Fish Oil

Do not buy rotten fish
Fish oils are a product is sold mostly, but most people do not realize is that there are differences in quality of goods offered in the market. I thought this article to illustrate this by answering any questions ever arise.

Country with high competence in research on marine products. At SINTEF in Trondheim is much of this knowledge, the department of maritime research led by Professor fish Ivar Storm.

What happens to omega-3 fatty acids in the capsule when it starts to become rancid?
Rancidity can be verified through various analysis. Through this analysis, one can measure various harskningsverdier, including peroxide and anisidine values ​​- or TOTOX that measures the total oxidation level. Basically TOTOX values ​​should be as low as possible, as this is an important indicator of how fresh the oil is. Fish Oil (FF) which is our main supplier of fish oils kvalitetsstemper each batch through a serffikat (COA) to ensure optimum quality.

This sertfikatet gives information on the quality of the product (content of fatty acids, rancidity, etc.). Unfortunately it is not established clear guidelines for recommended levels of the various harskningsproduktene, but it is understood that for example, peroxide levels should remain below 10.8 mEq / kg. Exceeded those to be expected with both rancidity and lower content of EPA and DPA.

In other words - that is, with relatively simple methods could be disclosed if it is fresh or old oil into a product. Please note that the highly concentrated products are more prone to rancidity than the unconcentrated. This is because that in the process by making the former exposes the oil for higher heat and a long time. This results in a more sensitive oil rancid easily. Many solve this problem by adding nitrogen in the mixture, so that to some extent to protect it against oxidation.
Norwegian Fish Oil

How important is the quality of cookies made from the material, and the consequences it has for the durability?

Too many manufacturers have too little focus on the importance of gelatinous material. There are many types of capsule material, including;

• Pigskin-gelatine (gelatine from pork)
• Bovine-gelatine (gelatine from cattle)
• Fish gelatine (gelatine of the bones from the fish)
• Vege-caps (vegetable gelatine)

Most products on the market made of Pigskin pork. This is because this is the cheapest material to reset the cookies. It is a known problem that the gelatin capsules "sweating" is sensitive to high temperatures, and that this could lead to more leakage from the capsule. The end of the story is increased oxidation (rancidity).

In a consumer perspective, this is something you should think about. About the gelatin material is not listed on the product, so ask the outlet where you purchased the item. NFO (which I buy my fish oil from) does not use pigskin, because they believe it is a cheap and poor alternative that maintains the high quality of fish oil. In addition, the pigskin heavy to digest for many.

What is the best storage method?
The best will always be to save the fish oil in a cool place, such as the refrigerator. Here one should avoid oxygen. Heat and oxygen are in fact the two worst elements of the quality of the oil.

Can you trust the label? What precautions should I take?
There are many differences and it is only those who can document their products with certificates of GMP, HACCP, ISO STANDARDS that can verify that what is written on the label is the same as in the product. Consumers have no way to determine that the product they eat, can be mixed with vegetable oil or the oil is old.

We know that fish oil products from Asia and especially China, has a "dilution" from other sources than fish oil in their products. This is impossible for consumers to detect by relating the labels and what is declared in the ingredients list. There are big differences in fish oils, it is impossible to identify those who "cheat", unless one analyzes the products.

Authorities at the Food Safety Authority has no requirements for what is in boxes, compared to what it says on the labels and what is very worrisome, is that those who import these products, do not have any demands from the government to prove what is in products. In many countries, such stringent requirements, among other things, and NFO (which I know well) has more than 20 countries have registered their products just by documenting the products from the "fish mouth".

We know that in many countries sold cod liver oil omega-3 oils, which is unthinkable if we are to follow a high standard and document content in a proper manner.

Is deep-sea fish a seal or just a cheap sales ploy?
"Deep Sea Fish" is cheating and fanteri. There is only a good source of Omega-3 oils and 18/12 are called pelagic fish. Pelagic fish are fish that live in the higher parts of water depth and the fish group living depends plankton. This plankton is the source of Omega-3, because plankton contain large amounts of healthy fatty acids EPA and DHA. For any manufacturer it must be assumed that they provide the source of Omega-3 oil and it is these "denominations" that deep-water fish, an undocumented source of fish or fish species.

Where are the best fiskelolje in the world?
The largest source of Omega-3 fish oils are in Peru, Chile and Argentina. The best refineries are located in Norway, Iceland, Canada and England

What differentiates providers from each other?
One can not trust what you eat! But one can determine whether the product is manufactured by a company that has GMP certification by, for example, contact the manufacturer or retailer and ask to receive documentation. Text labels:-This product is manufactured according to GMP standard! Then this is a business that does not have GMP certification, but only practicing GMP. You can drive a car without a driving license and be just as good driver, but the standard is that you MUST have a driving license to drive a car and therefore all travel by car without a driver's license, illegal.

Is krill oil a good alternative to fish oil?
Krill is a fabulous source of Astaxanthin and Phosphorus Lipids. Krill oil contains much lower levels of Omega-3 (EPA and DHA) than pelagic fish, but Krill contains antioxidants Astaxanthin and phospholipids that are good for the brain. The most optimal "solution" is to take the best from Krill and the best of pelagic fish to get the most optimal product. In other words, one should combine the krill with a proper omega-3 fish oil product with EPA / DHA or choose a krill product that has combined Astaxanthin and phospholipids with highly concentrated Omega-3 fish oil.

Tests on dogs, show that Omega-3 with Krill increases the uptake of good fats in the blood, compared with the use of Omega-3 alone. Omega-3 from fish is so-called TG (Treeglycerides) and EPA and DHA fatty acids are then bound into a backbone, where you can see for themselves the EPA fatty acid on one side of the spine and DHA on the opposite side. When you refine oil as is done in two phases, water phase (where the oil comes out in the form of liquid) and protein phase (all the rest of the fish that turns into powder, used for animal feed and industrial raw materials as an additive in the div. Soup products etc.). . Omega-3 from Krill is tied up in phospholipids, and this is where the "scholars disagree" Because when krill are in the process to be oil, is all science aware that phospholipids are in the phase called protein phase and not in the water phase ( read: oil).

One can then with the current technology does not transfer phospholipids in the water phase and thus, one can ask of today's manufacturers of Krill oil how to market that Krill oil is tied up in phospholipids, when we know that these (read: Phospholipids) disappears in the portion of output that is phase protein. A possible reason may be that they retrieve phospholipids from the protein and lead them back to the oil? This is technically possible, but requires advanced production equipment. A company in Japan have developed a method that is known and SINTEF in Trondheim has been doing a lot of research about this "problem".
What are the differences between EE and TG products?

TG.
Natural TG oil is an oil consisting of triglycerides (TG) for EPA and DHA fatty acids are bound up in a Glucoseryggrad. All oils from unconcentrated Pelagic fish is so-called TG-oil (always).

EE.
EE does Ethylester. To make a høykonsentrat of TG oil, so the manufacturer must remove Glucose spine to concentrate the fatty acids EPA and DHA from their natural form, to høykonsentrat of EPA and DHA. When the manufacturer then has carried out this process, the oil is in the form of an EE (Ethylester) and missing when their natural Glucoseryggrad that binds fatty acids EPA and DHA together. Today there are some manufacturers that can lead Glucoseryggraden back to the oil at the end of the process, then you get a TG oil høykonsentrats form, similar to natural.

TG
There is no research that says that EE is less than TG or the body does not take up fatty acids from EE worse than TG. EE oils are cheaper than TG oils, when talking about høykonsentrater, because it is cheaper to produce EE. The famous trademark Omacor manufactured by Pronova

Who are registered as medicines in many countries, is an EE and have 90% content of EPA and DHA. Natural 18/12 has in comparison to 30% EPA and DHA, but in TG form.

Looking for example of NFO as they sell a variety høykonsentrater in capsule form and they are all just in TG form (fish gelatine capsules), as the company's policy is to not sell products in the EE form.

Why add some flavor and vegetable oils in the fish's cookies?

Because either the oil is rancid, or bad "cleansed" the smell and reek of fish, that the manufacturer must "mask" odors and tastes by adding taste, etc.. This does not, however, that all oil is flavored is rancid. The point is that this can be a cheap and effective trick.

What really added vitamin E in capsules?

Because the natural vitamin E has a very good ability to preserve the product's shelf life and in most cases it is used as the "antioxidant".

The most common is when tocoferol-and dl-a-tocoferol. The difference is that the one is natural and the other is chemical. One of the animals and the other "cheap".

It used large doses of the addition of vitamin E when one wishes that vitamin E must be both an antioxidant and acts as a vitamin E supplements.