Well this is the one I take – but the important bit is why.
The best type of fish oil is not about cheap or expensive. It’s about what works.
And you need to know just a few simple things to be able to buy wisely, and avoid the bad products.
1. Most Health Benefits Come From DHA & EPA
DHA and EPA are long chain fatty acids found in omega-3 fish oils. DHA is not found in vegetable sources in any decent quantity.
But most of the clinical benefits you can get from omega-3, actually come from DHA. With EPA providing most of the rest.
That’s important, because some omega-3 supplements contain little or even no DHA at all!
If a supplement comes from purely nut or seed sources, then it won’t be high in DHA. So check the label and make sure it states how much DHA and EPA you are actually getting.
If it doesn’t even say, do NOT trust that brand at all.
2. Filter Out The Toxins
Most fish sources that are high in omega-3 are also unacceptably high in toxic metals such as mercury. Our oceans are polluted so it’s something we now have to live with.
That’s why we are told by the FDA that pregnant women should NOT eat more than 2 or 3 portions of oily fish per week! And certain fish should be avoided completely. (Personally I don’t feel particularly comforted by the idea of ‘eating less mercury’ being wise, but the FDA say eating fish outweighs the risk).
So look for a brand that is at least molecularly distilled.
Because these toxins can be filtered out of a fish oil supplement, so there is no good reason to keep them in!
If it’s not properly filtered do not buy it.
3. Fresh Is Critical
This is important – fish oil should NOT smell fishy!
If you have ever suffered fishy after-taste or burps, then you’ve likely used a brand where the oil isn’t as fresh as it should be. Oils that aren’t fresh will cause repeating, and can even be higher in damaging free radical levels too.
Don’t be conned by manufacturers who put fragrances or coatings on their capsules to hide the fact their oils are not fresh.
You should be able to cut open a fish oil capsule and smell just a hint of fresh ocean type smell. Rancid fish odours mean a very poor quality product you are probably better off putting in the trash than in your body.
It’s important that the fish oils get from the sea into a capsule as quickly as possible, with as much care as possible. How this process is handled makes a huge difference to the quality of the final product.
So What Is The Best Brand Of Fish Oil?
In my opinion, this one from Xtend-Life. Because of the reasons above, but specifically:-
- It’s just fish oils with no added extras – no flavors or colors, or other weird additives
- It’s high in those vital levels of DHA/EPA that make it worth consuming Omega-3 in the first place
- It’s sourced ethically and from the cleaner oceans around New Zealand
- Their processing methods ensure absolute freshness
- They filter out any harmful toxins that some manufacturers leave in, it is exceptionally pure
- They proudly display all their lab tests and certifications on their website
- It’s the best of it’s kind, yet still costs less than other brands I’ve used
- They are a family owned company who put customers before profits
- They ship worldwide for free (on orders over $60)
- Orders are normally despatched same day – usually within an hour or two in my experience!
365 day (1 year!) money-back guarantee on all their products
So if all that doesn’t make it the best brand of fish oil for anyone to take then I don’t know what does 🙂
NOTE: You cannot buy this brand in local stores. It is only available online direct from the people who make it.
You can buy online from the official site here
They also provide the same quality oil in a small capsule – perfect for giving children omega-3 fish oil, or for those that have trouble swallowing pills.
P.S. How’s This For Service
My orders have always been sent out same day, and items have never been out of stock. But for my latest order Xtend-Life just shocked me…
I mean, what other company (apart from maybe Amazon) do you know that has blazing fast shipping times like this…
Yes, that’s right. I just placed my latest order today – I got an order confirmation right away, followed by an email 16 minutes later to say my order had SHIPPED! I can’t even drive to my local health food store that quickly.
The next time I see other companies taking 3 days or even a week to get around to sending my order, I’m going to be asking why it takes them so long! 🙂
