One point that seems to be agreed upon by healthcare practitioners and nutritional supplement laboratories is that Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) in the marketplace are nutrients that are considered “essential” because they are required for optimum health but cannot be produced by the body.  As they cannot be produced by the body, they must be obtained by diet or supplementation.   Beyond this one point, conflicting information and “the myths” begin, starting with best processing practices for achieving purity and freshness.

One myth says “Heat used in fish oil manufacturing causes excess oxidative damage (rancidity) and creates inferior oil.”  The fact is that all fish oil needs to be processed and purified in order to remove contaminants and meet minimal laws and standards such as California’s Proposition 65.  These laws and standards are set to protect consumers and this process always requires heat, be it high heat or low heat.

The important point is that heat itself does not cause oxidation — it only affects the rate of oxidation. Low heat is acceptable and used by many quality manufacturers today. Oxidative damage (rancidity) can be avoided by manufacturing in a vacuum, in a nitrogen-rich, oxygen-free environment, and in the absence of free radical catalysts such as iron and copper.  Nordic Naturals utilizes a proprietary multi-patented manufacturing process that produces the purest and freshest fish oil products which far exceed the stringent Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopeia Standard limits.  (http://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/Retailers/Third-Party_T …)

Another myth says “Cold pressed oil of a food grade nature is superior.”  The fact is cold-pressed fish oil still requires the use of heat processing to separate the oil from the fish body and strip the raw material of its impurities and meet minimal standards for fish oil (http://www.ifosprogram.com). In other words, fish oil can never be a “whole food” because it must, by its very nature, go through several manufacturing processes in order to become oil. Nordic Naturals is GMP certified with product coming from a Food Grade Facility that is in compliance with dietary supplements standards.

“Nordic Naturals has always been a research driven company where processing technology and product formulations are driven by the latest developments.  We have been privileged that without solicitation, leading research institutions such as Harvard, Georgetown and Columbia universities as well as the National Institute of Health have chosen our products for many clinical studies,” says Joar Opheim, MBA, and Norwegian born founder.  “Additionally, Nordic Naturals was ranked #1 out of the top 10 fish oil brands in Norway for the highest concentration, freshness and purity, which speaks to our dedication to provide consumers with the best possible fish oil products.”

“The internet has created a wonderful environment where information and opinion is only a key stroke away however it also makes it easy for anyone to publish content while rushing to put a product on the market.  When looking for nutrition information, we encourage everyone to do full product research and to look for third party research and laboratory testing for purity and freshness to be certain they are getting a nutritional supplement that meets its marketing claims,” says Dr. Joseph C.  Maroon, Neurological Surgeon, researcher and author.

Dr. Joseph Maroon, a board certified neurosurgeon has become one of the nation’s leading advocates of fish oil and has recently authored two books, “Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-inflammatory” and “The Longevity Factor: How Resveratrol and Red Wine Activate Genes for a Longer and Healthier Life.”