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I've been taking fish oil capsules for many years, mainly as a preventative for a number of unwanted health conditions.
Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil contain high concentrations of the fatty acids EPA and DHA. Both of these fatty acids are essential for good health and play critical roles in the proper functioning of our cells. Just some of the many benefits include an improvement in the functioning of the brain, heart, joints, eyes, and skin. Omega-3 fatty acids are also thought to be powerful tools in the fight against inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, asthma, heart disease, cancer, alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease. And, for many people, adding daily omega-3 supplements to their diets offers help in weight-loss as well as an improvement in mental health by promoting a more positive mood.
Eklund's Essential Omega supplements are produced from a sustainable source of sardines, anchovies, and mackerel which are purified using a triple molecular distillation process that separates and removes mercury and other potential environmental toxins as well as saturated fats while leaving the beneficial omega-3 components intact.
While a few people mention experiencing some intestinal unease or bloating with fish oil, it has never been an issue at all for me. These Essential Omega gel capsules have just a hint of lemon for a fresher taste. The recommended dosage on the bottle is 3 capsules per day for a total of over 2500 mg of total omega-3 fatty acids.
This product was provided to me for reviewing purposes.
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I had a friend once go in for X-rays of her stomach. The X-ray showed all the vitamins just sitting in stomach that she had swallowed three or four hours earlier. Since then I have chewed my vitamins and other supplements, including omegas.Some omegas are quite nasty, similar to what it must be like to eat a fish that's washed up on the shore and laid there in the blazing sun for a couple of days. So if you get that from swallowing an omega pill with water, imagine what it's like chewing them.
This is not the case with Eklund Essential Omega Norweigian Fish Oil. It tasted just fine and left no after taste or bad breath.
If you're not taking Omegas, you should. I recommend Eklund's brand even if you just swallow them with water.****
This is a side-by-side comparison of Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold, OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil, Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula, Norwegian Gold Ultimate Fish Oils Super Critical Omega, Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega, Omapure Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-e Fish Oil, and Eklund Essential Omega.
There are three major components of omega-3 in these products: EPA (which is good for your heart, circulatory system, lowering triglycerides, depression and mood orientation, and is a powerful anti-inflammatory for soothing joint pains), DHA (which is good for your mental acuity, or if you are pregnant, nursing an infant, or for children), and "other." Other omega-3s, like DPA and SDA, are types of fatty acids which are easily converted to EPA in the body. In most fish oils, the amount of these other fatty acids is low, but in highly concentrated oils, it can be a significant amount. The important components are EPA and DHA.
BREAKDOWN: Here is a breakdown of these supplements.
Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold (See, Nutrigold Triple Strength Omega-3 Gold (1,060 mg Omega-3s per softgel), 1250 mg, 180 softgels)
Ethyl Esters form
Not certified Kosher or Halal
$34.95 for 180 1250 mg gel caps on Amazon
$34.95 for 180 1250 mg gel caps from Nutrigold
Recommended Serving: 1 gel cap
Cost per gel cap = $.20 (using Amazon's cost)
One 1250 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 750 mgs
DHA = 250 mgs
EPA/DHA ratio = 3 to 1
Other Omega-3 = 60 mgs
Total Omega-3 = 1060 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 85%
Soy allergen free
No GMOs
Cholesterol free
Molecularly distilled
Mercury free
Not enteric coated
Not vegetarian
IFOS Rating = ***** (five stars, top rating)
Phone Number: (800) 476-3542
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
Ingredients: pharmaceutical grade purified fish oil, softgel capsule (bovine gelatin, vegetable glycerin, purified water), and natural mixed tocopherols
OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil (See, OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil, Enteric Odorless/Burp-Free, 60 Capsules. 1105 mg Omega-3 Highest Omega-3 per pill on Amazon.)
Ethyl Esters form
Not certified Kosher or Halal
$28.89 for 60 1300 mg gel caps on Amazon
$34.69 for 60 1300 mg gel caps from OmegaVia
Recommended Serving: 1-4 gel caps
Cost per gel cap = $.48 (using Amazon's cost)
One 1300 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 780 mgs
DHA = 260 mgs
EPA/DHA ratio = 3 to 1
Other Omega-3 = 65 mgs
Total Omega-3 = 1105 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 85%
Contains Vitamin E from GMO-soy
Cholesterol free
Molecularly distilled
Mercury free
Enteric coated
Not vegetarian
IFOS Rating = ***** (five stars, top rating)
Phone Number: (800) 270-4010
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
Ingredients: pharmaceutical grade fish oil from sustainably sourced pollock and whiting from Alaska, Kosher gelatin, glycerin, plant-derived natural food glaze (enteric coated to improve absorption and prevent burps), and mixed natural tocopherols
Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula (See, Garden of Life Minami MorEPA Platinum, Plus Vitamin D3 Supercritical Omega 3 Fish Oil, Orange, 30 softgels)
Ethyl Esters form
Not Certified Kosher
Certified Halal
$16.74 for 30 1218 mg gel caps on Amazon
Recommended Serving: 1 gel cap
Cost per gel cap = $.56 (using Amazon's cost)
One 1218 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 756 mgs
DHA = 228 mgs
EPA/DHA ratio = 3 to 1
Other Omega-3 = 96 mgs
Total Omega-3 = 1080 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 89%
Contains soy
No GMOs
Cholesterol free
Supercritical Dual-Process CO2 Technology
Mercury free
Not enteric coated
Not Vegetarian
Vitamin D3 = 300 I.U.
IFOS Rating = ***** (five stars, top rating)
Phone Number: (866) 465-0051
Manufactured and Encapsulated in Belgium
Ingredients: pharmaceutical grade supercritical deep-sea fish oil (anchovy, sardine, mackerel, herring), gelatin, glycerin, purified water, natural orange flavor, soy lecithin, mixed tocopherols
Norwegian Gold Ultimate Fish Oils Super Critical Omega (See, Norwegian Gold Super Critical Omega, 30-Count)
Ethyl Esters form
Not certified Kosher or Halal
$15.99 for 30 1200 mg gel caps on Amazon
$26.99 for 30 1200 mg gel caps from Renew Life
Recommended Serving: 1-2 gel caps
Cost per gel cap = $.53 (using Amazon's cost)
One 1200 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 800 mgs
DHA = 124 mgs
Total Omega-3 = 924 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 77%
Lipase = 4 mgs (fat digesting enzyme)
No soy
No GMOs
Contains cholesterol
Supercritical Dual-Process CO2 Technology
Mercury free
Enteric coated
Vegetarian
IFOS Rating = ***** (five stars, top rating)
Vitamin D3 = 1000 I.U.
Phone Number: (800) 830-1800
Manufactured in Canada
Ingredients: pharmaceutical grade fish oil (from anchovies and sardines), fish gelatin, glycerin, beeswax, natural orange flavor, natural caramel color, sunflower lecithin, mixed vitamin E tocopherols (natural flavor protectors), and enteric coating
Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega (See, Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega, 1,000 mg Fish Oil, 180 Soft Gels)
Triglycerides form
Not certified Kosher or Halal
$47.23 for 180 1000 mg gel caps on Amazon
$69.95 for 180 1000 mg gel caps from Nordic Naturals
Recommended Serving: 2 gel caps
Cost per gel cap = $.26 (using Amazon's cost)
One 1000 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 325 mgs
DHA = 225 mgs
EPA/DHA ratio = 1.5 to 1
Other Omega-3 = 90 mgs
Total Omega-3 = 640 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 64%
No soy
No GMOs
Contains cholesterol
Molecularly distilled
Mercury free
Not enteric coated
Not vegetarian
IFOS Rating = ***** (five stars, top rating)
Phone Number: (800) 662-2544
Encapsulated in the U.S.A.
Ingredients: pharmaceutical grade purified deep sea fish oil (from anchovies and sardines), softgel capsule (gelatin, glycerin, water, natural lemon flavor), d-alpha tocopherol, and rosemary extract (a natural preservative)
Omapure Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-e Fish Oil (See, OMAPURE Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 Fish Oil (1 Bottle; 120 softgels))
Ethyl esters form
Certified Kosher
$29.95 for 120 900 mg gel caps on Amazon
$29.95 for 120 900 mg gel caps from Omapure
Recommended Serving: 2-4 gel caps
Cost per gel cap = $.25 (using Amazon's cost)
One 900 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 425 mgs per gel cap
DHA = 173 mgs per gel cap
EPA/DHA ratio = 2.5 to 1
Other Omega-3 = 52 mgs
Total Omega-3 = 650 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 72%
No soy
No GMOs
Contains cholesterol
Molecularly distilled
Mercury free
Not enteric coated
Not vegetarian
IFOS Rating = ***** (five stars, top rating)
Phone Number: (877) 662-9872
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
Ingredients: pharmaceutical grade fish oil (sardine and anchovy fished in South American waters), gelatin, glycerin, water, beeswax, natural lemon oil, caramel, and mixed natural tocopherols
Eklund Essential Omega (See, Eklund Essential Omega Norwegian Fish Oil 90 Capsules Concentrated EPA and DHA Pharmaceutical Grade Triple Distilled For Purity Natural Triglyceride Form for Better Absorbtion 800 mg Omega 3 Fatty Acids Per Capsule The Ultimate Nordic Su...)
Triglycerides form
Not certified Kosher or Halal
$19.95 for 90 1400 mg gel caps on Amazon
$28.95 for 90 1400 mg gel caps from Eklund
Recommended Serving: 3 gel caps
Cost per gel cap = $.22 (using Amazon's cost)
One 1400 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 430 mgs
DHA = 290 mgs
EPA/DHA ratio = 1.5 to 1
Other Omega-3 = 80 mgs
Total Omega-3 = 800 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 57%
Contains soy
No GMOs
Contains cholesterol
Triple Molecular Distillation
Mercury free
Not enteric coated
Not vegetarian
IFOS Rating = Not rated
Phone Number: none available
Refined in Norway and Encapsulated in the U.S.A.
Ingredients: pharmaceutical grade purified fish oil (from anchovies, sardines, and mackerel), capsule shell (gelatin, glycerin, purified water), natural lemon/lime flavor, proprietary anti-oxidant blend (consisting of natural tocopherols (soy), rosemary extract, and ascorbyl palmitate)
IFOS: The International Fish Oil Standards Program ("IFOS") (Google "IFOS consumer reports") is an independent third party omega-3 testing organization that provides batch-specific summaries of a product's IFOS testing results. The reports include a 5-star rating for each product containing greater than 60% concentration of EPA and DHA per gram of fish oil, allowing consumers to compare fish oil products based on their safety, purity and quality. Most of the highly rated omega-3 fish oil products are listed. Eklund Essential Omega is not listed and is not certified.
However, Eklund Essential Omega is a European company and many European companies do not use IFOS for certification purposes. In Europe, supplement manufacturers are required to adhere to the EPS or European Pharmacopeia Standard, which regulates both drug and supplement manufacturers. According to Eklund, it manufactures its fish oil in one of only two pharmaceutical drug licensed facilities in the world serving the supplements market, Eurofins Labs. Eklund also maintains that the EPS has standards that are equal to those of the CRN (and therefore IFOS) for levels of heavy metals and dioxins.
POTENCY: Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula has the highest omega-3 fish oil potency of any in this group (89%); followed by Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold (85%) and OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil (85%); followed by Norwegian Gold Ultimate Fish Oils Super Critical Omega (77%); followed by Omapure Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 Fish Oil (72%); and followed by Eklund Essential Omega (57%). The product with the lowest omega-3 fish oil potency in this group is Eklund Essential Omega.
PRICE: Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula is the most expensive per gel cap of the comparison ($.56 per gel cap); followed by Norwegian Gold Ultimate Fish Oils Super Critical Omega ($.53 per gel cap); followed by OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil ($.48 per gel cap); followed by Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega ($.26 per gel cap); followed by Omapure Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 Fish Oil ($.25 per gel cap); followed by Eklund Essential Omega ($.22 per gel cap); and followed by Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold ($.20 per gel cap), which is the least expensive per gel cap of the comparison.
PILL SIZE: Eklund Essential Omega is the largest pill of the comparison, at 1400 mgs. Next are OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil, Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold, at 1300 mgs. Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold is next, at 1250 mgs. Next is Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula, at 1218 mgs. Next is Norwegian Gold Ultimate Fish Oils Super Critical Omega, at 1200 mgs. Next is Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega, at 1000 mgs. The smallest pill of the comparison, at 900 mgs, is Omapure Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3e Fish Oil. In terms of size, all of these gel caps are manageable for most folks.
ENTERIC COATING: OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil and Norwegian Gold Ultimate Fish Oils Super Critical Omega are two of the few omega-3 fish oil products that are enteric coated. Enteric coating is used to prevent fish oil capsules from being digested in the stomach, which can cause a "fishy reflux." However, this problem is limited to only low grade, poorly manufactured fish oil products. Highly purified fish oil supplements that are manufactured to maintain freshness do not generally produce this fishy reflux, especially if the product is taken with food as recommended. Further, the only people who experience fishy burps from even high quality fish oil supplements are those with sensitive GI tract issues, for whom enteric coating may provide some relief from fishy burps, but may also interfere with absorption of the key nutrients in the supplement.
There is some evidence that suggests that enteric coating is not required and may actually hinder or impede proper absorption of omega-3 fish oil. In my view, however, this body of evidence is not conclusive.
Bottom line, if you have sensitive GI tract issues and experience fishy burps from omega-3 fish oil supplements, you may want to consider an enteric coated product.
SUPERCRITICAL DUAL-PROCESS CO2 TECHNOLOGY: Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula and Norwegian Gold Ultimate Fish Oils Super Critical Omega are not molecularly distilled. They use a proprietary Supercritical Dual-Process CO2 technology which concentrates omega-3s, yielding unique selectivity of one of the most biologically active omega-3 fatty acids EPA. Using less heat, less repeat processing, and natural carbon dioxide as a solvent, allows these products to reach peak concentrations approximating 100% EPA, omitting superfluous fats and fillers. 400% less heat than molecular distillation is used during the entire process, with no oxygen exposure. Natural CO2 is used as an alternative to organic solvents and protects the final product from oxidation. In my opinion, Supercritical Dual-Process CO2 technology is superior to molecular distillation.
TRIPLE MOLECULAR DISTILLATION: Eklund utilizes a three step process of molecular distillation it claims is superior to Super Critical Dual-Process CO2 Technology. It processes its fish oil in a nitrogen, oxygen Free, environment which has been shown to produce almost undetectable levels of oxidation, which is the ultimate goal.
VITAMIN D3: Norwegian Gold Ultimate Fish Oils Super Critical Omega contains 1000 I.U. of Vitamin D3. Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula contains 300 I.U. of Vitamin D3. I don't believe this is terribly significant, as Vitamin D3 can be purchased for very little money, and lots of folks who take it consume more than 1000 I.U. daily.
LIPASE: Norwegian Gold Ultimate Fish Oils Super Critical Omega contains 4 mgs of Lipase, which is a fat digesting enzyme. Most omega-3 fish oil products do not contain Lipase. However, the human body produces more than adequate amounts of Lipase and, therefore, Norwegian Gold Ultimate Fish Oils Super Critical Omega reference to its benefits might be somewhat enthusiastic.
MEALS: Any ethyl esters based and triglycerides based omega-3 fish oils are best taken with a meal containing some fat, as they are more efficiently absorbed when taken with food.
TRANSPARENCY: I factor in a company's transparency when evaluating it. This includes my evaluation of a company's honesty, integrity, and ethics. While it is true that Eklund Essential Omega is not IFOS certified, has a relatively low omega-3 fish oil potency, and contains soy, I believe the company either justifies these issues (as in the case of its lack of IFOS certification), or is in the process of rectifying these issues (as in the case of a relatively low omega-3 fish oil potency and soy content). The company advises that it is making plans to eliminate soy completely from its product, and hopes to do so by the end of the year. Eklund advises that its product may in fact be soy allergen free, but an abundance of caution has dissuaded it from distinguishing between soy and soy protein. It expects that when it re-formulates its product it will not have to make a distinction between soy and soy protein. The company also plans to increase the concentration of its omega-3 potency. When these objectives are accomplished, I will re-visit this review.
OPINION:
There are a number of things I like about Eklund Essential Omega. Foremost, the company has what I believe is great transparency. The product contains no GMOs or mercury, and uses Triple Molecular Distillation. However, the product does not have a relatively high omega-3 potency, contains soy and cholesterol, and its gel cap is quite large (1400 mgs). I believe it is a very good product that can be and will be improved through concerted efforts of the company, which the company seems willing to undertake.
RATING:
I rated Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold, OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil, Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula, Norwegian Gold Ultimate Fish Oils Super Critical Omega, and Omapure Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 Fish Oil five stars.
I rated Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega and Eklund Essential Omega four stars because of their relatively low omega-3 fish oil potency.
I have separately reviewed all of these products.
Prices current as of 09/29/2013.I am an old guy (66 as of this writing) so I have the usual aches and pains associated with getting older. However, I try to lead a healthy lifestyle and part of that lifestyle is taking supplements that I think are beneficial to my health. I must be doing something right because at 66, I still have all my own teeth, do not take any prescription drugs, my cholesterol is always around 165, and my blood pressure is always in the 105/70 area.
So, one of my regular regimens is taking fish oil for its antioxidant abilities and all the other things you have already read about omega 3 fish oil benefits. I do not like salmon and a lot of other fish that I could be eating to get the same benefits, so supplementation is better route for me.
There has been a lot of press lately on some studies that show that omega 3 fish oil causes prostate trouble. If you do your own research and look at what people like Doctor Mercola say, it would appear the studies are flawed. In fact, if you want to read some interesting Dr. Mercola's comments, google "Absurd Study Claims Omega-3 Fats Raise Prostate Cancer Risk" and get his opinion. Anyway, I am not worried about it myself after reading his and other articles about this study.
I stay away from fish oil based on salmon as salmon for supplements like this come usually from farmed salmon which is known for high mercury content. I like sources from the Pacific ocean because critters from the Pacific ocean are less polluted that Atlantic ocean sources.
I could not find much information on-line about the sourcing of fish oil that Eklund uses. So, I asked them myself.
Here is their response which makes me feel a lot better about this brand:
"Our fish oil is made from Anchovies, Sardines and Mackerel caught in the South Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Peru. the Peruvian Fishery is considered one of the worlds best in terms of responsible, sustainable fishing practices, and was named the worlds most sustainable fishery in 2008."
"The Fish oil is processed in Norway in one of only two pharmaceutical-drug licensed facilities serving the supplements market. It is produced according to pharmaceutical protocols with full traceability, and pharmaceutical quality control. In short, we adhere to pharmaceutical rules and practices, which exceed those required by the supplements industry at large."
"The fish oil itself is Triple Molecular Distilled to remove any impurities, and we test each individual batch of fish oil produced. This far exceeds the testing of our competitors who do not always test each batch produced as we do. We test each batch for 220 pesticides, 6 heavy metals, 7 marker PCBs, 15 Dioxins and Furans, and 12 Dioxin like PCBs. Our purity exceeds GOED's Voluntary Monograph for Purity by 75%. GOED is one of a select group of organizations that provide standards for the Omega 3 Industry. Our testing utilizes a third party company which is consistent with pharmaceutical protocols."
"We have a proprietary Antioxidant blend that preserves freshness and prevents rancidity, which is a problem with many competing products. This blend of Rosemary Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate (fat soluble vitamin C), and mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) ensures that our product stays fresh and avoids spoilage before it reaches the consumer. We think that nothing is worse than rancid fish oil, so we really appreciate this aspect of our process!"
So, now you know the process and one of the reasons why I rated this product 5-stars. Eklund actually sent me a bottle of this fish oil for an honest evaluation and honest rating. To make an honest evaluation, I had to get more details on the source and processing practices that Eklund uses, so I had to go back and ask them directly. And they have been very forthright in providing me with the details I wanted. So, I like dealing with this company.
I also have a problem with a lot of different tablets I have tried in the past. I frequently get fishy burps from taking them. I have found that a lot of fish oil tabs on the market just do not agree with me, so I am always looking to try something new.
I have been taking the Eklund Norwegian Fish Oil for about a week. The tablets are rather large (about and inch long) compared to others I have taken, but they go down pretty easy as the gel tablets are slick and don't get caught in my throat.
I have not had any issues with fish burps, so that is a positive. With supplements like fish oil, you cannot take a few tablets and say anything about them working great for you since ingesting fish oil has long term benefits that build over time. So, what I can say is that they don't give me fish burps, my stomach is happy, the tablets are large but go down the hatch easily, they are sourced from critters lower on the food chain from the Pacific ocean (meaning lower in mercury and other nasty pollutants) and they use responsible, sustainable fishing practices.
What more can I say?I acquired these capsules for my wife, so her review of them follows:
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Eklund Essential Omega leaves no aftertaste and no unpleasant burping later of fishy odors. The capsules are quite gelatinous and are easy to swallow. I noticed within a week after taking Eklund Essential Omega that my skin was softer and my hair shinier. While I was interested in the cardio-protective effects of taking Omega 3, the addition of EPA (Eicospentenoic ACID) and DHA (Docosahexanoic Acid) make this a very balanced balanced triglyceride formulation with no fishy taste!
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