Why Ultra-concentrated Fish Oils are Better

Why ‘Triple Strength’ Fish Oil sounds great…but may not get you the benefits with the same number of pills are an Ultra-concentrated oil.

What’s the most number of fish oil pills you’re willing to take?

One pill a day?
Two pills?
Five?
A dozen?

Most people draw the line at 2 or 3 pills a day. Very few of us take only fish oil pills – there are other supplements and Rx medicines to take. At some point, all these pills become a meal in themselves. That gets old.

So we break up the doses into smaller pills.

With Ultra-concentrated Fish Oil

If a pill had 1000 mg of Omega-3, like OmegaVia or one of the popular Triple Strength fish oils, you’d need 3 pills a day to get 3,000 mg of Omega-3. Simple math.

With Regular Fish Oil

But what if you took a Walgreens or Walmart brand fish oil that had 300 mg of Omega-3 per pill? The math is not as simple, but you’d need 10 pills a day to get a handle on your triglycerides.

But there is another ‘handle’ you’d have to worry about – your ‘love handle.’ Ten fish oil pills can carry a hefty calorie load – it can have almost as many calories as a Snickers bar.

A recent European study looked at this issue and concluded that ‘low concentration makes [regular] fish oil products impractical for therapeutic use.’

But the Walmart brand is cheaper, you say. And as long as I get 3,000 mg of Omega-3 into my body, I should feel the benefits. Right? You’re right, you should.

But do you?

This Norwegian study looked at the Omega-3 uptake of three different Omega-3 concentrations:

• 62% Omega-3 (often sold as ‘Triple Strength’)
• 80% Omega-3
• 85% Omega-3

They did not test the regular ‘drug store grade’ fish oil (30% Omega-3) because it was ‘impractical’ to expect anyone to take 10 pills a day.

Every patient in the study took 5,100 mg (5.1 grams) of Omega-3 per day, except they took three different concentrations of ‘concentrated fish oils. You could argue that 62% Omega-3 is not pharmaceutical grade. But it’s fair to say that 80% and 85% are.

Here are the revealing results:

1. There was a significant increase in blood EPA Omega-3 levels after just 14 days.
2. The increase was much higher in those taking the 85% pure oil, compare to those taking 62% or 80% oils.
3. DHA Omega-3 levels in the blood were not different between the three grades of fish oil.

 

RESULT: Even though everyone took the same amount of Omega-3, the chart below shows that 80% and 85% oils were better ‘absorbed.’

This is why it’s critical to take ultra-concentrated fish oil supplements that provide at least 80% Omega-3 concentrations.

It’s not just the AMOUNT of Omega-3 that matters, it’s the PURITY as well.

Why Didn’t the 62% Pure Fish Oil Work?

Technical Explanation of Study Results The study authors think it’s because Omega-3 fats are a poor substrate for synthesis for triglycerides and Omega-3 also inhibit enzyme, acyl CoA:1,2-diacylglycerol acyltransferase due to the natural affinity Omega-3 has for this enzyme. This effect is enhanced because any oil that’s 85% EPA + DHA will likely be well over 90% in total Omega-3. This means there is very little, if any, other fatty acids. But the 62% pure oil had one-third non-Omega-3 fats. The ‘other’ non-Omega-3 fatty acids won’t react the same way with the acyl CoA enzyme.

 

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* 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.