How to Choose the Best Fish Oil Supplement

Benefits of Fish oil
First and foremost the body cannot produce omega-3 fatty acids. This means that we must get them from the foods we eat or from fish oil supplementation. Fish Oil helps in the following areas: heart disease, cancer, eye function, inflammation, Men's health, weight loss, Parkinson's disease, ADHD, cognition mood and behavior.
Ultra Refined Fish Oil
An Ultra Refined Fish Oil capsule should contain a minimum 60% omega-3 concentration as combined EPA and DHA. Without having to do the math by looking at the label all you need to look for is the IFOS symbol.
Introducing IFOS
IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) was established because with growing pollution concerns for the consumer and the, negative effects of mercury and PCB's from the marine food sources, the IFOS program is becoming popular and is proving its value as a reliable source for third party validation.
The IFOS program is an independent, university-supported testing program located in Guelph, Canada. The IFOS Consumer Report allows you to quickly determine the true unbiased quality of any fish oil product. Listed below are the criteria used to award a 5 star rating to the best fish oil supplements.
The 5-Star System Description
This category is specifically for ultra-refined super concentrate fish oils with a minimum 60 per cent combined EPA/DHA concentration and is based on Nutrasource's 5 Star Rating Program. A Star is awarded for each of the five areas:
Star 1 - Product Passes All CRN/WHO Testing Categories. All fish oil gets this for "just showing up"
Star 2 - Product Tests Show Minimum 60 per cent EPA plus DHA combined concentration. The higher the concentration of EPA and DHA, the less oil you need to take to achieve good health benefits.
Star 3 - Oxidation Level Less Than 75 per cent of CRN Standard. Fish oils can go "bad" very quickly. The manufacturing process drastically increases this risk when producing capsules and liquids.
Star 4 - PCB Levels Less Than 50 per cent of CRN Standard. PCB's are known carcinogens. They are difficult to remove from your body.
Star 5 - Dioxin and Furan Levels Less Than 50 per cent of WHO Standard. Dioxins are known neurotoxins.
The 5 Star Rating is as follows:
5 Star - Exceptional Product Batch
4 Star - Very Good Batch
3 Star - Good Batch
2 Star - Fair Batch
1 Star - Poor Batch
The IFOS data base ONLY lists by brand what has been tested and received a 5 star rating.
Look for the little blue circle on the label with a fish and the "IFOS" letters.
Shane Thompson writes on Health and Fitness related issues. You can learn more by visiting my blog, the best fish oil supplement.