Guide to Fish Oil Capsules

"Fish Oils provide Omega 3 Fatty Acids!"

Fish oil capsules, also known as fish oil tablets or soft gels, are one of the most popular forms of fish oil supplements.

You'll find them in a variety of different dosages, but the most popular dosage is those clear, yellow 1000 mg. soft gels.

Most 1000 mg. fish oil tablets provide a 30% concentration of omega 3 fatty acids. This means you'll get about 300 mg. of eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) in every 1000 mg. soft gel. The remainder is usually other fatty acids or fish filler.

Why would you want to use fish oil capsules, instead of liquid fish oil? While most liquid fish oils may offer a higher dosage of omega 3 fatty acids per tablespoon, there are some advantages to using fish oil in the soft gel form.

Pros and Cons of Fish Oil Pills

While you can get fish oils in soft gel and liquid, the soft gel is the most popular form. The following is a detailed list of the benefits and disadvantages to the soft gel form.

Advantages:

• Protects the ingredients from light and UV radiation.

• Helps keep ingredients stable.

• Minimizes free radical formation.

• May protect the fish oils from going rancid.

• Soft gels are also tamper-proof. The oil will leak or become discolored if it's been punctured or tampered with.

• More convenient form

Disadvantages:

• Lower Concentration of Omega 3 fatty acids: You may have to take 4 - 6 fish oil tablets or soft gels to equal the amount of omega 3's found in a tablespoon of liquid fish oils.

• May be difficult to determine how fresh the oil is within the capsule. While one advantage of encapsulation is it may protect the oil from becoming rancid, the oil will not stay fresh forever.

  Lower quality fish oil soft gels may not come with an expiry date or Certificate of Analysis; and you may not know if the oil is rancid inside the capsule.

• Higher Cost - The cost per dose is generally higher than liquid fish oils on a comparative gram for gram basis.

Soft Gels and Freshness

Most soft gels are made from gelatin. The gelatin comes from collagen. Collagen is an insoluble fibrous protein that's found in animal connective tissues, skin and bones. You can also get vegetarian soft gels made from non-animal sources.

Curious how soft gels and two-piece capsules are made? Here's a 'behind-the-scenes' look at how soft gels are made.

Soft gels do offer a more secure packaging; the only way someone can tamper with a soft gel is by piercing the outer layer which would let the fish oil leak out. The soft gel's primary role is to keep the oil fresh and protect it from spoiling.

The question you need to ask is, "How fresh is the oil in your soft gel?"

The fish oil industry isn't regulated and anyone can hire a company on the other side of the world to produce and package fish oil tablets. There are many low-grade, rancid fish oils packaged in soft gels and sold to unsuspecting consumers at a cheap price.

You need to research the company behind the product to ensure they offer a quality product. One way is by selecting a pharmaceutical-grade fish oil soft gel.

Try Pharmaceutical-Grade Fish Oil Capsules

You can reduce the risk of getting rancid fish oil capsules by looking for pharmaceutical-grade fish oil soft gels.

These highly purified oils must meet certain criteria in order to be classified as 'pharmaceutical-grade'.

Criteria such as minimum levels of omega 3 fatty acids, amount of contaminants and adherence to specific manufacturing procedures may classify a fish oil in this category.

However, you should know that the term 'pharmaceutical-grade' is not a trademarked term; it can be unfairly used by marketers trying to sell an inferior product to unsuspecting buyers.

Ensuring your fish oil tablets are tested for contaminants is an excellent way to ensure you're getting a quality product.

Are your Fish Oil Soft Gels Tested by a Third-party Lab?

Some fish oil companies hire a third-party laboratory to analyze their fish oils and then publish the lab results for consumers.

A lab in Canada called Nutrasource Diagnostics analyzes dozens of different fish oils and publishes the results on their website.

These types of fish oils are called IFOS fish oils, also called International Fish Oil Standards, and some of the biggest names in fish oils send samples to their labs. You may find some of your favorite fish oils on their list.

With this in mind, there are some reputable companies that produce high quality fish oil capsules.

These companies provide Certificates of Analysis, Expiry Dates, and Third-party laboratory testing to help ensure you're getting a high purified omega 3 fish oils.

Some examples of the best fish oil tablets are Carlsons Fish Oil, Nordic Naturals and Dr. Sears Fish Oil.

Protect your Fish Oil Capsules from Heat

While the soft gel capsules are an excellent way to package highly-purified fish oils, they're still vulnerable to the outside environment.

Soft gels can still be affected by heat and you should always store your fish oil bottle in a cool dark place.

I remember purchasing a bottle of fish oil tablets from a supposedly reliable company and found a number of soft gels had broken open inside the bottle.

These fish oils were mixed with a lemon extract and there was a yellowish lemon-scented oil all over the inside of my bottle.

Upon contacting the company, I was told the bottle may have been exposed to excessive amounts of heat which may have caused the soft gel to rupture.

Heat exposure can oxidize the omega 3 fatty acids rendering it useless. Rancid fish oils is one of the leading causes for fish oil side effects.

While fish oil capsules provide some protection to the oil, you may want to keep your bottle of fish oil in the fridge to prevent heat exposure.

What about Enteric-coated Soft gels?

Enteric coated soft gels

You can also buy enteric-coated fish oil soft gels.

Most enteric coatings are made of shellacs, waxes and even fatty acids. Manufacturers believe these coatings allow better absorption of the oil.

Enteric-coated fish oil tablets or capsules bypass the gastric juices in your stomach and head to your small intestine where it's digested.

A good example of a high quality, enteric-coated fish oil pill is Spring Valley Fish Oil supplements.

Spring Valley fish oils contain a proprietary fish oil mixture called MEG-3, surrounded by a wax-based coating that improves digestion of the oil and prevents any fishy aftertaste.

Looking to buy the best fish oil capsules? Read Guide to Buying Fish Oils and learn how to get the best fish oils for optimal health. You'll find there are many products to choose from - different dosages and a variety of fish oil sources.

Visit the Fish Oil Forum! NEW! Have a question about fish oil capsules? Share Your Comments Here Read Visitors' Feedback Here

Return from Fish Oil Capsules
back to Benefits of Fish Oil