After reading about the IFOS and wanting to understand better the testing standards and fish oil purity I googled around. The packaging only states it follows GMP (Canada standard testing) but what is it and how does it compare?
I found a few entries and this one seems to explain it best:
Another forum entry on the subject :
A recommendation from Tracy Jones, Nutritionist:
Which Brands of Fish Oil are Worth Buying?
There are only two brands of fish oil on the market that I currently recommend. If you take any of the others, just don't blame the results on me. Seriously, though, this is your health, so follow these recommendations carefully; I've done my homework on this.
Less Expensive / Less Validated...
If you don't have a lot of money to spend on nutritional supplements, buy Dr. Michael Murray Recommended RxOmega-3 Factors Pharmaceutical Grade fish oil from Natural Factors.
You can find this at Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats Market and some other health food stores. However, call ahead because they're sometimes out of it. It's a white bottle with a blue label. It has Dr. Michael Murray's picture on it.
To buy it for even less, go to iherb. They seem to have the lowest prices around for this product.
Based on the label, this is a highly-concentrated fish oil.
Fish oil labels are completely confusing, because you need to compare the amount of fish oil per caplet with the amount of EPA/DHA per caplet and then reference that to other brands.
I've done that for many brands of fish oil, and this one is very pure based on the label's information. It's also very economical for the amount of EPA/DHA it contains.
The down side to this product is that it's not tested by an outside laboratory to assure its purity. That means you have to just hope that the product is what they say it is. There is not much regulation of nutritional supplements to speak of, so you're going on faith with any supplement you take and fish oil is no exception.
However, I have done a test at home to verify that the fish oil is at least very concentrated. This test is recommended by Dr. Barry Sears, author of The Zone and an expert on fish oil. If you currently take fish oil, try this with the brand you take to see how concentrated it is.
Cut open a fish oil caplet and squeeze the contents onto a small plate or dish. Put this in your freezer for four hours. If the fish oil is highly-concentrated, it should still be at or near room temperature after being in the freezer. This is because omega-3 fats are a type of natural antifreeze that keep sea creatures from freezing in cold ocean temperatures.
More Expensive / Well-Validated...
If you want the very best fish oil, then take the kind made by Dr. Barry Sears himself. Dr. Sears was the one who kicked off the fish oil industry and consistently puts out the highest-quality product on the market. It sets the gold standard for fish oil purity.
Every batch of Dr. Sears fish oil is tested by the IFOS, an independent laboratory that tests fish oil for many factors related to purity. Dr. Sears fish oil is the only oil for which every batch is run through all the tests. His is the best stuff out there.
That said, be sure to take the caplets. I don't recommend the liquid fish oil, because it tastes terrible. The caplets are fine and leave little or no aftertaste.
You can buy these high-quality fish oil caplets at Dr. Sears' website, which is www.drsears.com.
You can also call the company to ask questions and place an order at (800) 404-8171.
This product costs two to four times as much as the one mentioned above. Dr. Sears fish oil costs about $50 for 120 caplets. Just so you know ahead of time.
How Much Fish Oil to Take?
Some people just take one caplet a day. While this is good, I recommend that anyone who has any type of chronic condition such as a heart problem, arthritis or inflammation take at least four caplets per day. Dr. Sears recommends even higher doses.
I take four caplets per day and have noticed an improvement in my thinking, less inflammation in my joints and improved eyesight at this dose. With a lower dose, I don't notice the effects.
But let me repeat, please do not take other brands of fish oil. They're just not concentrated enough. And if you do take brands other than the two I recommend, don't say I didn't warn you...
I am a member of CroasfitSingapore and I know that several members there also take this brand. www.crossfitsingapore.com.sg
I'll write more about CroasfitSingapore in another post.
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