DHA Vs EPA Fish Oil
The three common Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil are DHA, EPA and DPA.
Most of the research has been done on the benefits of EPA and DHA, and the amount of DPA is usually very small in most fish oil supplements.
DHA is the most complex and beneficial fatty acid. Many don’t realize that 60% of the brain’s mass is made up of fat, of which DHA is a significant component.
DHA is taken up more readily by the brain than the other fatty acids and is essential not only for adults but also in brain growth and development for young children.
EPA is less complex but also essential to the body. The body has difficulty converting EPA to the more complex DHA, and therefore it is important that the fish oil have a high amount of DHA.
The other Omega 3 fatty acid is ALA which is less complex than those found in fish oil and is commonly found in flaxseed oil.
The problem with using flaxseed as your main source for Omega 3 fatty acids is that the conversion from ALA to the more complex EPA and DHA in the body is very inefficient (less than 20%), especially in older people.
Hopefully you can see the advantages that fish oil vs. other sources provide for obtaining the essential Omega 3 fatty acids.
Various fish oil supplement out there can vary dramatically in the amounts of DHA vs. EPA that they contain.
Most on the market have higher amounts of the less complex EPA because it is easier to concentrate and manufacture.
It would make sense though to have a supplement that focuses on providing a larger amount of DHA since it’s the most complex fatty acid and more efficient for the body to use..
How to Find High Quality DHA Fish Oil
Finding a fish oil supplement high in DHA entails looking at what kind of fish is being used in the product.
Fattier fish like salmon or mackerel that come from deep cold Ocean waters are generally considered better.
One type of fish that is found to be especially high in DHA, is called the Hoki.
Many Westerners have never heard of Hoki because it is native to isolated deep waters off of Southern New Zealand.
Hoki provides the importance of high DHA but also adds the benefit of being from one of the purest cold ocean areas on earth. Whereas, other fish can originate from contaminated waters.
In summary, you want to find a fish oil with high DHA content that was sourced from fish exposed to minimal to no ocean pollutants.
Also, it is good to research if any distillation process was used by the manufacturer to remove any toxins when making the fish oil supplement.
We found a fish oil to meet all our requirements and is the one we take ourselves. To learn about it, visit Pure Fish Oil
Editor, www.Omega3guide.com