John !
This article is a good overview of the many factors involved, and helps educate/ eliminate confusion in evaluating a good fish oil to buy, I appreciate this SO MUCH.
I hope you can soon update it with many more brands, including some mid- to lower-range ones (I know this takes time & resources). I appreciate that you did a couple of low-end ones, and now I know they are EE, not triglyceride, and what that means. (I never would have known that “fish oil concentrate” is ethyl ester, not triglyceride — thanks ! )
I too am curious about your take on krill.
Also, can you clarify, is your website paid/sponsored by any brands, or independent? This is important for us to know. Or do they all pay an equal fee to be reviewed? If you are independent/ not paid, you should put that prominently at the top of your article (either way!), as many ‘review’ websites are paid by certain brands.
Last question, my fish oil softgels have gone past their exp date, but they taste/smell OK/not rancid. Is that a safe test?
Thanks!
what about the Brand call Heart Health, it has fish body oils 3000mg, EPA 900mg, DHA 600mg, other omega 3 fatty acids 300mg, can you study on it?
Linsey,
Check the following link and you will see that some products of very famous brands have a very low “label accuracy” and also “projected efficacy”. Which means anything printed in a label can be just that, fake information until it is independently tested. The information in the link is very interesting at least to read it through… This LABDOOR is probably not the Bible, but at least there is a systematic way for testing.
I use Nature’s Bounty 1400 mg, 980 mg omega-3, broken down as 647mg EPA, 253mg DHA, and an unknown amount of other omega-3 fatty acids. My numbers seem better than yours….Is that because this brand has irregularities? Just asking, I do not know.
How good is ‘Nature’s Made Fish Oil 1200 mg’? Contains 360 mg of EPA. I bought some for my dog. Please, if anyone knows, give a review.
The carlson brand says a serving is 2 capsules, which is 700 mg. That’s pretty standard for strength. Don’t know where the info that one capsule is 1000mg is coming from.
Good catch! We have updated the fish oil dosing information for this review.
Hello John O’connor… please can you tell the all omega 3 brands you suggested…these softgels will not melt on polystyrene? Do you protect us with any guaranty? beacuse i want to buy omega 3 especially for memory and with high content of EPA/DHA…. please can you suggest me how much of EPA/DHA i have to take per day for memory and which brand is best and harmless to ky body and cognitive functions? thanks
hi! my cat has arthritis and her vet prescribed 270mg EPA a day, she said krill is best and human grade is fine if theres no other supplements like vitamin d and other stuff that could harm her since dosing is different for that stiff for them, what one can i give her that doesn’t have added lemon or vitamins? please help i would greatly appreciate it
John O’Connor, is there a brand that is consensus, unanimity as to quality and reliability in these analyzed questions?
thankful.
Edtele