Supplements containing the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA offer a wide range of potential benefits for improving mental health, treating inflammatory disease, and even for cancer prevention. There is also emerging evidence that omega-7s, another type of fatty acid found in fish, may have health benefits. But with so many different supplements to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you — and which offers the best value?
ConsumerLab.com's tests of 49 omega-3 and omega-7 fatty acid supplements - including fish oil, krill oil, algal oil, calamari oil, green-lipped mussel oil and sea buckthorn oil — revealed problems with the quality of three products. We also found that a widely promoted 'Omega' supplement actually contained only a tiny amount of the omega-3 oils EPA and DHA.
Fortunately, ConsumerLab.com also identified regular softgels, enteric-coated softgels, and liquids which contained what they claimed and were not contaminated with lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic or PCBs. Among these, a substantial daily dose of EPA and DHA could be obtained for as little as a few cents a day. ConsumerLab.com also compared the quality, value, and cost for each to select its Top Picks.
You must be a member to get the full test results for fish oil and other marine oil pills and liquid supplements along with ConsumerLab.com recommendations and quality ratings. You will get results for 29 supplements selected by ConsumerLab.com, 20 others that passed voluntary, quality certification testing, and information about one product similar to one which passed testing.
In this comprehensive report, you'll discover: - Which fish oil and omega-3 and omega-7 supplements failed or passed testing and why.
- The latest information on benefits of fish oil and omega-3s and -7s, as well as what they cannot do.
- Direct comparisons (including amounts of EPA and DHA) and quality ratings for fish, krill, algal, calamari, green-lipped mussel, and sea buckthorn oil supplements -- including those for pregnant women, other adults, children, and pets.
- Which products provide the best value and which are most concentrated (so you can take fewer or smaller pills) including softgels, liquids, and enteric-coated pills.
- Differences in the forms of fish oil in each product: natural triglyceride, ethyl ester, re-esterified triglyceride, and phospholipid.
- The dose of the omega-3s (EPA and DHA) and omega-7s (palmitoleic acid) for specific uses -- and how much is too much.
- Side-effects and cautions with supplements made with fish oil, krill oil and other marine oils.
See the report now