Fish oil is one of the most popular supplements in the country. Adults take them regularly, trying to get some of the same heart-healthy nutrients found in fish, like salmon.
But exclusive new testing from Consumer Reports reveals important things you need to know before picking up a bottle.
“It appears as if getting omega-3s through fish is really beneficial for your diet, for your heart health, for all kinds of things,” said Catherine Roberts with Consumer Reports.
But not everyone wants to cook fish, nor deal with the smell. What if you could get those benefits from a pill instead?
“Fish oil supplements are very popular,” said Roberts. “In a national survey that CR conducted, they were among the five most popular supplements in the United States.”
To find out what you’re really ingesting, CR tested 20 popular fish oil supplements.
The good news? None raised major safety concerns, including contaminants like heavy metals and dioxins. But there were still some problems.
“We did find a few models that showed some signs of rancidity,” said Roberts.
Others contained less omega-3 than their labels claimed, meaning you may not be getting what you paid for.
Some supplement makers are disputing the findings. Qunol questioned the testing methods used. Nature Made says its own testing found its products met standards, while California Gold Nutrition says it has paused sales of some products and is retesting them. Costco did not respond to requests for comment.
Then there’s the bigger question: do most people even need fish oil supplements?
“When you’re just getting omega-3s from pills, it seems as if the benefit is not as great. There’s something about eating whole food that is important.”
So what should you do?
CR says the best option is simple: eat more fish, like salmon or sardines, a couple of times a week.
If you do take supplements, store them properly, because like any oil, they can go bad over time.
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