Should You Really Be Buying “Super” Omega 3, Or “Premium” Omega 3 Capsules?
If you’ve been taking fish oil supplements you’ve probably heard of “super” omega 3 fish oil supplements. But it’s difficult to know exactly what “super” omega 3 supplements really are.
What is clear is that there are huge variations in the quality and the amount of active ingredients that are found in so many of the fish oil supplements found for sale, and you need to be a well informed consumer before you buy.
One of the biggest variations between the fish oil supplements available is the amount of active ingredient found in them. Most fish oil capsules are what is known as 18/12 capsules. This means that you should be getting 18 percent EPA and 12 percent DHA in each capsule, or 180 milligrams of EPA and 120 milligrams of DHA in a 1000 milligram capsule.
The most important of the essential fatty acids known as omega 3 fats is DHA, (docosahexaenoic acid). There is a wide variation in the amount of DHA present in some capsules compared to others, and this makes it extremely difficult to compare capsules by price. For example the Omega 3 supplements that I consider to be the best offer around 2 1/2 times as much DHA as “regular” capsules.
You could assume that any omega 3 supplements described as super Omega 3 supplements would contain a much higher percentage of DHA (and EPA) than regular capsules and this is the case for these capsules even though they are not described as “super”.
When you’re buying capsules it’s important to understand exactly what you’re getting in the various fish oil supplements available on the market. And not only should you understand exactly how much of the active ingredients are found in each capsule, but it’s important to know that there are now new generation capsules on the market which incorporate other ingredients in them for extra health benefits.
A good example is a new “premium” Omega 3 capsule released this week. These capsules contain 28 percent DHA, as previously mentioned around 2 1/2 times as much as regular capsules, however on top of this they are also include some other active ingredients that will also benefit your health. Not only will these extra active ingredients benefit your health but also your skin.
A good example is something found in tomatoes called lycopene. If you read the health literature you may know about lycopene already. There is growing evidence that increasing the intake of lycopene can reduce the risk of breast cancer for women and prostate cancer for men.
And new research is also showing that increasing our lycopene intake helps protect our skin from the UV rays of the sun, the primary cause of skin aging. Not only that but the research has also shown that increasing your intake of lycopene can actually start to reverse some of the damaging effects of the sun’s UV radiation. Skin aging through the effects of the sun is called photo-aging and it is becoming established that lycopene can help reverse photo-aging.
In these times science is starting to recognize more of the health benefits of a wider range of naturally occurring substances such as lycopene, and the best health companies are now able to produce products incorporating these ingredients. The new “premium” Omega 3 capsules containing lycopene as well as other new ingredients are a good example.
If you’re already taking Omega 3 supplements, or considering taking fish oil into your diet, you need to understand exactly what you get when you buy. It’s not sufficient simply to buy the cheapest capsules because they all look the same. You need to understand exactly how much DHA and EPA that is found in each capsule and you also need to think about whether you should be considering some of the new generation of omega 3 supplements now on the market that incorporate extra natural ingredients that are now also offering some benefits to your health.
If you’d like to find out more about these “premium” omega 3 supplements then visit my website.
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