A Quick Guide to Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil

By the time you finish reading this, you'll have a great understanding of what makes pharmaceutical grade fish oil the safest and most effective fish oil on the market, and why it can be unhealthy to choose otherwise.

The term "pharmaceutical grade fish oil" was coined by Dr. Barry Sears, a staunch advocate for rigorous testing and experimenting involving high doses of ultra-pure omega 3 supplements. His research and findings are nothing short of amazing, and make a very compelling case for the daily use of long-chain omega 3 fatty acids in the diet.

Health Food Grade Fish Oil

This type of fish oil is the kind seen on the shelves in stores. It's important to know these are not pharmaceutical grade omega 3 oils because of the way they're manufactured. Often they contain high amounts of toxic chemicals like PCBs, dioxin and mercury which are all extremely toxic to human beings.

As fish exist in the wild, the amount of toxins their skins absorb is directly related to the pollution levels in their regions of the ocean. Often, the manufacturers of health food grade oils don't do the best job at making attempts to purify them or extract them from good fish sources.

The fish oil supplement standards in the United States are dangerously lax and "allow manufacturers to put whatever they want on a product label as long as it doesn't promise to cure or prevent a particular disease" (Sears p 95). This is disconcerting to say the least. Over-consumption of health food grade oils can quickly lead to nasty side effects like cramps, GI issues, mercury poisoning and exposure to carcinogens like PCBs and dioxin.

Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil

Based on the downsides of health food grade fish oil, you probably clearly see the need for a purer alternative. What makes an omega 3 oil "pharmaceutical grade"? Simply put, you can define an omega 3 oil as "pharmaceutical grade" once it passes ultra-stringent purity standards. These standards require impurities to be measured and verified by a third party and the results printed on a Certificate of Analysis for public view. Pharmaceutical grade fish oil also needs to be comprised of more than 60% total omega 3 fatty acids and have impurities so low that they're either nearly, or completely undetectable in order to qualify.

Many different companies who cannot substantiate their purity claims will mark up their products with "pharmaceutical grade" on the labels in an attempt to sell more products. It's important you see through this, and first check for the company's Certificate of Analysis. If the company you're working with cannot, or will not provide this information for you then something is very wrong. Most companies that offer pharmaceutical grade oils have their Certificate of Analysis proudly posted on their websites to prove their claims.
For your reference, and I hope this isn't too scientific, here are the standards that need to be followed in order to consider a fish oil pharmaceutical grade:

•    Total Long-Chain Omega 3 Fatty Acids: More than 60% of the total fatty acids
•    Mercury: Less than 10 parts per billion
•    PCBs: Less than 30 parts per billion
•    Dioxin: Less than 1 part per trillion

So you can see, pharmaceutical grade fish oil standards are literally thousands of times more stringent than the requirements for standard health food grade oil, and it is the adherence to these standards - verified by the Certificate of Analysis - that allows an omega 3 oil to be considered pharmaceutical grade.

Now that you're armed with this knowledge, it's time to make your move and start doing some smart shopping for fish oil. You know what to look for and you know what to avoid, and always remember that the Certificate of Analysis is your proof of purity and guiding light to choosing the right products.

To learn more about the pharmaceutical grade fish oil I use daily, please visit my website today.