There are over 300 profession brands of fish oil in my database I can choose from and even more when you include other stores like Costco and Amazon. The nutraceutical industry is booming with research that supports the use of nutritional and natural occurring compounds that are concentrated and used for therapeutic affects with great results and limited side effects and this is one reason why many people all over the world are turning to supplements as their first line of pharmacy. Otherwise known as the “Green Pharmacy”.
Proper dosing and selection of the right supplement for your desired outcome has been challenging to determine for a variety of reasons including bio-individuality (meaning one person may respond differently than the next) to nutritional compounds, variation in the concentration of the main components of the oil like what is the carrier oil, what is the capsule made of, and how many Omega 3-6-9’s are there in the supplement.
Choosing what is right for you may take some experimentation, and may this article help guide you to the best supplement for you. Start with these three steps to point you in the right direction.
Start with the desired outcome in mind. For example, do you have rheumatoid arthritis and looking for soothing the inflammation in your joints? Are you looking for cardiovascular benefits like increasing your LDL:HDL ratio and improving your cholesterol profile? Are you looking for a natural blood thinner? Are you looking to help diminish age related macular degeneration? Or are you looking to improve your brain health? All of these conditions are reasonable reasons to be on a fish oil supplement(1) so when searching for fish oil, you can filter the fish oil category that is most appropriate for your condition. Our Fullscript page has excellent filters to narrow down your search of the highest quality professional grade supplements.
Avoid generic brands and shopping on Amazon. Here is why - due to the highly unregulated nature of nutritional supplement industry it is important to use professional grade companies who ship directly from the manufacturer. Fish oil is especially important to follow this rule for three main reasons. Some fish sources of oil and omega 3 fatty acids contain mercury - a toxic heavy metal that can negatively affect your brain and other organ function. The second reason is the oil carriers can be mixed with fillers like canola oil which increase inflammation. And third is they may not me temperature controlled. Supplements stored in non-temperature controlled environments and you don’t know where they came from or how long they were in storage which means the oil can become rancid.
Pick the right ratio and dose for your desired outcome. Here is a good rule of to follow: Look at the DHA and EPA concentrations in the ingredients (the two main types of omega 3’s) - In general: Higher DHA than EPA for Brain and Higher EPA than DHA for inflammation. For the brain getting the DHA:EPA ratio much higher than most supplements I have seen. Usually it is 3:1 or so but see if you can get closest to 8:1 for optimum brain support. The dose depends on how sensitive a person is, gut function, and nutritional status. If you are on a standard American diet - I might start you with a much higher dose like 6000 mg DHA/EPA/ALA. Look for capsules that are highly concentrated (1000mg or more per capsule) so you don’t have to swallow so many capsules.
If you are looking for more guidance we are here to help and we hope this quick guide sets you on the right pathway towards better health for you.
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