Favorite Fish Oil Brands - Part 2

best fish oil supplement
In Part 1, I discussed some of the selection criteria for becoming a 'favorite fish oil brand.' And we looked at some good quality liquid fish oils. But how 'bout pills? Well, here are the brands of fish oil pills we love. Prices checked on company websites during July 2011 and may be different now.

Minami Nutrition MorEPA Platinum with Vitamin D

This is first on our list because it is probably the best of the bunch. Likes:
  • Hi-EPA formula
  • 1000 mg of EPA + DHA Omega-3
  • Finally being imported into USA
  • Contains Vitamin D
Dislikes:
  • Cost
  • Still hard to find in most places
  • 3rd party IFOS Certificate of Analysis unavailable
  • Not enteric coated
Minami products were not always readily available in the US. They are now being imported from Europe by Garden of Life for distribution into health food stores. That's a few more middlemen that I'd like to see, because it affects cost. Minami's range of Omega-3 products tilt towards high-EPA formulas, like they should. They have high-DHA formulas for kids and pregnant women. Cost: $28.95 + $6.00 S&H (online) # of Pills: 30 Omega-3 Per Pill: 1100 mg

OmegaBrite

Did I mention that I love this product? Mostly because the pills are easy to swallow. Likes:
  • High Omega-3 content
  • Easy-to-swallow pill
  • High-EPA formula
Dislikes:
  • Only 450 mg Omega-3 per pill
  • Country of oil origin unknown
  • 3rd party IFOS Certificate of Analysis unavailable
Whenever OmegaVia customers ask me if we make our product in smaller pills, I always point them to OmegaBrite. I've sent people to OmegaBrite dozens of times with never a complaint - some people just can't swallow large pills, so this product is a great alternative. You'll pay twice as much and need to swallow twice as many pills, but that may be worth it to you if pill size is an issue. Cost: $22.99 + $6.95 S&H (online) # of Pills: 60 Omega-3 Per Pill: 450 mg

OmegaSmart Super Critical

This product is from RenewLife, a digestive health company. I like this formula a lot. A good, solid amount of EPA. They say their oil is 95% pure Omega-3 - I don't buy that. It's probably about 90%, which is good enough for me. Must be some marketer trying to brag. Likes: Dislikes:
  • Probably not quite 95% pure
  • Cost
  • Contains Vitamin D3 (yea, I know)
This is the only one of the bunch with IFOS 5-star certification, a good sign of open, transparent business and quality. Cost: $24.99 + $6.00 S&H (online) # of Pills: 30 Omega-3 Per Pill: 1025 mg

Comparison Chart

Minami MorEPA Omega Brite Omega Smart OmegaVia
Omega-3 Purity 90% 90% "95%" 90%
EPA/Pill 765 mg 350 mg 780 mg 780 mg
DHA/pill 240 mg 50 mg 120 mg 260 mg
Total Omega-3/pill 1100 mg 450 mg 1025 mg 1105 mg
Pills/Bottle 30 60 30 60
Total Cost $29.95 + $5.95 S&H $22.99 + $6.95 S&H $24.99 + $6.00 S&H $34.69 ($26.89 for AutoShip)
Cost/Pill $0.97 $0.38 $0.80 $0.57
Cost of 1000 mg Omega-3 $0.91 $0.85 $0.81 $0.40 - $0.52
IFOS Tested No No Yes Yes

There is a common formulation thread that connects these brands - they are all high in EPA Omega-3. Why? Because EPA Omega-3 is a feedback inhibitor to Arachidonic Acid and all its potentially harmful byproducts. DHA does not do this.* This is a key reason why OmegaVia is high in EPA.   * 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.  

A little secret...

'Cost of 1000 mg Omega-3' is a very useful cost comparison tool. Why? Because it strips away all the hype and gets to the heart of the matter - the amount of Omega-3. Use it to compare similar products, like two ultra-high Omega-3 formulas. You can't compare a low-purity (30% Omega-3) formula with a 90% Omega-3 product because the raw material cost difference between the 30% oil and 90% oil is not 3X. It's more like 20X. You have to pay for purity. Besides, studies show that oils need to be about 80 to 85% Omega-3 before you can expect triglyceride reduction. In other words, Ultra-concentrated  fish oil. Here's how you can calculate the 'Cost Per 1000 mg Omega-3': (Total cost of bottle X 1000) divided by (number of pills in bottle X mg of Omega-3 per pill). This formula works only if you compare products with roughly equal Omega-3 potency.

Favorite fish oil brands...if you're pregnant

What if you're pregnant? If you're pregnant, you need extra DHA Omega-3. These brands (above) very little DHA. Consider OmegaVia DHA 600. During the second and third trimester of pregnancy, you need a lot of DHA - between 500 and 1000 mg of DHA per day for not just your health, but the proper development of your baby.* Omega-3 supplement during pregnancy No matter how much we like these other brands, you will need to take a DHA supplement. Your pediatrician may give you a prescription for a DHA supplement. They are good for you, except there is rarely enough DHA in any of the prescription DHA supplements. My recommendation if you're pregnant is to get OmegaVia DHA 600 or Nordic Naturals DHA 1000 or Ovega-3. * 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.