As you would be already aware, taking fish oil can boost our health and provide a number of health benefits - it protects the heart, prevents cancer, and reduces symptoms of AMD, ADHD, and even arthritis. The trick is in finding the best possible one out of the wide variety of choices available. Carlson fish oil is one such oil that is commonly used by people. How does it measure up when compared to its peers? Let's find out.
First a little background. There are four critical factors in evaluating a fish oil:
1) The type of fish from which the oil has been extracted
2) The quantity of DHA and EPA Omega 3 fats in it
3) The purity level of the oil
4) Finally, the value for money that you are getting by buying the oil
Now let's see how Carlson fish oil fares on these parameters.
At first glance, one might be impressed by the variety of products Carlson has for fish oil only. There is Cod liver oil, oil for kids, Super DHA oil, and many other types. On further thought, one can realize that there is no need for so many varieties in the oil. Fish oil is fish oil. The same oil can be taken by adults - men and women both, and children. There is no special kind of oil needed for different age groups. A single quality product that provides the necessary Omega 3 fats at the right price - that's all that is required.
Source of oil
There are two main fish species used in Carlson fish oil - Salmon and Cod. These fish do contain Omega 3 fats in them, but not in the right quantities. There are other fish types like the Hoki fish from New Zealand that are richer in DHA and EPA Omega 3. In fact liver oil should anyway be avoided, as the liver contains higher levels of concentrated impurities than other parts of the fish.
Omega 3 levels
Most of the products in the Carlson catalog are dominant in EPA and contain lesser amounts of DHA in them. This is not the ideal mix as DHA levels should be much higher than EPA in the oil you take. Not only is DHA more beneficial for the body, but internally our body can convert it into EPA if required. The reverse process is not possible, however.
There is a company in New Zealand whose oil is derived from a mix of hoki and tuna oil. It contains the right proportion of DHA and EPA in it. Each soft gel of the oil contains more than 280 mg of DHA and more than 120 mg of EPA. The stats for Carlson Super Omega-3 oil stand at - 300 mg EPA and 200 mg DHA. While the EPA is actually more than enough, the DHA levels are a little less than desired.
Purity
Carlson oil is tested for purity by an independent laboratory according to AOAC standards. The other company we are talking about gets its oil tested by two different independent laboratories and according to its own standards, which are even stricter than any other organization. On this factor Carlson oil seems to fare well, although the other company has a slight edge over it.
Cost effectiveness
One month's supply of Carlson fish oil (one bottle of Super Omega-3) costs $25.5. Compare this with the price of one bottle of oil of the second company - which costs $16.85 only. Now the Carlson bottle contains 100 gels as compared to the second one's 60 gels, but that doesn't matter as you would have to take more gels a day to get the required amount of omega 3 fats. So on the cost factor too Carlson fish oil pulls up short.
Note: The prices mentioned here are the current prices at the time of publishing this article.
So what is it going to be? Carlson fish oil or the one which beats it in every department? Your call.
Visit my website today to learn more about a fish oil supplement I've discovered that I'd like to share with you.
Michael Holman is a dedicated researcher and reviewer of fish oil supplements. He shares his research on his website - Omega3 Information.To discover the highest Omega 3 fish oil supplements our editors personally use and recommend, visit - http://www.omega3information.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Holman
