Wide-ranging studies make it easy to find out the vast health benefits we could derivefrom fish oil but picking the best fish oil is never an easy errand. Heart disease prevention, anti-inflammatory properties, and even hair loss prevention are just a few of such health benefits that have been connected with fish oil. For this reason, the fish oil supplement industry has prospered, which has its positive and negative effects.

One positive effect is that these fish oil pills are easily available to those who are considering to take advantage of their health benefits. The negative effect is that many companies leap on the bandwagon for quick profit by producing low-quality products. Choosing the right brand is made difficult with all these brands available.

However, to pick the best fish oil becomes trouble-free by trying to distinguish the better fish oil supplements from the inferior products. This could be done by keeping in mind some few basics. Here are some of them.

Fish oil supplements are good for us because they contain omega-3 fatty acids; specifically DHA and EPA. It is only logical that the best fish oil brands haven more of these omega-3s compared to the lower-quality products. Be sure to check the label in your fish oils; the more DHA and EPA, the better. For every 1,000mg of fish oil, each capsule should contain 600mg or a 60% concentration of Omega-3. All fish products are at risk from toxin contamination but the best fish oil should be pure and toxin-free. For this reason, doctors don't prescribe fish oil supplements to pregnant mothers, regardless of the fact that it can have positive effects to the baby's brain development, as some studies point out. Determining which fish oil supplements are pure was very difficult since there was no reliable regulation board for people to refer to. Thanks to the Nutrasource Diagnostics Inc. of Canada , which came up with the International Fish Oil Safety (IFOS) program.

Unlike before the IFOS program, where standards for toxin-free fish oil supplements were too lenient, a stringent set of world standards for purity of fish oils has been implemented based on five parameters:

* Passes all CRN/WHO testing categories

* 60% or higher Omega-3 concentration

* Oxidation Levels less than 75% of CRN standard

* PCB Levels Less than 50% of CRN standard

* Dioxin Levels Less Than 50% of WHO standard

The best fish oil supplement should merit a 5-star certification from the IFOS at the minimum. This policywill undoubtedlytaper the selection process for the best fish oil. Nordic Naturals and See Yourself Well are two brands available in the United States that are 5-star certified. In conclusion, the best fish oil should offer not only value, but also wellbeing. Check the label to see whether it contains the ideal amount of Omega-3 that you need and don't forget to verifythe 5-star certification from the IFOS!