Avoid Contaminated Fish Oils

There are many health benefits of fish oil. Unfortunately, fish oil is one of the most highly contaminated supplements, making it extremely important that you invest in a quality fish oil. When a product becomes big business, whether it’s coffee, olive oil, or nutritional supplements, the quality gets watered down as producers try to cut cost corners for a bigger profit.

The Dangers of Contaminated Fish Oil

Supplement contamination is a widespread problem. In 2015, the New York State attorney general found that 80 percent of herbal supplements from Walmart, Walgreens, Target, and GNC contained none of the herbs listed on their labels. In most cases, the supplements contained cheap fillers like rice, beans, peas, and house plants.

Fish oil is at increased risk of contamination because it comes from a living source. In the open sea, fish regularly come in contact with heavy metals and toxins like dioxins and PCBs. Plus, fish oil needs to be fresh and requires fairly high-tech distillation to produce a quality product. Many things can go wrong before it gets in your hands. One report from a consumer testing lab showed that 31 percent of commercial fish oil supplements failed tests for contamination and freshness.

Of course, supplement quality is important for all nutrients. The two most common problems with vitamin supplements are that the vitamin quantities are wrong, or a fake product is being sold. For example, the bottle may say it’s magnesium in the capsule, but how do you know if it really is?

For competitive athletes who get drug tested, it’s even more of a problem. Roughly 20 percent of supplements contain banned substances such as anabolic steroids.

Choose A Fish Oil Supplement You Trust

The bad news doesn’t mean you should avoid supplements entirely. There are many companies that offer the nutrients you need at an affordable price, without compromising quality or purity. Here are tips you can use to become a more knowledgeable consumer regarding supplements.

Obviously, we wouldn’t be writing this tip if we didn’t stand by the quality of Poliquin supplements. All Poliquin Group fish oils provide the highest quality purified products and meet or exceed the FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). We thoroughly test our fish oil products on multiple levels for dioxins, heavy metals, PCBs, and chemical contaminants. We also test all of our fish oil products for oxidation and rancidity markers. If you have questions, contact us via phone at 401-885-4070 or email to learn more about the quality of the Poliquin brand.

Final Words

Don’t be afraid to ask questions when it comes to supplement quality. Be curious, and of course, talk with your doctor prior to starting a supplement.