When you are buying fish oil supplements, there are several things that you should be looking at. These things include how much of the important omega-3 fatty acids are included, what type of fish is used, the purity of the fish oil, how the capsules are made and of course, how much it will cost you. Cost is obviously relative to the quality received so should not be your main criteria in choosing a fish oil supplement.
Since the principal purpose of buying fish oil supplements is due to the health benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids, you want to be sure that you are getting what you pay for. Some fish oil brands use unfavorable fish that doesn't have as much of these important nutrients as they should. The best companies make sure they use fish that is high in omega-3s.
What type of fish plays a crucial role in the omega-3 content as certain fattier, cold water fish have much more of these vitamins and minerals in their oil. However, that is not the only reason to be concerned as to what fish the company is using for their supplements. Another major concern is what else could be in your fish oil capsules - pollutants. The world's bodies of water are so polluted after many years of unregulated industry that most fish have at least some contaminated substances in the flesh. Some fish are so full of toxins like mercury that their consumption is recommended to be constrained for safety's sake.
The purity of the actual fish oil used is another thing you should be looking at. The various manufacturers of supplements use various methods to remove any impurities from the oils before encapsulating them. Most companies perform a molecular distillation process that eliminates most impurities and concentrates the fish oil. A few companies do other refinement procedures.
However, there is absolutely no meaning or value when companies use terms like "double distilled" or "extra distilled". That is simply marketing jargon to fool consumers into thinking there is something exceptional about their supplement when there isn't. Keep in mind, that if you provide real value, you don't have to use tricky marketing terms.
There are two forms of fish oil supplements sold - softgel supplements and enteric coated capsules. The oil must be encapsulated since it remains in a liquid form, albeit concentrated. Either type of capsule can maintain the quality of the oil, if done correctly and right away. Softgel tablets are much better for you, though. That is because the nutrients in the fish oil should be consumed in the stomach in order to get the most benefit.
When the capsules are enteric coated, this puts a stop to the oils from being digested in the stomach. Instead they are partially absorbed in the intestines - but much of the nutrition is passed as waste. There is no logical reason to put an enteric coating on the supplements. The companies that do this say that it makes the tablets easier to swallowbut softgel capsules are the easiest to swallow. Another "purpose" they use is to keep the oil fresher but, again, this simply isn't true.
As mentioned in the beginning of this article, price is the last aspect you should consider but for most of us, cost is still a consideration. The least expensive fish oil supplements shouldn't even be attempted, though. Without exception, the low-priced products are made with unnamed fish oils and the shopper has no way of knowing which kinds were used or where they were harvested. With contamination such a risk, it just doesn't make sense to not know exactly what is in anything you use as a supplement. High price doesn't mean they are better, however.
The only brand we've found that offers the very best of each aspect is Xtend-Life. Their fish oils are gathered from some of the cleanest waters in the world, off the coast of New Zealand. Xtend-Life's Fish Oil Pills are through their own patented process before going through the industry standard molecular distillation and they are never enteric coated. They use only two kinds of fish to extract their oil - hoki and tuna. Those are both among the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as two of the least dirtied sources. Xtend-Life is also $10-20 lower in cost than it's two closest competitors.
The choice is evident, isn't it?
Article Directory : http://www.articlecube.com
