I had a chance the other day to take a look at the highly recommended Carlson fish oil. The use of fish oil as a dietary supplement has become increasingly popular, as it has been discovered that it lowers your risk for just about everything. Most of the companies that produce supplements have a version of this oil, but are they all pretty much the same, or are there differences between them?
The highest quality fish oil that Carlson Laboratories produces is a 1000 mg capsule that is purported to be one of the best that is available. The key to whether an omega-3 supplement is going to be successful in treating what ails you is the amount of DHA, EPA, and DPA is in the formula. Let's take a look at what these particular products offer, and compare the results to an unnamed competitor.
Carlson fish oil contains 300 mg of EPA, which is a pretty good amount. This omega fatty acid has been shown to be beneficial for coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis. While it is good to have something as effective as EPA in your formula, it is thought that the contribution of DHA provides a greater level of benefit for the body.
DHA is vital for the growth and development of the brain in infants, and it is also required for healthy brain function in adults. It is a central nervous system constituent, and plays a major role in decreasing the amyloid plaques that are responsible for the development of Alzheimer's disease. DHA also inhibits the growth of colon carcinoma cells, and treats hypertension, arthritis, atherosclerosis, adult onset diabetes, myocardial infarction, and thrombosis.
This really makes me wonder why Carlson fish oil only contains 200 mg of DHA. The competitor that I mentioned contains 120 mg of EPA, and 280 mg of DHA, which is a more effective ratio of the two. The other thing that has me puzzled is why does the Carlson formula not contain a trace of DPA?
The high level of DPA in seal oil has led researchers to believe that it is a contributing factor in the overall good cardiovascular health of Inuits. The competitor's formula has 50 mg of DPA, which is fine since it is basically just support for the cardiovascular benefits of the EPA and DHA. DPA may not do all of the things that the others do, but I still do not think it is a good idea to simply omit it.
The price of Carlson fish oil is an astonishing $12.90 for 50 capsules, which adds up to .26 cents per gram. By comparison the competitor's price for their more complete fish oil with DHA, EPA, and DPA is only $16.85 for 60 capsules. This makes the competitor's fish oil supplement only .2 cents more per gram.
Personally, I would rather pay the extra 2 cents and have a formula that contains a complete array of essential omega-3 fatty acids, which Carlson fish oil falls a little bit short on.
Laurel Cohen is a strong advocate of natural health in all its forms: skin care, supplementation, and farm fresh foods. She enjoys introducing people to the best natural products she can find and uses herself daily.
Visit her site http://www.omega-3-for-health.com to learn about the omega 3 fish oils Laurel uses daily for optimal health.
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