This supplement has a wide-ranging effect on health, due to the good omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil. Per 1000 mg fish oil capsule, it contains a high concentration, 480 mg, of omega-3, of which 210 mg are EPA and 150 mg are DHA.
The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA:
The omega-3 fatty acid DHA:
Ask Kris Kuiper, MSc,
exercise physiologist
By choosing the Glucosamine.com omega-3, you are choosing top quality. Many fish oils are traded unbranded and anonymously via intermediaries. But we want to know which company is behind a product and what its principles are. We want to know what the origin of the fish is and which production methods are used.
It is for this reason that we supply fish oil produced by the Dutch-Canadian company Stepan Lipid Nutrition, our first choice since 2005. This quality product has the following properties:
Read more below about the purity and the natural state of this oil.
Fatty fish
In spite of the health benefits, not everyone will eat fatty fish readily. Some people cannot stand the taste. Others are (rightly) concerned about the contamination of fatty fish from seas and farms.
The fish can contain high concentrations of mercury, PCBs, dioxins, and other toxic substances. For instance, (farmed) salmon contains a relatively large quantity of dioxins. The content is sometimes so high that some portions of salmon contain the monthly dioxin intake limit!
Many people choose to take fish oil in capsules because of the purity, the convenience, and the lack of fishy taste. In comparison, you would have to take a few thousand capsules per day (!) of our fish oil before reaching the dioxin intake limit.
When it comes to purity, our fish oil is a safe alternative to fatty fish.
Clean fish oil
Since the aforementioned contamination remains mainly in the oil, it is important to take a fish oil which is as clean as possible.
The fish from which our fish oil is extracted are mainly anchovies and sardines. These small fish are not as high in the food chain as for instance salmon, tuna, or cod and are thus cleaner.
They are caught in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America. The Pacific Ocean is not too contaminated in comparison with other seas. The fish oil is cleaner as a consequence. The extracted fish oil is concentrated and subjected to an extra purification process to obtain the final product: a fish oil with the lowest possible level of pollutants.
Glucosamine.com has the fish oil tested regularly by an independent laboratory (NutriControl) for presence of heavy metals and biological pollutants. The concentrations have been shown to be so low that the refined measuring equipment usually cannot detect anything (the values are below the detectable limit). If something is detected at some point, the value is far below the permitted limit. See the most recent test results on the right.
The fish oil that we use for this supplement is a natural oil (triglyceride). We prefer this to artificially produced fish oil (ethyl ester). The oil has not been chemically processed in order to achieve an extremely high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids either.
Our fish oil does have a higher concentration of these fatty acids than standard fish oils, but it is not excessively high. A 1000 mg capsule contains on average 360 mg of EPA and DHA (a 1000 mg capsule of a standard fish oil contains approximately 275 mg of EPA and DHA). 360 mg is the highest concentration which can be achieved with a process as natural as possible (enzymatic).
Oils with an even higher content of EPA and DHA are usually obtained by means of a process in which fatty acids are 'cut and pasted' chemically. It is not clear how our body handles this. We do not advocate using this sort of artificially processed oil; we choose an oil which is more concentrated, yet still natural.
180 capsules (softgels) each containing 1000 mg of fish oil.
Analysis per capsule:
Oxidation value (Totox): between 4 and 6.
Allergens: fish
The recommended use of omega-3 is 2 capsules per day. The capsules may be taken simultaneously or distributed throughout the day. It is preferable to take the capsules at mealtime(s) or with plenty of water.
Do not take more than 6 capsules per day without discussing this with a doctor. Higher dosages of fish oil can have a blood-thinning effect.
Do not surpass the maximum recommended dosage. Dietary supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied diet.
Do you have difficulty swallowing capsules? If so, you can pierce the soft capsules with a needle. Then you can squeeze the capsule or let the oil drip out and mix it with for instance yoghurt.
There are no known negative interactions between medicines and Omega-3 at dosages of up to 6 capsules per day.
No side effects are to be expected at dosages of up to 6 capsules of Omega-3 per day.
Do not take more than 6 capsules per day without discussing this with a doctor. Higher dosages of fish oil can have a blood-thinning effect.
Omega-3 can be taken very effectively during pregnancy and the breastfeeding period.
The omega-3 fatty acid DHA contributes to brain development of the child, among other benefits. For this, the mother must take a dosage of 200 mg of DHA daily in addition to the 250 mg of EPA + DHA which the mother needs for herself. Two capsules of omega-3 per day provides this combined amount of EPA and DHA.
Our Natural Multi supplement is also a good supplement for women during pregnancy. More about this can be read below.
A woman who is pregnant or breastfeeding should preferably eat only whole foods which contain many nutrients: full-fat dairy, (organ) meat, eggs, fish, root vegetables, vegetables, legumes, fruit and optionally whole grains (iodized salt is added to bread - iodine is very important during pregnancy). People hardly ever eat these whole foods in reality. The chance of a shortage of one or more nutrients is thus real.
Various supplements are recommended for pregnant women nowadays. It is estimated that a pregnant woman needs the following every day:
Our Natural Multi provides iodine (150 micrograms), vitamin D (25 micrograms), and a moderate amount of folic acid (100 micrograms) per 2 capsules. Our multivitamin may be used as a supplement for those substances. It is best to additionally supplement folic acid. It is preferable to obtain choline from food.
Liver and egg yolks are the best food sources of choline. An egg yolk contains more than 100 milligrams of choline. Chicken liver contains about 300 milligrams per 100 grams. However, be cautious with the consumption of liver, because it contains a large amount of vitamin A, and an excessively high intake of this could be harmful to the child.
