What is Fish Oil and What Does It Do for Your Health?
Fish oil is derived from the flesh of cold water fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and anchovies, which are natural sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
Fish oil is an excellent source of the important omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are considered essential nutrients as they cannot be efficiently produced by the body and must be obtained through diet.
Why Do We Need Omega 3?
Fish oil provides a source of EPA and DHA, which play important roles in maintaining general health and wellbeing.
Omega 3 fatty acids contribute to normal cell function and are found in high concentrations in tissues such as the brain, eyes, and cardiovascular system.
Adequate intake of omega 3 fats supports healthy cardiovascular system function and helps in the maintenance of healthy blood lipids.
How Much Omega 3 Do Australians Need?
According to national dietary data, many Australians are not meeting recommended intakes for omega 3 fatty acids.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends adequate intakes of approximately:
- 430 mg per day for adult females
- 610 mg per day for adult males
However, population data suggests that only a small proportion of Australians meet these intake levels through diet alone.
How Much Fish Should You Eat?
The Heart Foundation recommends consuming fish regularly as part of a healthy diet.
This typically equates to around two to three servings of oily fish per week to help provide adequate intake of EPA and DHA.
If fish intake is low, omega 3 supplementation may be considered as an alternative way to help meet dietary intake.
How to Choose a High Quality Fish Oil
Triglyceride vs Ethyl Ester Fish Oil
Fish oil supplements can come in two main forms: triglyceride (TG) form and ethyl ester (EE) form.
During processing, fish oil is sometimes converted into ethyl esters to concentrate EPA and DHA. Some evidence suggests triglyceride forms may be utilised differently by the body compared to ethyl ester forms.
Triglyceride fish oil is also closer to the natural structure found in fish.
How to Check Fish Oil Freshness
When you cut an apple, and the exposed section goes brown, this is oxidation. The fruit starts to oxidise when electrons are lost to another molecule (air in this case) and turn the food brown.
Like many natural oils, fish oil can oxidise over time.
Oxidation occurs when oils are exposed to oxygen, producing byproducts that may affect quality.
Two common measures of freshness include:
- Peroxide value (PV) – indicates early oxidation
- Anisidine value (AV) – indicates secondary oxidation
The Therapeutic Goods Administration sets limits for these markers to ensure quality in fish oil products.
Fish Oil Purity and Contaminants
High quality fish oils are tested for environmental contaminants such as:
- Heavy metals (including mercury)
- Dioxins
- PCBs
Choosing products that are tested against recognised standards helps ensure purity and safety. The fish oil used in Super Omega Fish Oil Odourless is the VivoMega™* Fish Oil. The TGA limits for mercury are ≤ 0.5 ppm, while the VivoMega™* mercury levels are 0.002 ppm, reflecting a focus on quality and purity testing.
Sustainability of Fish Oil
Sustainability is an important consideration when selecting fish oil. VivoMega™*, which is used in our Super Omega Fish Oil Odourless formula, is a highly potent, sustainable, and traceable non-GMO fish oil. VivoMega™* is certified by Friends of the Sea and Marin Trust, two of the leading organisations for sustainable and responsible fishery management.
Look for oils sourced from small, short lived fish species and certified by organisations that promote responsible fisheries.
Key Takeaways When Choosing Fish Oil
- Amount of omega 3. A supplement may say on the front that it contains 1,000 mg or 1,500 mg of fish oil per capsule. However, on the back, you’ll read that EPA and DHA are only 320 mg combined. ANC’s Super Omega Fish Oil Odourless is 1000mg of fish oil, with a large component being the combined EPA/DHA of 800mg. Meaning a higher proportion of the oil is made up of EPA and DHA
- Form of Omega 3. Triglycerides vs synthetic ethyl esters.
- Sustainability: look for sustainable sourcing practices
- Freshness markers such as peroxide and anisidine values. Don't use past the use by date either.
- VivoMega™ is a trademark of GC Rieber VivoMega AS
Always read the label and follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional. Dietary supplements should not replace a balanced diet. The information provided in this article is for general health information only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice.
References
- Omega 3 Fatty Acids Fact Sheet – National Institutes of Health
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/ - Omega 3 intake in Australian populations – PubMed Central
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4808841/ - Dietary guidance and fish intake – Heart Foundation
https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/ - Omega 3 and human nutrition research – Nature Publishing Group
https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2010239 - Fish oil compositional guidelines – Therapeutic Goods Administration
https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/resources/compositional-guidelines/fish-oil-natural
