Liquid fish oils are a great way to take this nutritional supplement. Fish oils are available in both soft gels and liquid. However, there are certain advantages to using the liquid form.

Why would you want to use this supplement in the liquid form?

Compared to tablets and soft gels, the liquid oils may provide a higher amount of omega 3 fatty acids per dose. This factor may play a large role in the type of benefits you hope to get from using this healthy oil. Studies have indicated that fish oils with higher concentrations of omega 3 fatty acids may lead to greater anti-inflammatory responses than a lower concentration oil.

How Strong is your Liquid Fish Oil?

One of the most important things to look at when buying a fish oil is finding out how 'strong' the oil is. This is determined by the amount of omega 3 fatty acids you get in every single dose.

Just like other nutritional supplements, you can get fish oils with different amounts of ingredients; the ingredients you want to look at is the omega 3 concentrations.

For example, below is a label from a popular liquid fish oil called Carlson fish oils. You can see one teaspoon yields 1600 mg. of omega 3's (providing 800 mg. of EPA and 500 mg. of DHA).

Ingredient Label from Carlson Fish Oil

If you want to calculate the omega 3 concentration you would get per dose, you would simply divide the total 1600 mg. tablespoon dose by the amount of EPA and DHA you get as indicated on the ingredient label.

In the example above, you can see that you'd get a 50% concentration of EPA and 31% concentration of DHA per dose. You can use this same type of calculation with any type of soft gel or tablet fish oil.

You may find that a lot of capsules and soft gels provide lower amounts of EPA and DHA per dose, so it pays to look at the label to see what you're getting. The industry standard is about 30% omega 3 fatty acids per dose.

If you want a high potency product, I believe the liquid supplement is the superior choice to many soft gel fish oils. That being said, there are a few high concentration fish oil soft gels available if you would rather use this kind. Minami Nutrition has a fish oil soft gel called CardiO3 that provides a 90% concentration of omega 3's per soft gel and Dr. Sears Zone Labs Omega 3 Concentrates also offer high concentration omega 3 fish oils.

Storing Liquid Fish Oils

Liquid fish oils need to be stored in bottles that block light exposure. The reason for this is the omega 3 fatty acids may become damaged when exposed to excessive levels of light. Fish oils are also heat-sensive so try to reduce any exposure to excessive levels of heat.

A good place to store your fish oils is in the fridge; this keeps the bottle in a dark cool environment and you don't risk exposing the oils to sunlight or excessive amounts of heat.

Buying Liquid Fish Oil Supplements

Like any other nutritional supplement, you'll find a variety of different sizes and prices. I found the average price for a 200 ml. bottle was around $20 US. You can buy larger sizes for about $40 - $50. Of course, the prices will depend on the brand and quality of fish oil.

When you compare the initial cost of liquids to capsules, you may find fish oil capsules are lower in price per bottle. However, the liquid form is generally cheaper per milligram when compared to capsules. In other words, you may get more beneficial omega 3 fatty acids per dose in the liquid form.

Most oils come in different flavors, such as orange and lemon flavors. Childrens' versions are usually flavored to make them more appealing. When it comes to flavoring in liquid fish oils, I look for products using natural extracts for flavoring, such as lemon extract.

All fish oils should be subjected to rigorous testing for contaminants. One of the most trusted labs for testing is the International Fish Oil Standard (IFOS).

The IFOS provides third-party testing of fish oils from all over the world. You get up-to-date test results of the purity and quality of a variety of fish oil supplements. This is an excellent resource when buying any type of fish oil supplement.

Look for Expiry Dates and Certifates of Analysis

When buying a liquid fish oil you should look for an Expiry Date on the bottle - it could be stamped on the bottle cover or the ingredient label. Not all fish oil companies offer these features so it's recommended you do a little bit of research before purchasing any liquid fish oils. Some companies may try to convince you that their fish oil doesn't need an expiry date since their oil contains traces of Vitamin E; this is patently false. Vitamin E is an excellent antioxidant and many companies add it to oil, but it will not keep the fish oil fresh forever. Many people experience side effects from ingesting rancid fish oils.

Consumers should do a little bit of research on the company before purchasing their fish oils. Try to find out how they make their oil, where they get their fish from and what type of Quality Control measures they have in place. Having this information may help you, the consumer, make a safe and informed decision when it comes to purchasing a liquid fish oil.

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