Omega-3 Fish Oil Liquids

Winners Explained

 

SC Quality Benchmark for Omega-3 Liquids   The standard used is the provision of a minimum of 450mg of EPA/DHA at the recommended daily dose of the product, with additional credit given to increasing levels of EPA/DHA per 5ml (1 teaspoon ) of oil.

 

The main advantage of these Omega-3 fish oil-based liquids over liquid fish oils is that they can offer high concentrations of EPA / DHA in a relatively small volume. Similarly, fish oil liquids like these tend to contain higher levels of EPA / DHA than Cod Liver Oil liquids do. Also, they tend to be less fishy tasting than cod liver oils, and are normally flavoured with lemon oil or similar to make them more palatable.

Quality

The quality of all of these products in terms of delivering the expected benefits of increased intake of Omega-3 fatty acids was variable, with the best products - Omega Plus Finest Fish Oil (Aliment), Omega-3 Fish Oil (Superdrug), Lemon Fish Oil (Higher Nature) and OmegaWise Fish Oil Emulsified (Verywise Nutrition) - providing well above the minimum level of 450mg EPA / DHA.

Some products however did not meet the SC benchmark of 450mg EPA / DHA per daily dose. A higher rating has been given to more concentrated products, as less oil is required to deliver the intended dose of active ingredients. All of these products are flavoured with lemon oil, making them palatable. OmegaWise Fish Oil Emulsified has been shown to double the absorption of Omega-3 compared to standard fish oils, and has the advantage of being able to be mixed into fruit juices, yoghurts etc.  

 

Value range

Value for money was very variable within the category with 450mg EPA/DHA costing between £0.05 and £0.65.