To obtain the widespread omega 3 benefits, diet rich in omega 3 foods along with a daily dose of omega 3 capsules is required. Fish oil omega 3 capsules are the recommended choice over krill oil ones.

Many health organizations recommend a daily intake of 250-500 mg of omega 3 fatty acids (EPA+DHA) per day for healthy adult populations. However, recommendations for omega 3 fatty acids vary as per the requirements with underlying health conditions. The question is what exactly are omega 3 fatty acids & why are they recommended? Well, Omega 3 fats or the “good fats” are an integral part of each of our body’s cell membranes and help the functioning of our crucial organs like the heart, brain, joints & immune systems.

To obtain the ample omega 3 benefits it’s important to have a daily intake of omega 3 foods from the diet, as our body is unable to make it. Omega 3 fatty acids are of two types, i.e. eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); found majorly in fatty tissues of fish, being the richest source. As our daily diet is not able to supply an adequate amount of omega 3 foods; it’s necessary to take omega 3 capsules along with an omega 3 rich diet to meet the recommended dosage and omega 3 benefits.

There are two types of omega 3 capsules available in the market: Fish oil, which is obtained from the fatty tissues of fish like sardines, mackerel & tuna, and Krill oil, which is obtained from the krill, a shrimp-type animal. Krill oil has a distinct red color whereas fish oil supplements have a yellow color. Both supplements are a good source of omega 3 fatty acids (EPA & DHA) but consumers are often confused about which one to take?

As a dietitian & health practitioner, I recommend, 100% natural triglyceride form of fish oil omega 3 capsules by BestSource Nutrition over krill oil omega 3 capsules, due to the following reasons:

• In a study carried out by Ulvenetal (Lipids, 2011) on 113 patients, with normal or slightly high total cholesterol & triglycerides, a comparison rise of the blood EPA & DHA was observed, after being supplemented with krill & fish oil omega 3 capsules for seven weeks. The first finding of the study was that krill oil & fish oil omega 3 capsules both similarly & significantly increased the blood EPA & DHA levels after supplementation.
• The second finding was that to increase the blood EPA & DHA levels,a daily intake of 3 grams of krill oil whereas 864 mgs of fish oil was required. Hence fish oil capsules are required in lesser quantities than krill oil to reduce the high cholesterol levels.

To conclude from the above research, fish oil capsules are equally effective as krill oil but are required in lesser quantities than krill oil to give omega 3 health benefits. Fish oil capsules in the market are also cheaper than krill oil thereby making them a “cost-effective” choice for daily supplementation.

As a dietitian, my take-home message is that to achieve the optimum Omega 3 benefits opt for a diet rich in omega 3 foods along with omega 3 fish oil capsules by BestSource Nutrition which have the perfect EPA & DHA ratio, and are obtained from deep-sea sardine fish in natural triglyceride form which makes them easy to digest & absorb; and are free from fishy odour, taste or burping.