How to Identify A Quality Fish Oil Product

When looking for a high-quality premium fish oil supplement be scrupulous and look for a company that exceeds Australian testing standards to provide you with the freshest, most pure product possible. At Perpetual Wellbeing, your qualified practitioner can help you tick these boxes and establish if a product is Third Party tested before and after encapsulation. The key things to look out for in a fish oil quality test are highlighted below.

A good quality fish oil should be:

1. Fresh
Look for a product that tests oxidation markers, these include Acid value, Anisidine and Peroxide. Oxidation and oxidative degradation is a chemical reaction that generates reactive oxygen species, otherwise known as free
radicals. These free radicals may adversely affect food quality and shelf life by producing off-flavours and reducing nutritional values. Oxidised fish oil can potentially be detrimental to your health.

FUN FACT: If you can’t tell if a fish oil has been tested for freshness, an easy way to assess it yourself is to bite into the capsule or taste the liquid. If the oil smells or tastes strongly of fish and causes reflux or fishy burps, then it is likely rancid.

2. Tested for Heavy Metals & Environmental Toxins
Heavy metals and environmental pollutants including plastics are readily found in many species of commercial fish that are both imported and found in local waters off Australia. Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) sets minimum standards for public consumption, however, recent research shows that even the minimum standards are not always being met. Find a product that tests beyond the minimum standards required for markers such as mercury, cadmium and lead (look for levels as low as 0.001 ppm), plasticisers (look for levels 0.01-0.5mg/kg) and pesticides.

3. Tested for Radiation exposure
This testing is not compulsory in Australia so there is even more reason to look for a product that has been tested for Gamma Emission Radioactivity. The 2011 tsunami that caused devastating damage to the coast of Japan and the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant saw the release of radioactive material into the atmosphere and directly into the sea. The biological damage and negative impact of radiation exposure on human health have been well documented and finding a company that can assure it tests for radiation activity in its fish oil is crucial for evaluating the safety and quality of that product (look for levels of radiation isotopes <3 Bq/kg).

Did you know?
The World Health Organisation recommends eating 1-2 portions of fish a week to get enough Omega 3’s in your diet.
If you’re not a fan of fish, a good quality supplement could be the answer!

At Perpetual Wellbeing the products that we prescribe all pass our strict fish oil quality test criteria and are based on:

• High Quality
• Therapeutic strength
• Scientific researched
• Clinically effective
• Practitioner only

The benefits of Omega 3 fish oil are numerous and we are confident that by prescribing products that meet the above points for you, we are helping you to achieve better health and quality of life. If you would like to discuss whether you may benefit from fish oil supplementation, make an appointment with one of the Perpetual Wellbeing practitioners.

The team at Perpetual Wellbeing offer the Essential Fatty Acids Profile test to assess your risk of omega-3 deficiency, and reduce your risk of chronic disease. Book an appointment with one of our practitioners. If required, we can prescribe high-quality fish oil supplementation in the right dosage.