You'll find "pure fish oil" listed on the shelves of every drug store and just about anywhere else you find vitamins. You won't find the purest oil everywhere, though, nor the best health benefits. This is important if you're going to get the real health benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids that are the essential parts of the oil. There are big differences in purity among fish oils, even the ones listed on the label as molecularly distilled -- which at one time was almost a definition of purity.
Here's what you should know before you shop.
First, it helps a lot if the fish which are the source of the oil are fresh and from unpolluted areas of the world's oceans.
Fish oil has been described rather harshly as "the sewer of the sea," but unfortunately, that's not an unfair description in many cases.
Fish that are excellent sources of omega-3 oil tend to be larger, predatory fish such as cod, tuna, halibut and mackerel.
The bigger and longer-lived the fish, the higher on the food chain. This is important because even tiny amounts of toxic chemicals found in tiny fish get concentrated more and more in the bodies of the largest fish that eat the smaller ones.
This is bound to happen if the fish are swimming in polluted waters, and it's a sad fact that we are causing more and more pollution in the world's oceans. The North Sea, for example, a wonderful source of food fish for centuries, is becoming increasingly polluted.
What are those toxic chemicals I mentioned?
A scary list: mercury, lead, arsenic, dioxins and PCBs -- that last one is the very long-lasting poisonous chemical that was used to make plastic products for many years before being outlawed as too toxic. Purity in omega-3 oils must be measured by extremely sensitive lab testing, both for heavy metals like those I just mentioned, and PCBs.
Another fact: it's all too easy for careless fishing boat operators to allow their catch to begin turning rancid before processing. This is why lab testing of can show big differences in oxidation, depending on the freshness of the fish.
So what's the answer to purity? There are three.
Catch the fish in the most pristine oceans; take great care to keep them fresh before processing; and then use the most effective purifying technology.
My own supplement for omega-3 oil -- the one I and my family use -- follows those exact requirements.
You can find more information and recommendations on pure fish oil on my website.
Kathryn Lane is a health and nutrition researcher. The best health care products she has found have never been the most expensive or the most-advertised. See her website: http://www.quality-omega-3.com/
