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Wide-ranging studies make it easy to discover the vast health benefits we could obtain from fish oil but picking the best fish oil is never an easy job. Heart disease prevention, anti-inflammatory properties, and even hair loss prevention are just a few of such health benefits that have been associated with fish oil. For this reason, the fish oil supplement industry has prospered, which has its positive and negative effects.

One positive effect is that these fish oil capsules are easily  obtainable to those who are considering to take advantage of their health benefits. The negative effect is that many companies jump on the bandwagon for easy profit by producing low-quality products. Choosing the right brand is much more difficult with all these brands out in the market.

However, to choose the best fish oil becomes trouble-free by trying to tell apart the good fish oil supplements from the inferior ones. Here are a few basics to keep in mind.

Fish oil supplements are beneficial to us because they have omega-3 fatty acids; specifically DHA and EPA. Therefore, the best fish oil brands contain more of these omega-3s compared to the lesser-quality products. Remember to check the label in your fish oils; the more DHA and EPA, the better.
For every 1,000 mg of fish oil, each capsule should contain 600 mg or a 60% concentration of Omega-3.
Fish oil supplements, like all fish products, are subject to toxin hazard, but the best fish oil should be pure and toxin-free. For this reason, doctors don’t prescribe fish oil supplements to pregnant women, regardless of the fact that it can have positive effects to the baby’s brain development, as some studies point out.
Determining which fish oil supplements  are pure was very difficult since there was no reliable regulation board for people to refer to. However, this problem was solved when Nutrasource Diagnostics Inc. of Canada came up with the International Fish Oil Safety (IFOS) program.

Before the IFOS program, the standards for toxin-free fish oil supplements were too lenient everywhere in the world. Fortunately, the IFOS has since created a strict set of world standards for purity of fish oils based on five parameters:

• Passes all CRN/WHO testing categories

• 60% or higher Omega-3 concentration

• Oxidation Levels less than 75% of CRN standard

• PCB Levels Less than 50% of CRN standard

• Dioxin Levels Less Than 50% of WHO standard

A 5-star certification from the IFOS should be the minimum for the best fish oil supplement. This policywill definitelyreduce the selection process for the best fish oil. Two brands, Nordic Naturals and See Yourself Well, are 5-star certified that are available in the United States.
To summarize, the best fish oil should offer not only worth, but also peace of mind. The label should indicate whether or not your fish oil supplement meets your Omega-3 fatty acids requirement, and don’t forget to verify the 5-star certification from the IFOS!

Brittany M. Wallace is a health and nutrition expert.

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