With the numerous brands and choices of Omega-3 fish oil supplements,

unless you’re already well informed or have been using a particular product,

High Potency fish Oil Bottle Label

Sample of a High Potency Fish Oil Label

it may be hard to decide which Omega-3 fish oil supplement is best for you. On top of that there are the Omega-3 products derived from non-meat sources such as Flax, walnuts, other vegetable oils, etc.  So, you may ask: “How do I choose among all these choices?”

Although the recommendation is always, if in doubt, check with your doctor, below are some prompters that should facilitate the selection process:

  • Fish Oil vs Vegetable based Omega-3 sources: Vegetarians will of course select the Omega-3s extracted from flax, walnuts and soybean or canola oil. Which is an argument that goes back and forth depending on who you listen to. We won’t go into a discussion or argument on that here but, over the years the fish side has received a lot of praise and most of the studies and benefit claims have been attributed to Fish based Omega-3 fish oils.
  • What are the important components of Omega-3: The key ingredients in fish oil are two essential “fatty acids” EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), both are essential for normal cell functioning but, cannot be synthesized by your body and must be taken from outside sources, such as wild oily fish.
  • What the weight (mg) of Fish oil and Omega-3 on the product’s label tells you: Here, the important component is the Omega-3, and in specific the amount and ratio of the EPA and DHA fatty acids. Most labels will detail the total amount of fish oil, which is normally in the 1000mg plus range. Let’s say that the EPA + DHA add up to 700mg, unless other Omega oils are indicated, the balance may just be fillers.
  • What quantity and ratio of EPA vs DHA should I be taking: Typically you’ll see recommendations for a ratio of 40/20, or 3/2 of EPA vs DHA. Although you may find 7:1 ratios and in some cases the inverse DHA vs EPA, which are normally for specific reasons recommended by a health practitioner.
  • What about the reports of toxins such as Mercury in fish oil: Most of the warnings have to do with fresh caught oily fish such as tuna, shark and mackerel. High Potency Fish Oils go through a rigorous distillation process and are tested for traces of toxins.  The best products go through micro filtration, have been tested by independent labs and may be labeled as pharmaceutical grade. Read the labels and product descriptions for details.
  • Gel capsule vs liquid: In a nutshell, the gel capsules, because of their gelatin like coating  are easier to take, although most don’t tend to have as high a potency as the liquid Omega-3s. On the other hand some of us don’t like the liquid Fish Oil supplements because of the fishy taste. If that’s an issue, try the lemon or other flavored labels, which do a great job in masking the fishy flavor.
  • What’s a good starting point: If you’ve never taken Omega-3 Fish Oil, start off slowly and build up. Most good brands start out with an EPA and DHA total weight of around 400 – 500mg per serving, which in capsule form normally amounts to 1-2 capsules and in liquid 1 tsp. A typical mid range is a concentration of the EPA and DHA around 1000mg – 1200mgs. Of course there are higher concentrations, which are normally recommended for specific applications. Learn about the products, monitor results and when in doubt check with your doctor.

The bottom line is that if you only take one supplement, and you don’t have any medical restrictions (because of the numerous reported benefits), Omega-3 should be it. As always, if in doubt check with your doctor.