Pharmaceutical
Grade versus Health Food Grade Fish OilsBy Jo Wyckmans Why
do some fish oils repeat and burn, yet others don't?
How pure are fish oils
and how do we know we're not ingesting harmful toxins?
How do I get the full
benefit of taking fish oil without any of the side effects?
Jo Wykmans
explains how to choose a fish oil for optimum benefit and why it is important
to understand the differences between the available options. This article explains
the difference between Health Food & Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oils and why
so many of us are turning towards high quality oils such as MorEPA Health
Food-grade Fish OilsThe levels of contaminants in fish oils is often determined
by the size of the fish and their relative rank in the food chain. Small fish
(such as sardines and anchovies) are short-lived and therefore are less prone
to accumulate environmental pollutants. On the other hand, larger fish such as
salmon and mackerel are predatory species that are long-lived and therefore contain
higher levels of pollutants. Most health-food grade fish oils are fish body oils
extracted from the fish. If the label says it comes from a particular species
of fish (i.e. salmon oil) then you know it is a health-food grade fish oil. These
oils are only sold in soft gelatin capsules because they still have an extremely
poor taste profile (to see why, simply bite into a capsule to release the oil).
A slightly more purified type of health food grade fish oil includes those
that have been subjected to a very limited amount of molecular distillation to
remove some of the cholesterol in order to be labeled "cholesterol-free".
A typical one-gram capsule of health-food grade fish oil contains approximately
300 mg. of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Another type of higher-grade
health-food fish oil is known as "fish oil concentrate". This
type of fish oil consists of ethyl esters of the fish oil that has been subjected
to fractional cooling. The more saturated fats will solidify, leaving behind a
more concentrated solution of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. However, this fractional
cooling does not remove the PCB's or the long-chain monoene fatty acids that
give rise to significant gastric distress. A one-gram capsule of this thermally
fractionated health-food grade fish oil will contain up to 500 mg. of long-chain
omega-3 fatty acids. Health-food grade fish oils are acceptable
in small amounts (no more than 3-4 capsules per day) without inducing significant
gastric problems. However, higher doses require a much more purified type of oil;
pharmaceutical-grade fish oil. Pharmaceutical-grade Fish Oil
 Pharmaceutical-grade
fish oil starts with thermally fractionated health-food fish oil that is then
distilled by highly complex refining technology into fractions rich in long-chain
omega-3 fatty acids that are exceptionally low in the long-chain monoenes (that
cause gastric distress) and pollutants such as PCB's and oxidized and polymerized
lipids.
The individual fractions are then combined to provide the
most appropriate balance of EPA and DHA for the finished oil. The typical one-gram
capsule of pharmaceutical-grade fish oil will have at least 600 mg. of long-chain
omega-3 fatty acids. This may not seem a major concentration improvement compared
to the health-food grade fish oils, however, the increase in the purity of the
oil is why it costs nearly twice as much. This purity
is also reflected in a dramatically improved taste profile. Only pharmaceutical-grade
fish oils enable you to consume the required daily intake of long-chain omega-3
fatty acids needed to alter eicosanoid synthesis without gastric distress or fear
of accumulation of environmental pollutants. NoteMinami Nutrition
"MorEPA and MorDHA pharmaceutical-grade fish oil contains a minimum of
70% of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (although it routinely reaches 80 %) with
10 I.U. of Vitamin E mixed tocopherols per gram of fish oil."
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