Fish Oil. Five Brands that Passed the Oxidation Test.
What to look for in a omega-3 supplement
Some of this information is also in my Part 3 substack on Head Trauma, but I am still working on that post, so I wanted to share this.
Omega 3 EFA. Why do you need them, and where do you get them?
Sixty percent of the brain is fat. Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) are found in high concentrations in the brain's grey matter. DHA can assist with rebuilding cell membranes and heal and support brain function (Engle, 2017).
Outside of a TBI, you need EPA and DHA throughout your lifespan.
Here is why:
Omega-3 EFAs are needed for many reasons, such as growth, mood, vision, cognition, and blood pressure (Bauman & Friedlander, 2014).
EPA benefits include anti-inflammatory, mood support, reduced triglycerides, cognition, focus, and attention, healthy non-dry skin and joint health support, and insulin regulation.
DHA is needed for healthy brain development and the again brain and for growth development in children. Adequate DHA has also been shown to prevent postpartum depression.
If you are not getting DHA and EPA from your foods, you may want to take the Omegaquant omega-3 test to know your number. The number reflects your omega-3 status over the last four months. Ideally, you want that number between 8% and 12%. If your number is low, right around 4%, you may need 2 grams of omega-3s daily until you retest in 6 months and reevaluate. Research indicated that 8% and higher reduces stroke risk.
How Much Fish Do You Need to Eat?
Fish will be your best source if you do not have a seafood allergy since plant ALA conversion to EPA and DHA is small, anywhere from 3 to 20%.
This low conversion rate is due to a rate-limiting enzyme called Delta 6 Desaturase, which is needed to assist the conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA. Alterations in this enzyme’s activity can alter the fatty acid profile, leading to an inflammatory response.
The conversion can be hindered by alcohol, caffeine, refined carbs, trans fats, seed oils, medications, B6, B3, vitamin C, magnesium or zinc deficiencies, toxins, type 2 diabetes, and aging (Bauman & Friedlander, 2014).
So, you can see how plant sources may not be ideal in this case.
Fish sources include wild-caught salmon (here in the US, preferably Alaskan), mackerel, sardines, herring, black cod, anchovies, and cod liver oil.
This chart provides a long list of fish and their DHA and EPA content. Very handy! For example, I had no idea that lake trout would contain half a gram of EPA and over a gram of DHA.
Look at the fish chart, which can help guide you in your fish choices.
Finding a Quality Fish Oil Product
You need EPA and DHA, so it is best not to take a product with one or the other.
Fish oil should be sustainably harvested, and the company should have a purification process. When in doubt, call the company.
Due to its unsaturated structure, fish oil is susceptible to oxidation. Oxidized fish oil may have a fishy smell and taste, and the product will also have lower amounts of EPA and DHA. We do not know the long-term effects of consuming oxidized fish oils.
Therefore, do not purchase a flavored fish oil product that may cover up that rancid fish smell and taste. Smell your fish oil proudct when you open it up!
Fullscript tested 30 common fish oils to determine their oxidation level. Oxidation is measured via peroxide level (PV), p-Ansidine value (pAV), and total oxidation (TOTOX). Manufacturers typically do this testing in the raw material stages since colorings and flavorings can skew the results.
The peroxide level is the only validated and consistent measure of fish oil oxidation at the finished product stage, so Fullscript used this measure to test fish oil products independently.
Ten meq/kg is the PV limit established by the National Sanitation Foundation American National Standards Institute (which I had never heard of until now).
Fullscript used the 5 meq/kg Global Organization standard for EPA and DHA as their guideline and found that 22 out of 30 products tested fell under this level.
For some reason, they chose only to share 5 of these products (a request was made to see all 22 of them).
The products they have listed (you will have to double the dose to meet the 2 g head injury protocol) include
Metagenics SPM Active
Designs For Health OmegAvail Hi-Po
Vital Nutrients Ultra Pure FishOil 700
Microbiome Labs MegaMarine
Pure Encapsulations O.N.E. Omega
However, oxidation is one component of fish oil products.
What Else To Look For in A Quality Fish Oil Product
Check the product websites for third-party testing from an independent site that will examine freshness and purity. The product site should show you the third-party certificate of analysis.
I looked up https://www.nordic.com/omega-3s/
Nordic Naturals provides this certificate on its website. If you have their fish oil, you can type in the lot number to view the certificate for that bottle. I provide a link to a third-party site below, so you do not need to go to every fish oil product site.
You also want to know about the contaminant levels. The products should have “no detectable levels,” meaning they are below 10 ppb for mercury and 5 ppt for PCBs and dioxins.
A way to check via third-party testing is:
https://certifications.nutrasource.ca/certified-products
There are many brands that I did not recognize, but the site also contained many well-known brands. I clicked on one I did know, Nordic Naturals, a popular fish oil brand, and clicked on their Complete Omega product. The link stated that the product is IGEN Certified (International GMO Evaluation and Notification) and does not contain detectable amounts of genetically engineered GMO proteins and genes.
I then clicked on the Life Extension Super Omega-3 product. It then asks you to click on a batch. I clicked on the most recent batch tested, which said the product passed oxidation standards, PCB and heavy metal standards, and all IFOS testing categories.
NONE of the four products tested and approved via Fullscript were on the certifications-nutrasource site.
I looked at the Designs for Health Omega Avail Hi Pro, which contains 800 mg each of EPA and DHA in a 1:1 ratio in a two-capsule serving. The site states that its omega-3 product is sourced from wild-caught anchovies, sardines, and mackerel from Peru and Chile. It has undergone purity testing to ensure the product is free from metals, pesticides, PCBs, and other contaminants. However, it did not state if it used a third-party site for testing.
Triglycerides versus Ethyl Ester
Check if the product site states that the fish oil is in the triglyceride form. This is the natural form found in fish. Fish oil does need to be converted to ethyl ester (and you may see this listed on the product label) during processing, and keeping it in this form reduces cost. If the company takes the extra step, the triglyceride form is more stable and better utilized by the body. But you will pay more.
How Much EPA and DHA Do You Need?
Products with more EPA may be helpful for inflammatory issues such as aches and pains. A product with more DHA may be beneficial if you are looking for a mood or cognitive support product. Other products may have EPA and DHA in a 1:1 ratio.
Most products I have been looking at have more EPA than DHA to a (close to) 2:1 ratio.
Fish EPA and DHA
The amounts vary by fish, but if you look at that chart link on the omega-3 EFA content, you will notice that most fish contain slightly more DHA than EPA. For example, king mackerel contains 1 EPA gram and 1.2 DHA grams. Euoprean anchovies contain 0.5 EPA grams and 0.9 DHA grams.
Bottom Line
There are a lot of omega-3 products out there. You will need to do some homework to find a product with the right amount of DHA and EPA for your needs and a quality product. The good news is that there are many quality products on the market. A good omega-3 product can be pricey, so combine it with healthy fish options.
Testing is good. I would suggest it, especially if you have a skin condition, joint issues, or mental health symptoms such as Bipolar, anxiety, or depression.
Avoid fish oil products for two weeks prior if planning on surgery, and use caution if you take a blood thinner since fish oil impacts clotting (thins the blood).
Additional Sources
Bauman, E. & Friedlander, J. (2014). Foundations of nutrition. Bauman College.
Engle, D. (2017) The concussion repair manual. A practical guide to recovering from traumatic brain injuries. Full Spectrum Medicine.
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This is NOT information allopathic practitioners will share with you.
I've tried a couple. One was from Native Path and is Antarctic Krill oil. The other was Aqua Biome Omega-3. Both break my face out so I'm over it! I even have to be careful with Vit D3 and E. If they have olive oil they break my face out. It's got to be Organic olive oil. Preservatives are not my friend! LOL I can't do high fructose corn syrup or Maltodextrin at all! Oh and I can't do pills with brown rice flour, but rice flour ones don't bother me! Doesn't make sense to me, but it is what it is!
I do have Nordic fish oil and I opened it up and after the strawberry smell dissipates, you can smell bad fish,
Also, why would they spray it with strawberry scent.