Pharmaceutical grade fish oil – an Introduction

Unfortunately, there is no agreed upon definition for “Pharmaceutical grade fish oil.” However that does not mean that high quality fish oils do not exist – they do.  Ultra-refined fish oil or molecular distilled fish oil are other descriptions being used in the industry for higher quality fish oils. At our site, www.pharmaceuticalgradefishoil.org, we hope to share information about fish oil, and learn from you with your fish oil reviews and descriptions of fish oil benefits.

Let’s go back to the first point – when we discuss pharmaceutical grade – we are looking for high quality fish oil that meets some set of standards put into place by a set of knowledgeable health professionals, be it the FDA, the Food Standards Agency in the UK, or any other public service agency.

We want fish oil because of its health benefits, and we want to avoid eating whole fish because we hear about the dangers of mercury and PCBs. There is a difference in quality of fish oils – as there is in any other product. Ultimately, we want a high quality fish oil that does not expose us to environmental toxics or any other pollutant!

This site is intended to serve that purpose – I agree there is no USP agreement for fish oils, but I want to use the fish oil used in those big medical studies. If a store bought fish oil only has 1/4 of the EPA or DHA of what the scientists used when making their fish oil claims, then how do I know it will work. Certainly we are thankful, and we want the “good stuff”, taking into account price, fish oil taste, and so on!

What are some classifications of fish oil, and how are fish oils judged. IFOS is a leading organization that is working to answer each of these questions. They have created two categories of fish oil - Ultra-refined and Natural grade. IFOS test results for fish oil are available as PDF documents and list many popular brands of fish oil in the ultra-refined fish oil category.  The following brands received a five star IFOS rating for fish oil that is classified as ultra-refined.

  • A-M B-Well Inc.
  • Biodroga
  • Enervit Spa
  • EPA DHA Blend
  • Genuine Health
  • Health First
  • Life Extension
  • Life Support
  • Nutravite Pharmaceuticals Inc.
  • Platinum Naturals
  • Rebound
  • Renew Life
  • See Yourself Well Inc.
  • Theralogix
  • Trilogy
  • UGA Nutraceuticals,
  • Vitoria Biosciences (OMAPURE)
  • Zone Labs Inc.

Ultra Refined Fish oil is fish oil constituted of greater than 60% concentration of EPA and DHA per gram of fish oil. Natural Grade fish oil is constituted of EPA and DHA at natural levels - for example in the 10-20% range for EPA and DHA. In both cases, IFOS is looking for a very low level of contaminants.

Note that the above list does not mean that other manufacturers of fish oil are not safe or high quality, it simply means that at one time, these companies submitted their fish oil for IFOS testing. It is a good sign that someone is on the list, but not necessarily a bad sign that someone is not on the list.

For Natural Grade fish oil, the following brands have a product receiving a 5-star IFOS rating.

  • Genuine Health
  • Health First
  • Platinum Naturals

IFOS Standards are given on a scale of 0 to 5 stars based on CRN and WHO testing categories, 60% or greater Omega3 concentration, an oxidation level less than 75% of the CRN standard, PCB levels less than 50% of the CRN Standard, and Dioxin levels less than 50% of the WHO standard.

The CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition) has its own set of standards, and the WHO (World Health Organization) also has standards; IFOS includes the CRN and WHO standards at a more stringent level.  According to the CRN, two thirds of US fish oils meet CRN Standards. CRN Standards are located here and are quite concise - simply a single page PDF.

Quality fish oil

Please browse through our site for more information about  quality fish oil- and feel free to leave your feedback!

What are some classifications of fish oil, and how are fish oils judged. IFOS is a leading organization that is working to answer each of these questions. They have created two categories of fish oil - Ultra-refined and Natural grade.
Ultra Refined Fish oil is fish oil constituted of greater than 60% concentration of EPA and DHA per gram of fish oil. Natural Grade fish oil is constituted of EPA and DHA at natural levels - for example in the 10-20% range for EPA and DHA. In both cases, IFOS is looking for a very low level of contaminants.
IFOS Standards are given on a scale of 0 to 5 stars based on
CRN and WHO testing categories, 60% or greater Omega3 concentration, an oxidation level less than 75% of the CRN standard, PCB levels less than 50% of the CRN Standard, and Dioxin levels less than 50% of the WHO standard.
The CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition) has its own set of standards, and the WHO (World Health Organization) also has standards; IFOS includes the CRN and WHO standards at a more stringent level.
According to the CRN, two thirds of US fish oils meet CRN Standards. http://www.crnusa.org/PR05_0350330_Omega3_ED.html
CRN Standards are located here http://www.crnusa.org/pdfs/O3TargetValues100802.pdf

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