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How do I Choose the Best Salmon Oil Capsules?

Angela Crout-Mitchell
Angela Crout-Mitchell

Choosing the best salmon oil capsules for use as a dietary supplement requires consideration of several important factors including the type of fish used, if the salmon farm or wild-raised, how the oil is distilled, and if the company has done proper quality control checks. The best salmon oil capsules are known to reduce inflammation of the body's joints and tissues, as well as provide vitamin A, an antioxidant, to the reduce serious cell damage. When used as a nutritional supplement, salmon oil is also ideal for providing vitamin D, which is excellent for musculoskeletal health.

One of the most important factors in determining which salmon oil capsule product to purchase is learning what type of fish was used. It is common practice for farm raised fish and salmon to be used for many mass produced salmon oil capsules. Holistic experts recommend only using salmon oil capsules containing the oil from wild caught salmon, sardines, and anchovies to ensure the highest quality omega-3 fats. By using fish caught in the wild, companies have better control over such factors as the level of possible contaminates and the overall health of the fish.

If you do not like the taste of salmon but still want its benefits, salmon oil capsules are recommended.
If you do not like the taste of salmon but still want its benefits, salmon oil capsules are recommended.

Check the ingredient list to see if it names the type of fish used in the capsule. If Atlantic Menhaden is listed, this is a farm raised fish used in salmon oil capsules by many larger companies. Many holisitic companies will include phrasing such as "wild caught salmon" to indicate that the fish used was not raised in a farm environment.

Many health experts believe that the distillation process used in making some salmon oil capsules actually reduces the product's effectiveness. Healthy fats and nutrients are often removed when the fish is stripped of unhealthy contaminants. For this reason, it is suggested consumers look for fish oil supplements that are produced from wild fish that naturally contain little to no contaminants.

Soft gel capsules containing salmon oil can be purchased at many grocery and drug stores.
Soft gel capsules containing salmon oil can be purchased at many grocery and drug stores.

When selecting salmon oil capsules, most consumers also make it a point to discover if the company engages in periodic quality control checks of their products. These checks should be performed by an independent laboratory to ensure honest evaluations. The labs will look for contamination levels and quality of the oil as well as the amounts of vital nutrients, like vitamin A and D, found in the product. Consumers can learn more about these procedures from the salmon oil capsule manufacturers online or on the product packaging if testing is performed.

Discussion Comments

anon139787

RE: "By using fish caught in the wild..." This is completely untrue. There is no way to tell what the contaminate levels are in an individual wild fish. It all depends on what the fish has been eating. On the other hand, companies farming fish have complete control over what their fish are eating and know exactly what is in the feed.

They can state with confidence that an entire pen of fish is contaminant-free, based on their diet. You cannot do this with wild fish unless you test every single fish. And fish feed companies have been working for years to source ingredients with low levels of PCBs and other contaminants, and recent tests show farmed fish has lower levels of contaminants than wild. And higher omega-3 levels, too. Wild is great. But it's not necessarily better.

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    • If you do not like the taste of salmon but still want its benefits, salmon oil capsules are recommended.
      By: Tim UR
      If you do not like the taste of salmon but still want its benefits, salmon oil capsules are recommended.
    • Soft gel capsules containing salmon oil can be purchased at many grocery and drug stores.
      By: maron
      Soft gel capsules containing salmon oil can be purchased at many grocery and drug stores.
    • Sardine oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
      By: Picture Partners
      Sardine oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
    • Fish oil supplements, including those made of salmon oils, are rich in healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, commonly called DHA.
      By: Stephen VanHorn
      Fish oil supplements, including those made of salmon oils, are rich in healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, commonly called DHA.