Published on February 18, 2019

What’s in your omega-3 supplements?

When it comes to omega-3 supplements, not all products are created in equal. The quality of the product can impact your experience. At times there’s been controversy about label claims, in fact one published study of products sold in the United States found more than half of the omega-3 oils tested did not meet their label claims¹.
 
Why omega-3 purity matters
 
Why is purity so important? For starters, the world’s oceans have become polluted, as have populations of fish and other sea life—which are often the source for omega-3 supplements. Purity is vital when choosing a fish oil supplement, to ensure it doesn’t contain unwanted pollutants or heavy metals.
 
Don’t forget about potency
 
When it comes to health benefits from omega-3, it's the EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that matter most. Derived from marine-based sources, such as fish and algae, they are vital nutritional support for the maintenance of good health throughout life^2,3. It can be tempting to choose a seemingly more affordable product with a high amount of omega-3, but low amount of EPA and DHA. When it comes to potency, however, it’s often a case of “you get what you pay for.” Work with your health care provider to determine the right amount of EPA and DHA for the benefit you’re looking to achieve.
 
The NutraSea PureCheck guarantee
 
At NutraSea, we believe in transparency, so you can trust what you read on the label matches the product inside. That’s why every lot of our omega-3 fish-oil supplements are third-party tested through the PureCheck program to make sure their quality and purity levels meet or exceed industry standards.
 
With PureCheck, every lot of product is third-party tested with independent laboratories for verification of purity and potency. All testing results are then posted online for you to see.
 
Ready to check for yourself? Simply enter your NutraSea product lot number, located on the label, at purecheck.net to view the results.
 

References:

1. Ritter JC, Budge SM, Jovica F. Quality analysis of commercial fish oil preparations. J Sci Food Agric. 2013;93(8):1935-1939. doi:10.1002/jsfa.5994
2. Harris WS. Omega-3 fatty acids. In: Coates PM, Betz JM, Blackman MR, et al., eds. Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. 2nd ed. London and New York: Informa Healthcare; 2010:577-86.
3. Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, and amino acids (macronutrients). Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2005.