| If you have been taking fish oil supplements, you are | | | | down rules for supplements, making fish oils is |
| surely aware of the so-called International Fish Oil | | | | generally unregulated. Considering the possibility of |
| Standards (IFOS). What bearing does the IFOS have | | | | small-time, fly-by-night oil manufacturers who are only |
| on this industry and should it affect your choice of | | | | interested in riding the omega-3 oil fad, this |
| supplement? Read on and find out. | | | | "non-regulation" can become a problem. |
| Just like in almost any field, there are certain | | | | Testing, Testing |
| standards to follow in the field of health care and | | | | Although the name "International Fish Oil Standards" |
| nutrition. However, in supplements, there are no FDA | | | | seems official, it is actually a private organization that |
| regulations that set the rules and control their | | | | issues unofficial guidelines. It was developed at the |
| production. | | | | University of Guelph in Canada. Companies and |
| In response to the growing need of consumers all | | | | manufacturers actually pay IFOS for testing it. IFOS |
| over the world to ensure that they are taking in | | | | then runs the sample provided and determines |
| supplements that are perfectly safe for daily | | | | whether the supplement meets their strict guidelines. |
| consumption, industries come together to set certain | | | | When a supplement meets the required levels, they |
| their own rules for their own as well as their | | | | can be considered "pharmaceutical grade." A |
| consumers' sake. | | | | pharmaceutical oil supplement is a product that is |
| In the fish oil industry, there is the so-called | | | | guaranteed to be safe to take - it is highly refined to |
| International Fish Oil Standards. It is an organization | | | | contain very low levels of impurities and |
| built with a goal to ensure purity of oils in products | | | | contaminants. |
| before releasing them to the market. | | | | There are other private organizations, which perform |
| The Risk of Toxins | | | | the same testing as IFOS, including European |
| The fish that food oils are sourced from might be | | | | Pharmacopeia, Council for Responsible Nutrition, and |
| contaminated with toxins. Toxins are inevitable in | | | | the Norwegian Medicinal Standard. These |
| some fish especially if they come from polluted | | | | organizations, however, encompass all nutritional |
| waters. The fish accumulate these toxins and when | | | | supplements in general and allow higher levels of |
| eaten or used for supplements, the consumer | | | | contaminants compared to IFOS. Most of them |
| accumulates them as well. | | | | usually only measure mercury contamination, and not |
| Sadly, many of the bodies of water all around the | | | | toxins such as PCBs. |
| world contain significant amounts of toxins and heavy | | | | Get Pharmaceutical Grade |
| metals including mercury, PCBs and dioxin. There are | | | | If you want to enjoy the maximum health benefits |
| pristine waters in some areas around New Zealand, | | | | of omega 3 fatty acids in oil supplements, make sure |
| Alaska and Canada, but not many oil manufacturers | | | | that you only take a product that has come from |
| have access to these virgin seas. | | | | clean waters and has been through the purification |
| The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set | | | | process and testing. Only a pharmaceutical grade oil |
| down certain rules on the tolerable levels of | | | | supplement is guaranteed contaminant-free and safe |
| contamination in fish. However, they have not laid | | | | to take on a daily basis. |