Are all fish oils created equally?

[camaroguy18]

The obvious answer being no, as farm fish will range in a variety of ways. But what about the types of fish??

I was at the market today to pick some more up and I stood in front of two bottles (both from the brand Nature's Bounty). One bottle had "Cod Fish Oil" (Good source of Omega-3) and had 1000mg/cap with 60 caps to a bottle- price was about 5 bucks.

The other bottle just said fish oil (and upon reading the ingredients on the back it stated: herring, anchovy, mackerel, sardine, and salmon). This bottle was 1200mg/cap and offered 120 caps for 6 bucks. (this bottle also listed Omega-6 along with Omega-3)

I picked up the second bottle, being that it was double the caps (not to mention 200mg more per cap) for a dollar more, but is there really a difference between Cod and other fish?

[Redeemer]

I have also seen fish body oil. I don't know how this is different from regular fish oil. Also, cod is tricky. You don't want cod liver oil because in the volumes we would normaly take, you risk vitamin A toxicity.

[nelix]

They are not all the same. Always read the label to see there EPA/DHA content. Make sure it fits the void in your diet, my diet has heaps of DHA so I look for EPA.
I use Now Foods Super EPA

[camaroguy18]

They are not all the same. Always read the label to see there EPA/DHA content. Make sure it fits the void in your diet, my diet has heaps of DHA so I look for EPA.
I use Now Foods Super EPA

just as a reference, what levels of EPA/DHA are in the fish oil you take.

the bottle I bought today has 216mg EPA and 144mg DHA per cap...granted I have only been taking 2 caps per day

[milwood]

I have also seen fish body oil. I don't know how this is different from regular fish oil. Also, cod is tricky. You don't want cod liver oil because in the volumes we would normaly take, you risk vitamin A toxicity.

Thanks, Redeemer. So it's the cod liver oil that runs the high Vitamin A risk. Apparently the other fish oils are not too dangerous in this regard. Good to know...

[nelix]

Now Foods Ultra Omega-3
Per Capsule
Natural Fish Oil Concentrate 1.0 g (1,000 mg)
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 50 mg
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 500 mg
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 250 mg

[milwood]

Now Foods Ultra Omega-3
Per Capsule
Natural Fish Oil Concentrate 1.0 g (1,000 mg)
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 50 mg
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 500 mg
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 250 mg

NOW that's a good profile....

[gdbear65]

just as a reference, what levels of EPA/DHA are in the fish oil you take.

the bottle I bought today has 216mg EPA and 144mg DHA per cap...granted I have only been taking 2 caps per day

I have read you should shoot for 600 - 800mg/day EPA and 400 - 600mg DHA. As for types - herring and salmon are best for EPA/DHA content. I also believe you should get oil that is pharmaceutical grade quality, otherwise it can be full of toxins and can quickly go rancid.

[nelix]

I love the Now brand ultra omega3, I now only have to talk one per meal instead of 6 of the cheaper brand, I have good trust in Now foods. They are pricey but it's worth it for quality.

[bound]

I was under the impression that we generally needed more DHA than EPA from the fish oil. I thought that modern diets were skewed way to far towards EPA than is good for us. I think that the ratio for a modern diet tended to be around 1:20 EPA to DHA when it should really be more like 1:1-1:3.
Or I have it completely backwards.

Hah. Just googled it all to find out, and find that I'm an ass. That ratio applies to omega-6 to omega-3's, not DHA to EPA, which are BOTH omega-3's.