Not all omega-3-supplements meet the requirements of a healthy product

Even though omega-3 supplements are, in general, good for one's health, all supplements do not have the same quality and all of them are not equally effective in contributing to one's emotional balance. An independent testing organization assessed the quality of fish oil supplements and reached the following distressing conclusions:

• More than one brand out of four does not contain the ingredient levels that are mentioned on the label.
• The EPA/DHA ratio is almost always lower than 4/1 (sometimes even 1.5/1). We know that EPA contributes to a healthy emotional balance and that DHA has much less of an impact on positive emotions. Therefore, supplements with a high a ratio of EPA, in comparison to DHA, are better for one's state of mind. In studies with dyslexia patients at Oxford University, supplements with an EPA/DHA ratio of at least 5/1 are used.
• Certain products are contaminated with poisonous substances such as mercury, PCB's, dioxins or DDT (an organochlorine pesticide) that are present in the polluted aquatic environment where fish live.