What is fish oil made of?

If you’re a fan of popping pills everyday, then the chances are that you’ve heard about fish oil somewhere. But what exactly is it made of? Read on to find out!

Oil from Fishes! Duh!

Yes, we know that’s already obvious, but let us explain. Fish oil comes from small fatty fishes like anchovy and mackerel. It can be extracted in two ways.

Classic Extraction

The classic method involves boiling the fish tissues at high temperatures for several hours until they break down completely into liquid form.

Modern Extractions

Modern-day methods include using ultra-high-temperature water or solvents extraction techniques.

But why use these methods when boiling the fishes till there’s nothing left sounds like more fun? The answer lies in efficiency and time-saving (well who doesn’t love saving some time?), as modern processes extract purer forms of fish oils.

Anyway, once obtained either way, the next step involves separating three key elements: glycerides, omega-3 acids, and other important nutrients such as Vitamin A & D.


Fatty Acids

Omega-3s found in Omega 3 within fish oil have many benefits regarding brain function which helps reduce any depression symptoms even improving your anxiety symptoms 1. In addition,eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) play an essential role in preventing many diseases including heart disease,some types of cancer & arthritis 2.

Now hold up! These names sound scary; how do I remember them all? Here’s something less daunting: EPA typically improves mood while fighting inflammation. Meanwhile,DHA serves an integral purpose by supporting early childhood cognitive growth development[ ^5] . So don’t forget to take your daily dose!


Glycerol / Alcohol Mix

Glycerin forms the base of fish oil Pills, along with other compounds that help increase their shelf life. You might be thinking – ‘yuck, alcohol? What is this a frat party?’ Relax, it’s just to protect the pill from getting rancid.


Vitamins

Fish oils contain multiple vitamins A and D; we know you also want them in alphabetical order (muahaha). Vitamin A provides anti-inflammatory effects as an antioxidant that helps support healthy hair & skin while Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption within bones which are crucial for overall health.

But wait! If tablets aren’t entirely your thing,canned sardines have significant levels of these vitamins too [^6]!


Do Some Brands Add Anything Else ?!

You betcha they do! Manufacturers often add more nutrients like vitamin E,Vitamin C and Iron into the mix but let’s keep it real here: those three are already found in plenty of foods that require less gadget maintenance compared to Fish oils[ ^4].

One lesser-known ingredient includes Astaxanthin – yep,a mouthful but hear us out- which gives any flamingo its rose plumage color due to consuming high amounts offishes filled with the stuff [^3]. But how does it benefit humans? One study showed taking astaxanthin supplements increased endurance all whilst reducing inflammation; exciting right?


Conclusion

We hope that reading our article has given valuable insights about what exactly goes into making fish oil pills. From humble anchovies and mackerels broken down through different extraction methods to ultimately provide us essential omega 3EPA/DHA complex, glycerol/alcohol mixture bases fortified with vitamins A&D,& sometimes even some fancy extras thrown into the mix for good measure.

Now when people ask you’What exactly am I putting inside my body?’ during your next church potluck celebration after sharing your prized fish oil bottle, you’ll have adequate answers instead of merely shrugging and looking awkward.

Until next time, goodbye!

[ ^3]: Higuera-Ciapara I Miralles-Espinoza M.C Barrón-Barrón R.M.D Antioxidant Astaxanthin: Sources Extraction Stability Biological Activities/A Review Elsevier LTD ScienceDirect.

[ ^4 ]https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/

[ ^5]Françoise Lagarde Helene Bernoud-Hubac ,Nadia Faycal Neroladakis etc,Differential Effects omega 3FA:DHA vs EPA ,[10.3389/fnut]

[^6]https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/canned-sardines#nutrition


  1. L. Su, T. Jin & J. Yang (2020). Omega-3 Fatty Acid and Anxiety Disorders: Meta-analysis of Randomized Placebo-controlled Trials. 

  2. C.N Serhan et al., “Resolution of inflammation: state of the art,” American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition 83(2006):9795-9845. 

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