How to Pick Fish Oil Supplements: 4 Things to Know

Fish Oil Supplement Tips

Maybe you’re not an expert on nutritional supplements. Odds are you’ve heard about fish oil and its health benefits, though. It’s often in the news.

You have so many options for fish oil supplements. How do you choose a supplement that works best for you? To answer this question, let’s get to know a little more about fish oil.

What Are Omega-3s?

Fish oil supplements are popular because they contain omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids are critical in maintaining the health of cells by providing the lipids needed for cellular membranes. Those cellular membranes work as a protective layer. Since cells are fundamental for your overall health, your body needs omega-3s at a very basic level.*

Omega-3 fatty acids consist of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaneoic acid (EPA). DHA and EPA are helpful in supporting the health of your heart, bones, joints, skin, brain and even moods. *

Matt Jaggi, a fellow What’s Up, USANA? contributor, did some research about omega-3s previously and found benefits for heart and skin health, and normal brain development. Learn more about the benefits of omega-3s.

Omega3 Fatty Acids

Why We Need Fish Oil Supplements

Okay, now we’re aware of the importance of omega-3s. The next question should be: Where do you find them?

Omega-3 fatty acids are found naturally in oily fish such as salmon, anchovy, halibut, sardines and tuna. They can also be found in plant and nut oils, flaxseed and fortified foods.

Even though you may get fatty acids from eating oily fish, it’s not necessarily the most economic or efficient way to get omega-3s. Who has the money or time to buy all that fish?

I live in Utah. Not exactly a place you find an abundance of deep-sea fish. Besides, as a working woman, I don’t have much time to cook. So taking a fish oil supplement is a convenient substitute.

Many nutrition experts—such as the American Heart Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture—recommended eating fish regularly or adding fish oil supplements to receive the benefits of omega-3s.

And then there’s the question of how much fish oil you should take.

Pick the Best Fish Oil Supplement

Fish Oil Supplement

So now I’ve sold you on the benefits of Omega-3s. Aren’t you interested in purchasing fish oil supplements?

Sure, walking into a random health store and grabbing a bottle of supplements sounds easy.

But have you compared the quality, price and ingredients of available brands?

I’m picky about supplements, because they’re supposed to provide support to my body. So I consulted our experts at USANA, and here are some attributes you need to consider to choose the best fish oil supplements:

  • Purity. We all want purified supplements that don’t contain any contaminants. For the most part, any supplement on the market these days has been purified within standards that are acceptable to USP (United States Pharmacopoeia).
  • Sourcing. Eating wild, cold-water fish remains the best source of omega-3s, but if you must supplement (you probably should; most people don’t get enough), it’s important to pay attention the sources of fish oil supplements. Are the supplements from sustainable and clean resources?
  • Blend. While there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on what the perfect ratio should be, it’s important to pick a product that has both EPA and DHA. Virtually all studies have shown health advantages when a supplement contains both.
  • Potency. The level of DHA+EPA in fish oil supplements is a critical way to measure the potency of your products. So compare your labels. The National Institutes of Health recommends healthy adults get 650 mg per day of DHA+EPA. Even higher levels have been shown effective for protecting heart health.

USANA BiOmegaA Simpler Choice: USANA BiOmega™

Let’s see how BiOmega holds up to the metrics. This high-quality fish oil supplement not only provides omega-3 fatty acids, but also meets all my needs for quality:

Purity. It is purified using high vacuum molecular distillation, and falls well below California’s Prop. 65 allowable levels of PCBs and meets global industry standards.

Sourcing. BiOmega comes from small, clean fish (sardines, anchovies, and mackerel) from a fishery that uses sustainable practices and renewable resources.

As for blend, Biomega contains both EPA and DHA in a good ratio.

Potency, the most exciting part about BiOmega! A daily dose of USANA’s BiOmega contains 1,050 mg of EPA+DHA (1,200 total omega-3 fatty acids) in a daily dose of two gelcaps. Compared to another brand from a popular bulk/warehouse store, which contains only 300 mg of omega-3s in a daily dose, USANA’s product is four times as potent.

For more assurance, ConsumerLab.com tested, evaluated, and gave BiOmega the respected stamp of approval, verifying that BiOmega contains its labeled amount of fish oil, EPA, DHA, and omega-3s.

Even more, USANA has been chosen the No. 1 choice by consumers. Check www.consumerlab.com for more information.

BiOmega

 So, what is your fish oil supplement choice? Let us know below!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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