Tweet
BUY: Generic fish-oil supplements
INSTEAD OF: Brand-name versions
A survey from independent tester ConsumerLab.com showed that fish oil and fish-oil capsules are purchased second only to multivitamins among supplement users. Their rapid growth in popularity comes as no surprise, considering that the omega-3 fatty acids they contain have been shown to do everything from boosting mood to improving circulatory health and lowering unhealthy triglyceride levels. Quality capsules contain heavier doses of EPA and DHA, two fish-derived fatty acids that offer the big-time health benefits, rather than ALA, an omega-3 from plant sources that needs to be converted before the body can use it. Last summer, ConsumerLab analyzed 50 widely available omega-3 and fishoil supplements and found that all of them—regardless of price—were free of dangerous levels of mercury and PCBs (a concern with fish oil because these contaminants accumulate in fatty fish), and most contained optimal levels of EPA and DHA.
One great-buy brand that passed ConsumerLab's tests: CVS Fish Oil Softgels, which provide 900 mg of omega-3s daily when taken as directed and cost less than $7 for a month's supply; a designer brand also approved by ConsumerLab would set you back more than twice that much. How much omega-3 do you need? Although there's no FDA recommendation, most experts advise getting about 1,000 mg per day of combined EPA and DHA; for people with coronary heart disease, the American Heart Association suggests the same amount.
INSTEAD OF: Brand-name versions
A survey from independent tester ConsumerLab.com showed that fish oil and fish-oil capsules are purchased second only to multivitamins among supplement users. Their rapid growth in popularity comes as no surprise, considering that the omega-3 fatty acids they contain have been shown to do everything from boosting mood to improving circulatory health and lowering unhealthy triglyceride levels. Quality capsules contain heavier doses of EPA and DHA, two fish-derived fatty acids that offer the big-time health benefits, rather than ALA, an omega-3 from plant sources that needs to be converted before the body can use it. Last summer, ConsumerLab analyzed 50 widely available omega-3 and fishoil supplements and found that all of them—regardless of price—were free of dangerous levels of mercury and PCBs (a concern with fish oil because these contaminants accumulate in fatty fish), and most contained optimal levels of EPA and DHA.
One great-buy brand that passed ConsumerLab's tests: CVS Fish Oil Softgels, which provide 900 mg of omega-3s daily when taken as directed and cost less than $7 for a month's supply; a designer brand also approved by ConsumerLab would set you back more than twice that much. How much omega-3 do you need? Although there's no FDA recommendation, most experts advise getting about 1,000 mg per day of combined EPA and DHA; for people with coronary heart disease, the American Heart Association suggests the same amount.
Comment