Hello, just answering your question here:

Most branded fish oil should be free of mercury and other poisonous substances. if you are concerned about the safety of a fish oil supplement, always look for the word molecularly distilled - this is a distillation process to separate omega-3 out from the fish oil, and also clears off any impurities that maybe present in the fish oil.

I noticed someone mentioned about IFOS here. IFOS is actually International Fish Oil Standards program, basically supplement brands paid to have their fish oil reviewed, so whatever fish oil brand that gets a five-star review from IFOS would be quite safe and effective. They actually test the fish oil to see if they really have the omega-3 content claimed by the brand as well as any impurities (such as mercury)

The only problem is, most brands available here in Malaysia are not reviewed by IFOS. I think I could only find Pristin and Barlean's fish oil, and from memory they are both 5-stars.

In terms of finding the best fish oil for yourself, I would normally look at the omega-3 content (and of course the price lahh). The higher the content, the more beneficial it is to you. Most fish oil will say 1000mg on the label, but if you look carefully the omega-3 content is only around 300+mg (about 33%). Some brands do offer higher concentration fish oil, like Pristin or Fisol etc.

Also, newer generation fish oil are sometimes packaged in triglyceride form - which is a form claimed to be absorbed better by human body. Most fish oils are still in Ethyl Esters (EE) form, but having said that I believe the difference is only minute so I probably wouldn't pay extra to have fish oil in triglyceride form. Of course if you find two fish oil that are about the same price but one is in triglyceride form and the other is in EE form (default form, if it doesnt say triglyceride, that means it's EE), then of course go for the TG form one. (From memory, Barlean's fish oil is in TG form but I could be wrong.)

If you want to learn more about omega-3, I have written a blog post comparing Fish oil, cod liver oil, salmon oil, krill oil and flaxseed oil. Let me know what you think.
https://vitamine.com.my/blogs/omega-3/omega...ill-vs-fish-oil

Hello,

It really depends on your diet.

Generally speaking you can take as much as you want really, but the minimum recommended dose is 250-500 mg combined EPA and DHA each day.

and you probably have to take into account the omega-3 you get from your normal diet. Generally, if you are taking fatty fish at least twice a week, you should have enough omega-3 already.

The other thing you probably need to consider is whether you have any special requirements.

For example, if you have had stroke or heart attack, if you have heart disease, or if you have joint related problems, or if you high cholesterol or triglyceride levels, then you will need higher omega-3.

Personally, I'm taking Pristin omega-3 fish oil, which has around 650mg of omega-3 (I think) every day. But that's just me, because I don't eat fish regularly and I genuinely think fish oil supplement is a must for everyone!

Hi there,

It is okay to take both together. Can't see any problem.

Yes.. go with IFOS verified brands - I think Malaysia has two: Pristin and Barlean's. IFOS is an independent tester that tests fish oil brands for 1.) their stated omega-3 content and 2.) amount of harmful toxins. Only brands that pass both tests will get IFOS Certification.

When choosing fish oil, take into account the omega-3 content. Most fish oil says 1000mg on the front label, but if you check the label at the back, it says 300mg of omega-3.

These fish oils are typically the cheapest because the technology involved is the most economical. As a result you get 30% omega-3 (300mg in 1000mg). Nothing wrong with them though, you just have to take more capsules. I personally recommend at least 600mg omega-3 a day. If you have heart conditions, then you might consider a higher dose at least 900mg a day.

Some brands use more expensive technology and the omega-3 content is more concerntrated. For example, Fisol fish oil that's sold at Caring pharmacy has >900mg of omega 3 per capsule. The price of course is more expensive but you don't have to take as many capsules a day.

In terms of mercury content, fish oil that is molecularly distilled are generally free from toxins - so look for brands that say molecularly distilled on the label.

I personally like to recommend Pristin brand to my customers - it's IFOS certified and contains a fair amount of omega-3 (>600mg if I remember correctly).

Now, I wrote a blog post a while back comparing fish oil, krill oil, salmon oil and flaxseed oil. If you would like to learn more about omega-3 supplements, feel free to have a read and leave a comment if you have any question.

Please check my reply above.

Basically it comes down to omega-3 content and possibility of toxins.

I would look at the label at the back of the bottle to find the omega-3 content per capsule. Do the calculation and see how much you're paying per 100mg of omega-3.

Generally speaking 30% (300mg omega-3 in 1000mg capsule) is the cheapest, but you just need to take more capsules a day.

Also, go with reputable brands that says molecularly distilled on the label.

PM me if you want recommendations on supplements for your parents, it's part of my job to help people choose the right supplements for them.

Cod liver oil used to be a popular supplements. My problem with it is - it doesnt state how much omega-3 is in it.

Fun fact to share: Cod liver oil became popular during industrial revolution. The smoke was so thick that people especially kids were not getting enough sunlight and got rickets. So they found out that cod liver oil somehow helped to cure that.

So cod liver oil became a very popular supplement for kids.

Turned out it was the vitamin D in the cod liver oil that helped.

So cod liver oil was originally marketed as a vitamin D supplement, not omega-3. If you are looking for omega-3 supplements, you should get fish oil (cheapest), krill oil (more expensive but some argue it's better absorbed, plus it has astaxanthin which is a strong antioxidant), or flaxseed oil (if you are vegetarian and can't take fish or seafood).

The other concern with cod liver oil is the amount of oil soluble vitamins - in particular Vitamin A. Unlike water soluble vitamin B and C, we can overdose on oil soluble vitamins. Vitamin B n C gets flushed out in the urine if overdose but excessive Vitamin A gets stored in the liver. (This is also why you get vitamin A and D from Cod LIVER).

But back to your question, if you are consuming fish everyday, you probably don't need a fish oil supplement.

Please check out my article for more comparison of different sources of omega-3.

Hope that helps

This post has been edited by Pjuan2013: May 10 2020, 10:23 AM