Is your omega-3 supplement toxic?
Is your omega-3 supplement toxic?
Despite decades of research into the cognitive and cardiovascular health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils, it is only recently that most consumers have become aware of the benefits of omega-3 supplementation.
As the consumption of fish and fish oils for their omega-3 content has increased, consumers have also become aware of potential safety concerns related to fish. Fish from our seas and oceans are exposed to artificial and natural contaminants present in the water and in their food, which we, in turn, ingest by consuming seafood.
There is an advantage to taking fish oil supplements over consuming fresh or canned fish. Fish oils, from the body or liver of the fish, can be cleaned. Processes such as filtration and molecular distillation help to eliminate contaminants. However, control tests to confirm the safety of fish oils are just as important as the cleaning itself.
An evaluation service to confirm the quality of fish oil supplements has been established in Guelph, Ontario. The International Fish Oil Standards, or IFOS, offers an independent system for evaluating fish oil supplements and publishes detailed results on its publicly accessible website, www.ifosprogram.com. In addition, IFOS assesses the quality of fish oil supplements using a 5-star rating system: 5 stars = exceptional quality oil, 1 star = poor quality oil.
The 5 categories are defined as follows:
1 star – The product passes all tests for fish oils from the CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition) and WHO (World Health Organization).
2 stars – Tests show that the product's EPA and DHA claims are truthful (or that the product contains more than 60% combined EPA and DHA in concentrated fish oils).
3 stars – The oxidation rate is less than 75% compared to the standard rate established by the CRN.
4 stars – The PCB rate is less than 50% compared to the standard rate established by the CRN.
5 stars – Dioxin and furan levels are less than 50% compared to the standard rate established by the WHO.
These categories are used to confirm three important aspects of fish oil quality.
- Safety: As the environment and oceans become increasingly polluted, the fish we consume are at risk of containing harmful contaminants such as heavy metals, mercury, lead, furans, dioxins, and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). IFOS analyses go beyond government standards to assess the safety of fish oil products with respect to these harmful substances.
- Omega-3 content: What matters is not the amount of fish oil in a supplement, but its omega-3 content. Check product labels for their actual omega-3 content. Oils should primarily contain EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), the two most important types of omega-3s. Concentrated forms of fish oil can contain more than 400 mg of EPA and more than 200 mg of DHA per capsule. The IFOS control system ensures that the claims made on product labels are truthful.
- Freshness: In addition to checking whether products contain environmental contaminants, IFOS confirms the freshness of products. It is important to consume fresh fish oil as there is a risk of becoming ill by ingesting rancid and highly oxidized oil. IFOS assesses the oxidation rate of products to determine if they are fresh or rancid.
The best way to learn more about the safety, potency, and freshness of your favourite fish oil supplement is to check its rating on the IFOS website at www.ifosprogram.com, under the "Consumer Reports" tab. There you will find the test results of fish oil brands from around the world that have submitted their products to the independent and rigorous IFOS control system.
It is good to know that the fish oil supplement we take daily is a safe, potent, and fresh product. IFOS's confirmation analysis offers you this peace of mind.
All batches of Health First® Omega-First® supplements are tested by IFOS and consistently receive a 5-star rating.
Are you sensitive to fish oil?
For individuals highly sensitive to fish oil supplements, Health First® also offers an enteric-coated softgel. These Omega-First softgels are coated to pass through the acidic pH of the stomach without breaking down. This allows the softgel to pass through to the intestine where it quickly breaks down in the more alkaline pH of the intestine, thus avoiding reflux problems experienced by some people who consume fish oil softgels that break down in the stomach.