The benefits of fish oil are well-acclaimed and supported by a large reputed body of scientific research. It's no wonder people are flocking to purchase fish oil supplements to support various health needs. But with the plethora of fish oil supplement choices, which one should you choose? How can you differentiate between them? And which one will give you maximum health benefits? How good is triple strength fish oil?
Experts in fish oil supplements have established two important distinguishing factors for quality fish oil: a) purity and strength b) high concentration of long chain omega 3 fatty acids.
Fish oil supplements found on the market can be classified under two broad headings:
Health Grade Fish Oil Supplements
Some health food grade fish oil supplements are subjected to limited molecular distillation, which removes some of the cholesterol from the fish oils. "Fish oil concentrate" is another type of health food grade fish oil which has undergone fractional cooling. This fractional cooling removes solidified, saturated fats, and leaves behind higher concentration of long chain omega 3 fatty acids. The fractional cooling method may not remove all the toxins like PCBs. Because of the greater likelihood of contaminants, health food grade oils are not advisable.
Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil Supplements
This fish oil supplement is produced from high quality fish usually caught in the upper latitudes where waters are less polluted by industrial dumping. It is processed thermally using excellent refining methods which remove pollutants like PCB's, heavy metals and other impurities. The finished fish oil product is extremely pure and appropriately balanced concentration of EPA and DHA.
Cod Liver Oil? How good is that?
Cod liver oil is derived from the liver of the cod fish. It does not have the same EPA and DHA profile as fish oil derived from fatty fish like salmon. In fact, if you were to try to get your intake of omega 3s from cod liver, you would need to take many capsules. Experts say that since cod liver is very rich in Vitamins A and D you may develop toxicity levels of these two vitamins. Another disadvantage of cod liver oil is that because it is derived from the liver and the liver is the organ which filters toxins, you're more likely to find contaminants in fish liver oil, especially the ones that have not gone a high-quality purification process.
Triple Strength Fish Oil
Triple strength fish oil contains three times the concentration of EPA and DHA found in health grade fish oils due to its high level of purification.
Benefits of Triple Strength Fish Oil
- When searching for a fish oil supplement, you'll find various levels of EPA and DHA on labels. The healthy ratio of EPA against DHA is 2:1. This is the ratio found in natural food sources and it should be the ratio that your fish oil contains. You'll find triple strength fish oil contains the right ratio of EPA and DHA.
- Triple strength fish oil, because of its higher purification process, contain 90% concentration of omega 3 fatty acids. This also means it contains the least contaminants. Other fish oil capsules are generally made up of approximately 30% to 60% EPA & DHA and therefore may contain a lot more by-products such as saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, heavy metals to obtain adequate EPA & DHA levels in the body.
- Again, because of the high-quality purification, triple strength fish oil is more bioavailable. The superior refining process also removes long chain monoenes in the fish oil which are known to cause gastric irritation.
- Most triple strength fish oils are fortified with Vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant keeping the fish oil fresh.
When choosing a fish oil supplement, go for the one that can help provide you with the maximum health benefits of fish oil. Triple strength fish oil contains the right proportion of EPA against DHA and the highest concentration of omega 3s. Triple Strength Omega 3 has an enteric coating which helps to avoid any after taste and belching or burping since digestion takes place in the lower intestines. Triple Strength Omega 3 is one of the purest fish oils you'll find. In fact, you may find it much safer than eating natural food sources of fish!
