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How to Rate Fish Oil Supplements

Most Americans don't consume enough omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential substances that our bodies can't produce. According to Dr. Artemis Simopoulus in "The Omega Diet," as of 1999 only 40 percent of Americans met dietary requirements for omega-3 intake and another 20 percent had levels so low they couldn't be detected (see Reference 1). Fish oil supplements remedy a dietary lack of omega-3s. Determining which fish oil is best takes education and careful label-reading.

Things You'll Need

  • Fish oil product labels
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Instructions

  1. Types of Essential Fatty Acids

    • 1

      Look at product label to see which essential fatty acids (EFAs) are listed. Often EFAs other than fish oils such as borage, evening primrose and soy are included. Look for anything that is not listed as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) or DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which are the EFAs that come from fish.

    • 2

      Add up the number of milligrams of EFAs the product has that come from sources other than EPA and DHA. These other EFAs are plant-derived omega-6 fatty acids, which do not have the same health benefits (see Reference 1).

    • 3

      Study the label for other ingredients, such as vitamins, preservatives, fillers and colorants. Write down the number of milligrams of each and add them. Add this number to the total from Step 2.

    • 4

      Add up the number of milligrams of EPA and DHA in the product. Compare this to the total from Step 3. Give high ratings to products that contain mostly EPA and DHA in a ratio of 3-to-2 in either direction (see Reference 2).

    Types of Fish Oil

    • 5

      Find out which fish contain the highest amounts of EPA and DH, using online or print references. Fatty, cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, anchovy and mackerel are high on the list.

    • 6

      Study the labels of fish oil products to determine the types of fish oils they contain. Calculate the percentage of oils from cold-water fatty fish versus those from fish with lesser amounts of EPA and DHA (see Resource 2).

    • 7

      Give the highest ratings to fish oils derived from fish high in EPA and DHA.

    Purity

    • 8

      Determine the source of the fish oil by reading the product label. If the fish listed came from geographic areas high in pollutants such as PCBs, mercury, heavy metals, or dioxins and the oil is unpurified, give the product a low rating (see Reference 4).

    • 9

      Read the label for statements about the purification or distillation processes. Determine the process used to purify the fish oil. Cold distillation and cold filtration are least disruptive to chemical structure (see Resource 1).

    • 10

      Find online ratings for fish oil safety on the Environmental Defense Fund website (see Reference 3). Give highest ratings to products that have been rated as safe, have been cold-processed and can prove non-contamination (see Reference 5).

    Dosage

    • 11

      Keep the highest-rated products. See if the daily recommended dose is one or two capsules. Calculate the amount of EPA and DHA in each capsule for each product, using the totals found in the previous steps.

    • 12

      Calculate how many capsules are needed to achieve the minimum daily dose, which is 1,000 mg of EPA and DHA (see Reference 1). Individual requirements may vary.

    • 13

      Calculate the daily cost per dose. Divide the supplement cost by the number of capsules the bottle contains to find the cost per capsule. Multiply this by the number of capsules taken per day. Add this expense information to the data you gathered in the other steps to determine which fish oil supplement to take.

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