What to Look for in a Fish Oil Supplement

February 25, 2021 Daryl Gioffre

By now you probably know that you need a fish oil supplement. After all, there is virtually no way you are getting enough omega-3 from your food alone.

And yet, if you just pick up whichever one catches your eye – or worse, whichever is the cheapest – you could actually be doing more harm than good.

That’s because the ingredients in fish oils matter. They differ a lot from brand to brand.

And it’s tough to know what to look for, how to interpret what’s in them, and how you can know you are actually getting a quality product that improves your health.

In fact, omega-3 supplements are CRITICAL to your health. They are made up of essential fatty acids that your body cannot produce on its own – they must be consumed through food or supplements. And again, with omega-3, food alone is not enough.

Without plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, your body is in an inflammatory state because omega-3 is anti-inflammatory.

This especially affects your brain, which is made up of about 60% fat. That’s why omega-3 has been proven effective against issues from ADHD to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s to depression.

Omega-3 supplements have been clinically shown to:

Improve heart health and reduce risk of heart disease– studies find that every heart indicator benefits from omega-3 – triglycerides, cholesterol, plaque build-up, and blood pressure.
Improve mental health and brain function, especially as we age
Lead to fewer headaches, and reduction in migraines in particular
Help prevent autoimmune diseases
Lower risk of breast and colorectal cancers
Boost bone and joint health and decreased risk of arthritis
Improve brain development from infancy on up
Keep skin looking younger
Benefit eye healthand prevention of macular degeneration

So now that you know why it’s so important to take a fish oil supplement, the next thing you need to know is how to ensure you’re getting a good one.

What to Look for in Fish Oil Supplement

EPA: Eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA is the part of fish oil that fights inflammation. There are no vegetarian sources of this fatty acid. This is why you do need to take fish oil – not vegan alternatives.

While I am a plant-based guy, fish oil is one exception to the rule. While it’s important to eat omega-3 rich foods like chia and flax, it does NOT convert well to the DHA and EPA that you get immediately from consuming fish or taking fish oil.

So vegan supplement alternatives just don’t cut it, unfortunately. Research shows that the most they will convert is 1% – this is why it is VERY hard for vegetarians to beat inflammation, because EPA is the component of fish oil that fights inflammation.

DHA: Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA is critical for a healthy brain, and for the growth and development of children and their nervous systems. DHA is important, but it’s got to be in the proper ratio between EPA and DHA. I cannot stress this enough. Most brands have a 1:1 ratio, which means you’re not getting enough EPA, and that will lead to too much inflammation. You really need a 2:1 ratio of EPA to DHA.

Licensing: Only take a fish oil that is extracted in a licensed facility, preferably FDA-approved.

Purification: Our supplement is triple organically purified (most companies do this only once) to eliminate every heavy metal and over 400 contaminants.

This is an area where you need to be careful. You could be ingesting dangerous levels of mercury and other contaminants.

Sourcing: Ideally, the fish oil should come from wild, cold-water anchovies, mackerel and/or sardines that are the purest, least toxic source of omega-3. You also want to look for a commitment to sustainable sourcing and fishing. Make sure it’s not farmed fish.

I do NOT recommend krill oil, popular as it may be, because it’s a much bigger molecule than fish oil. At least 25% of the American population cannot absorb it, and even for those who can, it’s not strong enough. You would need to take 40 per day – yes, 40! – to get the proper dosage.

Bottling: The supplement should be manufactured in a dark glass bottle to prevent oxidation as much as possible.

Dosage: This is one of the most confusing aspects of fish oil supplements, because different supplements will vary widely. But for the health of your brain and your heart, more is better.

It is critical that the average adult take a full 3,000mg of omega-3 fish oil every single day. That’s far more than you’re likely getting from a standard fish oil supplement.

Most fish oils, you would have to consume 8 softgels to get the 3,000mg I recommend you take daily. With Alkamind, you only need to take 3!

That’s higher than most recommendations, but in order to combat the bad fats that the modern American diet is so filled with, you need more good fat.

And again, it’s important that what you take is in the right ratio. Here are a few of the top brands laid out for comparison:

Brand	Total Omega-3	EPA	DHA	Approx. EPA:DHA (Ideally 2:1)
Nordic Naturals	560 mg per softgel	293 mg	228 mg	1:1
Innate Choice	350 mg per softgel	180 mg	120 mg	3:2
Omega Cure	1,266 mg per teaspoon	500 mg	500 mg	1:1
Alkamind Daily Omega-3	1,000 mg per softgel	570mg	285 mg	2:1

As you can see, our Daily Omega-3 is concentrated, so you TAKE LESS to GET MORE. Plus, we formulated it to provide the ideal 2:1 ratio of EPA to DHA to fight inflammation and optimize brain health. We are the ONLY fish oil in the world to do both!

I’m not here to push my supplement on you. By all means, do your own research. It was after doing my own extensive research that I found that there wasn’t a single source of fish oil that had everything the body needs in one concentrated form.

I wasn’t willing to settle for taking 18 fish oil capsules a day, and you shouldn’t either!

Just to quickly run through the other points above, our Daily Omega-3 is produced in a licensed, FDA-approved facility. Sourced by sustainable anchovies, mackerel, and sardines, it’s also heavy metal free and guaranteed for potency and freshness, so no fishy taste.

There really is no better fish oil in the world!

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