If you want to buy omega-3 supplements, it is best to gain some knowledge before you buy one.
There are so many options available in the market. And to know what omega-3 fatty acids supplements are best for you is what we are going to help you get the maximum benefits.
Before we discuss the various types of omega-3 supplements available in the market, let’s discuss the several forms of omega-3.
Forms of Omega-3 You Should Know:
If you want to get omega-3 from your food then, having fish is a great option to get the supplements.
You can get these fishes in natural and processed forms. The reason it is good to know about the various types of omega-3 fatty acids because there are some forms that can be absorbed by our system in a much better way.
A fish is rich in phospholipids, free fatty acids and triglycerides. If we talk about conventional fish oils, you can find omega-3 fatty acids as triglycerides.
The second is processed fish oil, these oils contain omega-3 fatty acids as ethyl esters. This helps to adjust the concentration in the oil.
The third is the reformed triglycerides. This oil also contains omega-3 fatty acids as ethyl esters in the form of processed fish oil. But this fish oil can be converted back to the reformed triglycerides.
As per studies, all these forms of omega-3 fatty acids are likewise beneficial for your health, but as per a few studies, omega-3 from ethyl esters is not as good compared to other omega-3 forms.
Types of Fish Oil:
1. Natural Fish Oil: When we talk about natural fish oil, that means the oil is coming from the tissues of oily fish that comes in the form of triglycerides. If you want to get the omega-3 fatty acids, this is one of the closest supplements to a fish. However, having natural fish oils helps you get the benefits of vitamins D and A. Some common fishes that are used to get these oils are herring, salmon, cod liver and sardines.
2. Processed Fish Oil: This type of fish oils are made of triglycerides and ethyl esters. These types of fish can be concentrated or purified. These processed fish oils are popular among customers because they are cheap and found in abundance in the market. When the oil is concentrated, this increases the DHA and EPA levels. Therefore, there are fish oils that contain around 50 to 90 per cent pure DHA or EPA.
3. Green-lipped mussel oil: This oil is basically from New Zealand and mainly in the form of free fatty acids and triglycerides. Also, the reason this is considered to be a good omega-3 supplement because this oil is environment friendly compared to fish oil.
4. ALA Oil: This is a plant-based omega-3 and the full form of AHA is Alpha-linolenic acid. You can also get this type of plant-based omega-3 supplements from seeds like hemp seeds, flaxseeds, and chia seeds. People who are pure vegetarian can go for such omega-3 supplements.
There are other types of omega-3 supplements that you can find in the market based on your personal preferences. Also, it is best to first consult your doctor and only then go for any supplements even essential supplements should be taken into consideration.
Before You Buy Omega-3 Supplement Read This:
- You need to check whether the omega-3 supplement you are going to buy has EPA and DHA in it or not. These are important ingredients.
- Check the amount of omega-3 per capsule and also check the amount of DHA and EPA.
- If you are looking for a product that is good for absorption, then check for free fatty acids (FFA), Triglycerides (TG), phospholipids (PLs), and reformed triglycerides (RTG).
- Looking for an authentic omega-3 supplement, then buy supplements that are approved by GOED standard for purity and other party standards.
- It is better to look for vitamin E as an antioxidant because omega-3 supplements are more likely to get rancid and it is smart to check the expiry date and drop the product if you notice a foul smell.
- You can also buy omega-3 supplements that are certified by the Environmental Defense Fund, MSC, or some other similar organization.
- Make sure your product has a sufficient amount of antioxidant as we mentioned earlier, and it also contains a reasonable amount of DHA and EPA.
Best Omega-3 Supplement:
Omega-3 supplements with free fatty acids like Triglycerides and phospholipids. Other things that you can consider are checking the percentage of DHA and EPA, 90% high DHA and EPA in your supplements is good.