If you're looking for a convenient way to take fish oil, cod liver oil capsules is one way to do it.

Packed with omega 3 fatty acids and vitamins, this marine oil has been a household favorite for generations. Also called cod liver oil pills or soft gels, the best cod liver oil is harvested from Arctic Cod. Arctic Cod contains the highest levels of omega 3's and naturally occurring Vitamins A and D.

You can buy cod liver oil pills in a wide range of dosages - from 100 mg. up to the popular 1000 mg. soft gel. They're available in pure 100% cod liver oil or cod liver oil blended with other oils.

How to Get the Best Cod Liver Oil Soft Gels

One of the main things to look at is the type of cod liver oil you're getting.

Look for an oil that's been purified and tested to provide adequate amounts of the omega 3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The ingredient label should list the milligram amounts per dose of each fatty acid.

The best cod liver oil supplements use only 100% pure cod liver oil. Some cod liver oil pills may contain cod liver oil and other oils such as soybean oil, sardine oil, anchovy oil, and tuna liver oil. The front of the bottle may say you're getting cod liver oil but in reality you're paying for a cheaper blend of oils.

Also important is the amount of Vitamins A and D in your oil. I believe the best cod liver oil contains only natural levels of Vitamin A and D found in the fish. Some manufacturers will add synthetic Vitamins A and D to the oil - especially if it contains a blend of fish oils.

If you only want natural cod liver oils (in their purest state) you should choose an oil that hasn't had other oils or artificial vitamins added. Not all cod liver oil supplements are the same, so remember to read the ingredient labels.

A good source of information is the website of the company that made your cod liver oil. Most reputable companies will provide information on the source of their fish oils, how the oils are made, tell you if other ingredients are in their products, and provide guarantees of testing for purity and quality.

If you're going to add this healthy oil to your diet, you should know how to avoid cod liver oil side effects.

The first thing I look at is the amount of omega 3's EPA and DHA per dose.

I'll look at the source of the ingredients (such as what type of fish oil is used) and then the amount of Vitamin A and D. Finally I'll check out the price per bottle, price per dose and the amount of pills per bottle.

Comparison of 2 Top-Selling Cod Liver Oil Capsules

Here's a comparison of a 1000 mg. soft gel from two fish oil companies - Nordic Naturals Arctic Cod Liver Oil Capsules and another popular brand, Carlson Laboratories Super Cod Liver Oil Soft gels :

Comparison of 2 Cod Liver Oil Soft Gels

	Nordic Naturals Arctic Cod Liver Oil	Carlson Labs Super Cod Liver Oil
EPA	82 mg	90 mg
DHA	125 mg	120 mg
Other Omega 3's	45 mg	30 mg
Vitamin A	130 - 300 iu	2000 iu
Vitamin D	1 - 4 iu	250 iu
Vitamin E	15 iu	10 iu
Cost per Bottle	$19.95	$12.40
Cost for Soft Gel	$0.22	$0.12

You can see the omega 3 levels are similar, but there's a difference in the amount of vitamins. Nordics Naturals offers a range of natural levels of Vitamin A & D in their oil and Carlsons Labs has added Vitamins A & D to provide a consistent amount per dose.

If your cod liver oil capsules contain minimal amounts of Vitamins A and D, you can always supplement with a multivitamin to get these extra vitamins. You can also see that some companies add Vitamin E to help prevent oxidation of the oil.

There's also a difference in cost per bottle and soft gel. In the fish oil industry, I truly believe you get what you pay for. Both companies provide highly purified fish oils, but I believe Nordic Naturals offers a more premium cod liver oil and this is reflected in the price.

Continue on to Page 2 and learn about the pros and cons of cod liver oil soft gels and how to get the best cod liver oil capsules supplements.

Go to Page 2 - Cod Liver Oil Capsules