Fish Oil Grades
Grades of Fish Oil- Do
Your Homework.
Ultra-Refined fish oil maintains a higher level
of fish oil purity and quality standards than health food
grade fish oil. Consumers must be very careful when choosing a
fish oil supplement that is called “Pharmaceutical
Grade fish oil”. On the Internet or in advertisements you may
read that a specific fish oil is “Pharmaceutical Grade” but anyone
can say that with out proving to the consumer what it means. Make
sure you choose an ultra-refined fish oil supplement that has been tested
by an independent third party for concentration, purity and
stability so you can trust your fish oil
supplement.
There are basically three grades of fish oil
supplements which include Cod Liver Fish Oil, Health Food Grade Fish Oil
supplements and Ultra-Refined
Pharmaceutical-Grade Fish Oil. There is also a significant
difference in price you pay.
Cod Liver
Oil:
- Quality-
This is what Grandma used to give your parents. It is
the lowest quality fish oil. High dose usage
of cod liver oil is not recommended due to the high levels of
Vitamin A and contaminants found in this form of fish oil.
Relatively high saturated fat content. Strong dead fish taste
because of impurities.
- Potency-
A typical one-teaspoon serving of cod liver oil
contains 500 mg. of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Almost 2
tablespoons of cod liver oil are required to obtain the same 2700
mg. dose of long-chain omega 3 fatty acids as one teaspoon of
a high quality ultra-refined fish oil.
- Safety- Not safe at high levels. It
has the highest levels of
contaminants (organic mercury, PCB's and DDT). Can cause gastric
upset including nausea.
Health Food Store
Grade Fish Oil:
- Quality-
If the
label says the oil comes from a particular species of fish such as
salmon oil then you know it is health-food grade fish oil.
These oils are only sold in soft gelatin capsules because they
still have an extremely poor taste profile. Requires twice the
dosage of a high quality ultra-refined fish oil. May contain man made pollutants such as
PCB's, dioxin and mercury. Can cause gastric upset
including nausea. Relatively high content of saturated
fat.
- Potency-
A typical one-gram capsule of
health-food grade fish oil supplement contains approximately 300 mg. of
long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. A one-gram capsule of thermally
fractionated health-food grade fish oil may contain up to 500 mg.
of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. For most health food
grade fish oils it requires 8 one-gram capsules per day to
obtain 2400 mg of long-chain omega-3 fatty
acids.
- Safety- It is
questionable if safe at high levels. Typical health-food grade
fish oil supplements contain varying amounts of contaminants. In addition,
the fractional cooling method does not remove the PCB's or the
long-chain monoene fatty acids that give rise to significant
gastric distress..
Ultra-Refined Pharmaceutical Grade fish oil:
-
Quality-
Ultra-Refined fish oil starts with the highest health food grade
fish oil and then goes through the following painstaking refining
processes for fish oil purity:
- True molecular
distillation process, the final refining process to assure removal
of all man made pollutants such as PCB's, dioxins and
mercury.
-
Winterization at a very low temperature
to remove additional amounts of saturated
fats.
- Low saturated fat content.
Will not freeze.
-
Pharmaceutical
Grade ultra-refined fish oil supplements taste relatively good because
they are
so purified.
- Rigorous analysis and certification by an
Independent Lab before product formulation. The result is
pure Ultra Refined fish oil.
-
Potency-
A one-gram capsule of
Pharmaceutical
Grade ultra-refined fish oil contains 600 mg. of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids with 5
I.U. of Vitamin E per gram of fish oil. It has twice the
EPA
and DHA as found in health-food grade fish oil. One teaspoon of
the liquid ultra-refined fish oil contains 1.8 grams of EPA and 0.9 grams of
DHA.
-
Safety-
It is so pure and ultra-refined fish oil contains 100s times less PCB's and other contaminants
than health food grade fish oil. Rarely causes gastric
upset.
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