Sally Harper
Senior Editor
Health & Wellness Advice
As one of the most researched nutrients in the scientific world, Omega-3 has gained an unprecedented reputation for its incredible health benefits. Omega-3’s unique combination of fatty acids that include DHA and EPA, has proven to be extremely beneficial for joints, the cardiovascular system, cognitive health and more.
Supplementing with Omega-3 has been shown to provide numerous health benefits for the body, such as increasing cardiovascular health, decreasing joint inflammation, boosting cognitive function and strengthening antioxidant defenses.
Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential nutrient which your body is unable to produce naturally and must therefore be supplemented via external sources such as diet or supplementation or both. Unfortunately, most Americans do not consume enough Omega-3 rich foods, leading them to supplements.
Navigating the supplement market can be beyond confusing for consumers who don’t know which Omega-3 products are worth buying and which are worthless fakes. Therefore, we carefully examined which products are backed up with real scientific explanations for why they were crafted the way they were and how exactly they work.
5 Things To Look For In An Effective Omega-3 Supplement
Omega-3 supplements should:
- Provide 2500 mg of highly refined fish oil per daily serving.
- Provide 900 mg EPA & 600 mg DHA for optimal health benefits.
- Deep Sea Ocean Fish.
- Be sustainably sourced for absolute purity.
- Not contain Mercury.
- Be Friend of the Sea and GMP certified.
What We Uncovered
With a little research, we were able to spot the supplement suppliers that were simply out to cash in on the latest trend versus the products that we consider to be high-quality and effective.
- In short, many Omega-3 supplements do not contain the correct doses that have been shown to get great results such as offering a 2500 mg daily serving of highly refined Omega-3 fish oil that contains at least 900 mg EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and 600 mg DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) which are the active ingredients that will get you great results.
- What’s more, many are not mercury-free, nor are they farmed from deep ocean waters and they are not certified for purity and often include unnecessary ingredients that provide no benefit whatsoever. Some formulas do not contain the same potency as they claim on their labels with many companies even hiding their labels or supplement facts to prevent consumers from better understanding what is contained in the formulas.
Some companies think that sticking a label on their bottle with the words ‘Omega-3 Supplement’ is enough to make consumers want to buy their product, even if there is no justification for why the product should work. Unfortunately, many consumers fall for this scheme and are later disappointed by a lack of results.
Our Research
Our research identified key areas that we felt raised concerns when purchasing an Omega-3 supplement. With so many products out there, we felt that we needed clear parameters as to what to look out for when investing in an Omega-3 product.
- Will it be effective? This is perhaps the main concern for consumers. After all, why waste your money on something that is useless? To determine which products we could rate as beneficial, we looked to see if they contained the correct ingredients, how potent they were and their grade of purity. Unfortunately, there are many products that simply don’t work, which is a real concern for many potential buyers. Consumers need to be aware that there is a precise science to creating an effective formula.
- Will it be too expensive for me to purchase? Our research uncovered many manufacturers selling Omega-3 softgels for well over $100. People often think that by paying more, they will get better quality. This is not always the case. Don’t risk your hard-earned money on something that has a price which is over inflated and unrealistic.
- Is the company open and transparent? Manufacturers should be transparent and open, providing you with as much information and guidance as they can. You need to be consumer savvy in order to determine which are the best manufacturers to purchase products from and which are not worth your while.
Finding Effective, Quality Omega-3 Supplements
There are several key elements to look out for that can pretty much guarantee a product’s authenticity.
- Monitoring By A Third Party: There are organizations that will independently monitor and track the reputation of a company and assess their customer satisfaction levels. A company’s reputation is incredibly important within the health industry. Make sure you select a top provider, one that has an impeccable reputation and is backed by an independent third-party monitoring organization.
- 100% Money-Back Guarantee: Many companies offer you a money-back guarantee if their products do not bring the results that you are looking for. Some are better than others. Choose a company that has a solid satisfaction guarantee. A strong guarantee demonstrates a manufacturer’s confidence that their product will deliver the desired results.
- External Testing: This is not the same as a monitoring company. Third-party testing substantiates and verifies the quality of the manufacturer’s product. It can be very expensive for manufacturers to undertake and even disqualify entire shipments of products that don’t reach the correct standards. That said, when manufacturers don’t have independent quality control and testing, there is no way of knowing if their products are effective, or indeed, safe.
Our Research Results
Thorough research takes time and money, which most people don’t have an endless supply of. So we did the work for you – saving you both!
An effective Omega-3 supplement should contain top quality, clinically proven ingredients in significantly potent doses for optimal effect. It should contain at least 2500 mg of highly refined fish oil that includes active doses of 900 mg EPA and 600 mg DHA. It should be formulated in a fast-release softgel and sourced from deep ocean fish and should not be contaminated with any mercury.
Most products failed to pass our specific criteria.
There are some manufacturers who actually include some good ingredients in their formulas. However, they fail when they weaken the potency by adding an unnecessary blend of useless ingredients. Other manufacturers simply failed by using a weaker potency of certain ingredients than what has been proven effective in scientific studies. Others filled their pills with binders, additives or preservatives. All but a few of them avoided quality control testing.
We are very confident in the brands that we did pick. Given our stringent parameters and reasons for choosing our top products, we are sure our top picks will help you achieve the results you are looking for.
Why Did We Select Our #1 Choice As Our Top Omega-3 Product?
Our top pick not only met all of our strict criteria for a quality Omega-3 supplement, but it also beat them!
Look at what it contains:
- 2500 mg highly refined fish oil – the ideal dosage is between 2000 and 3000 mg
- 900 mg EPA, 600 mg DHA – the 2 key active ingredients for effective results. Most others contain less than this.
- Fish oil sourced from cold, deep ocean wild-caught fish.
- Free of Mercury.
- Friend of the Sea and GMP certification
Our Top Pick For An Omega-3 Product
We think you will agree that our top choice stands above and beyond the competition. Approved Science Omega-3 MD™ is a top quality product manufactured by a company with an excellent reputation that uses external independent monitoring and testing. Combine that with an incredible money-back guarantee policy and this an undoubtedly solid pick for our #1 choice.
Omega-3 MD™ Report
APPROVED
Rating: Excellent
✓ Effectiveness
✓ Potency
✓ Money Back Guarantee
✓ Value
✓ Consumer Feedback
✓ Company Reputation
|
Editor’s Choice
Approved Science Omega-3 MD™
If you are looking to improve your overall health, boost your well-being, and promote longevity, then Approved Science Omega-3 MD™ is something that deserves your undivided attention. Of all the Omega-3 supplements currently available on the market, this is the one that deserves a closer look and very likely, the one that will change your life!
It contains the highest quality, clinically-proven, deep sea cold water-caught fish oil for promoting cardiovascular health, reducing joint inflammation, boosting cognitive function, supporting healthy hypertension levels and maintaining overall health. It was the only product we found that contains a potent 2500 mg of pure fish oil with 900 mg EPA and 600 mg DHA. We found no other product with these amounts! It does not contain any additives or preservatives and is totally 100% safe to use with no long-term side effects.
Quality: Approved Science Omega-3 MD™ contains high-grade, natural, clinically-verified ingredients that are GMP certified, FDA registered and holds Friend of the Sea certification to ensure safety and efficacy.
Reputation: Approved Science’s reputation is top quality. They are well known in the industry as an established company that provides great customer support service, secure and easy checkout as well as prompt, efficient delivery. This manufacturer has several third-party monitoring services, including buySAFE, Norton, and Trustee, as well as an A+ rating from the quality monitoring company QualityTrusted. Approved Science’s commitment to the health industry and consumers is excellent, providing further legitimacy to their products by producing them in an FDA-registered laboratory.
Money-Back Guarantee: Every item sold is supported by a 60-day 100% money-back guarantee. Such guarantees from manufacturers show strong confidence in their products’ ability to deliver results. Great news for consumers.
Bottom Line: If you are looking for a product that ticks all the boxes for an effective Omega-3 supplement that comes from an established reputable company with an excellent money-back guarantee, then this is the supplement for you.
It would be good to note that, due to high demand, Approved Science Omega-3 MD™ is often sold out. To avoid having to back order, don’t hesitate to make that purchase when you see it in stock.
See The Full Review
|
| |
|
Rating: Good
|
Solgar Omega-3 Fish Oil
Promoted as a ‘gold standard’ supplement that supports heart, skin and joint health, Solgar Omega-3 Fish Oil is the next product we reviewed. Technically, this product provides the same amount of fish oil, EPA and DHA as our number one product, so why did we rate it second?
We discovered that in order to reach the recommended daily amount of EPA and DHA, you need to take 6 (six) softgel capsules a day. Our first choice offers the same amount in just a 2 (two) capsule serving. Moreover, there are only 120 softgels in a bottle which means if you take 6 (six) softgels a day, the bottle won’t even last you a month.
Overall we found many positive reviews, although this company does not offer a money-back guarantee for opened and unopened bottles. And although they state their products are sustainably sourced, they do not appear to hold any certifications to confirm this, such as “Friend of the Sea.” Continue reading our full review to find out more.
Click here to read the full review
|
| |
|
Rating: OK
|
Carlson Super Omega-3 Gems
Carlson Super Omega-3 Gems claims to be an effective Omega-3 supplement that supports vision as well as heart, brain and joint health. It is certified by “Friend of the Sea” which is a project of the World Sustainability Organization. The daily serving contains 2000 mg fish oil with 600 mg EPA and 400 mg DHA which is more than many other brands, but still less than the amount in our first choice.
Based on research and scientific studies, the amounts that have been found to be effective are between 2000 and 3000 mg of fish oil, 900 mg EPA and 600 mg DHA. These are the amounts that studies have found to provide the plethora of benefits that Omega-3 is known for. Therefore, we question the efficacy of this product which offers significantly less than the recommended amount.
We were disappointed to find that the company does not have a money-back guarantee policy, especially considering that the reviews we found seemed to be mixed with some claiming that the product arrived damaged and worthless.
Click here to read the full review
|
