It's just unbelievable yet true! Fish oil supplements are now among the most popular health supplements in the world. This is because fish based oil has been identified as a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids that are known to provide a host of benefits to our body's overall health. Before buying your own fish oil supplement, however, it is best that you conduct a personal fish oil review.
It is important to conduct a fish oil review because fish based oil products are now proliferating in the market and they are definitely not created equal. While some manufacturers voluntary submit themselves to quality tests and strictly follow pharmaceutical standards, there are also those who manufacture their pills via the cheapest possible means without regard to quality or safety.
Another good reason to conduct a review of fish based oil products prior to making a purchase is the fact that some fish oils contain very high levels of metal toxins like mercury. This means that choosing the wrong source of fish oil could lead you to more harm than good and your health could deteriorate rather than improve as a result. This is why you have to be very vigilant in choosing your fish oil supplement.
The most important factor you should consider in doing a fish oil review is the purity of the oil content of a particular fish based supplement. The best pills are those that contain pure Omega 3 fatty acids, preferably without any additives. And the best way to ensure that your supplement contains pure ingredients is to buy the ones that are considered pharmaceutical grade.
Strictly speaking, of course, there are no such things as pharmaceutical grade fish oil pills because health supplements in general are not required to undergo the same standards of quality as pharmaceutical drugs. Probably the highest standards that the health supplement industry can speak of are the likes of International Fish Oil Standards (IFO). There are, however, a few manufacturers who voluntary set their own standards based on those of pharmaceutical drugs and it is best to purchase supplements from these manufacturers.
The best way to check these things is to read the labels and any other source of information in regard to these products. Take special note of their Certificate of Analysis as this will show the exact amounts of trace minerals and mercury contained in the pills. This certificate will also reveal whether the supplement indeed contains the ingredients and nutrients that it claims to have as indicated in the label.
In conducting your own fish oil review, you should also check the manner in which the fish-oil content of the pill was purified. So far, molecular distillation is considered to be the most effective way of removing toxins from fish oils, or at least reducing them to levels that are safe for human consumption. Other methods and processes may not be as effective or as safe.
You should also check if the supplement has a special coating. Many manufacturers coat their pills with enteric and while this type of coating does not seem to have any negative side effects, neither has it shown any significant benefits and is more often used only to mask the rancidity of the fish oil. It may be better to choose supplements with water-based coating, which has been proven to be a lot safer than enteric.
In conclusion, the process of conducting your own fish oil review may be time-consuming and may require a lot of effort on your part. But in the long run, you will see its value when you start to enjoy the benefits from fish based oil and at the same time avoid the common risks that are associated with it. Your health, after all, is well worth the time and effort that it takes to review these products.
