Omega 3 Fish Oil Reviews by Kevin Mackay
Omega 3 fatty acids are a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are important for a number of functions in the body. They are found in foods such as fatty fish and certain vegetable oils and are also available in dietary supplements. This fact sheet provides basic information about omega 3 fatty acids with a focus on dietary supplements, summarizes scientific research on effectiveness and safety, and suggests sources for additional information.
Americans are buying more fish oil supplements than ever, but in industry-standard tests of 15 top-selling brands conducted by an outside lab for Consumer Reports, five fell a bit short.
The lab tested three lots of each brand, bought in New York-area stores. All had their labeled amount of EPA and DHA, omega-3 fatty acids that can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. And none exceeded limits for lead, mercury, dioxins, or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) set by the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), a nongovernmental standard-setting group, or by the European Union.
But the test results revealed total PCBs in amounts that could require warning labels under California's Proposition 65, a consumer right-to-know law, in one sample of the CVS, GNC, and Sundown products, and in two samples of Nature's Bounty.
Most tested pills are claimed to be "purified" or "free" of PCBs, mercury, or other contaminants, claims that have no specific regulatory definition, the Food and Drug Administration says. The agency has taken no enforcement action against any omega-3 maker over PCBs or other contaminants, an FDA spokeswoman said, because it has seen no public-health risk.
And two samples of Kirkland Signature failed the USP's disintegration test for pills with enteric coatings (designed to prevent fishy aftertaste): Their coating could break up in the stomach, not in the small intestine as intended. Oddly, that was one of few tested products labeled "USP Verified," which indicates that the USP has tested and verified the claimed ingredients, potency, and manufacturing process.
Bottom line. Most people can get enough omega 3 by eating fatty fish--such as salmon and sardines, which are also low in mercury--at least twice a week. But people who have coronary heart disease require about a gram a day of those fatty acids, an amount that often requires taking a supplement. Check with a doctor before taking omega 3 pills because they can interact with some medications. Choose one listed under "met quality standards." Those cost anywhere from 17 to 64 cents a day for 1 gram of EPA and DHA combined, the amount the American Heart Association recommends for people with coronary heart disease.
Omega 3 [http://www.omegathreesixnine.com]
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