ConsumerLab.com is a handy place to know about. They are an independent lab that tests the purity of nutritional supplements since (sigh) the government doesn’t seem to care. The question is not, is there poison, dead rat, etc., in this bottle of gingko biloba, but more, is there any gingko in here, or is it mostly rice powder? I often go there to check out when I buy generic house brands on sale. Often they’re good, and then sometimes ConsumerLab.com confirms what I already suspect. You can join for a small monthly fee and look up anything, all the time, or just hang around the website and see what info they make public.
In any event, interestingly enough, despite my total lack of faith in the cleanliness of fish oil, it seems that most brands are, actually, quite all right. Part of it is due to the fact that all the mercury gets stuck in the MEAT of the fish, not the oil, i.e., it’s in your tuna sandwich, there.
Check it out yourself, no big surprises. Again, watch out for RANCIDITY, as that’s when the oil turns BAD as in BAD for you (it forms transfatty acids…if that’s the case, why suffer through bad fish oil and eat some oreos and enjoy it, at least).
http://www.consumerlab.com/results/omega3.asp
And here’s a nice summary of the story from the Washington Post.
Safer by the Bottle
Washington Post
Tuesday, December 14, 2004; Page HE02
A survey of 41 brands of omega-3 fish oil supplements found they do not contain mercury and polychlorinated byphenyls (PCBs) — two contaminants found in many species of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids. Mercury contamination is especially problematic for pregnant women. “The good news is that none of the products were contaminated, so the supplements appear safer than many popular [types of] fish,” said Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab.com, a White Plains, N.Y.-based group that evaluates health and nutrition products. “That’s particularly good news for women who may be pregnant or getting pregnant.”
Why We Care Studies show that omega-3 fats may help lower blood pressure and prevent heart attack and stroke. They may also help those with arthritis and diabetes, among other chronic conditions.
The Fine Print ConsumerLab.com picked 17 popular brands of fish-oil supplements to test; 24 other makers paid a fee to have products tested. All products were purchased at retail stores without the makers’ knowledge.
Back Story Why would supplements lack the mercury and PCBs in fish? “Contaminants are generally found not in the oil but in the meat of the fish,” Cooperman said.
The Bad Not all the supplements measured up to claims made on their labels, and one wasn’t fresh enough to pass muster. ConsumerLab.com examined the amount of two principal fatty acids in each product. Two of the 17 popular brands didn’t contain the labeled amounts of those fatty acids. Products made by Health From the Sun and EHP contained just over half the claimed amount of the studied ingredients. A third, made by Garden of Life, was spoiled. Cooperman would not say how many of the other 24 brands failed tests.
Related posts:
