Are your fish oil pills actually any good?
Fish oil supplements in New Zealand are highly oxidised and do not meet label content of n-3 PUFA
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Best-before dates are useless predictors of freshness
Consumers trust expiration dates on supplements like food—but this study found no link between time until expiry and oxidation levels.
Practical Takeaways
Buy fish oil in dark glass bottles, store them in the fridge, and check for third-party certifications like IFOS or GOED.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Best-before dates are useless predictors of freshness
Consumers trust expiration dates on supplements like food—but this study found no link between time until expiry and oxidation levels.
Practical Takeaways
Buy fish oil in dark glass bottles, store them in the fridge, and check for third-party certifications like IFOS or GOED.
Publication
Journal
Scientific Reports
Year
2015
Authors
B. Albert, J. Derraik, D. Cameron-Smith, P. Hofman, S. Tumanov, S. Villas-Bôas, M. Garg, W. Cutfield
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Claims (7)
Fish oil supplements with higher concentrations of EPA and DHA tend to cost more, but paying more does not guarantee the product is less oxidized or more stable once you account for the actual EPA and DHA content.
A sample of 36 fish oil supplements sold in New Zealand was tested for freshness, and most showed signs of oxidation, meaning they had degraded beyond accepted quality standards.
A study found that most fish oil supplements sold in New Zealand contained significantly less of the key omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) than stated on their labels, with only a small number meeting their advertised content.
How long a fish oil supplement has until its best-before date does not predict how much it has oxidized. This means the date on the label may not indicate whether the product is still fresh.
Fish oil supplements from countries other than New Zealand or Australia cost more but contain the same amounts of EPA and DHA and show similar levels of oxidation, meaning where they are made does not determine how good they are.