Discover the best fish oil supplements at the best price. (Because fish oil can improve your health and your athletic performance.)
Based on my analysis, the Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega SoftGels provide the best combination of quality, convenience, and value. Value-conscious customers may get an even better deal on the Vitacost brand fish oil.
Table of Contents
The Best Fish Oil Supplements
Here is a quick comparison chart I made to compare various fish oil supplements, from your typical high-quality fish oil to the ultra pure, super expensive boutique brands.
(Values are “per serving.”)
| Pill Brand | Omega-3 | EPA | DHA | CLA | Price |
| Biotest Flameout | 4625mg | 880mg | 2200mg | 352mg | $1.36 |
| Recoup|90 | 1800mg | 1200mg | 400mg | n/a | $1.33 |
| Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega | 1280mg | 650mg | 450mg | n/a | $0.83 |
| Barleans High EPA-DHA | n/a | 783mg | 400mg | n/a | $0.83 |
| Barleans Signature (Pills) | n/a | 360mg | 240mg | n/a | $0.19 |
| Barleans Signature (Liquid) | n/a | 880mg | 585mg | n/a | $0.47 |
| Carlson Salmon Oil | 750mg | 360mg | 250mg | n/a | $0.28 |
| Carlson Super Omega-3 Fish Oils | 600mg | 300mg | 200mg | n/a | $0.25 |
As you can see, there is quite a difference in potency and price among these brands. All the brands listed have good reputations, but some have much higher Omega-3 content per serving, which raises the price considerably.
The brands also vary in ways not shown in the chart. The Barleans fish oil supplements mention the LNA content, which is not mentioned on the others’ labels. Biotest Flameout has a slightly different formula than the others, with its high DHA content and the inclusion of CLA. So you might want to do some more research before making your final decision.
Based on the chart, you can save money by choosing Barleans fish oil. If one chose the Barleans Signature capsules and took 4 servings per day, that would be similar to the fatty acid content of Recoup|90 and Flameout, but at a substantial discount! Sure, that would require swallowing more pills, but that’s a significant amount of money!
Also, Barleans comes in a liquid, so that is worth a shot if you don’t want to swallow eight pills per day. That oil contains lots of good fatty acids for just $0.47 per serving.
However, you do have to wonder what else is in some of these pills. Recoup|90 pills are smaller than the others, yet the other brands contain much less Omega-3 content. And the liquids are a whole other story, considering their Omega-6 content. (You probably don’t need to add any more Omega-6 to your diet.)
For quality, Biotest Flameout and Recoup|90 do sound top-notch.
Why Supplement With Fish Oil?
I’ve been doing more research on supplements this year, and one supplement I really need to take more consistently is fish oil. Omega-3 fatty acids are such an important part of your diet, and since I’m not a huge fan of seafood, taking fish oil pills seems like a good idea.
Plus, can you really get enough Omega-3s from your diet, even when eating seafood?
How To Choose a Good Quality Fish Oil
Three main factors to consider when choosing a good quality fish oil:
- Purity
- Freshness
- Potency
You want a pure fish oil that does not contain heavy metals or toxins. It should also be fresh and potent.
Whatever you do, seriously consider taking some sort of Omega-3 supplement!
Information for this chart was compiled based on the nutrition labels of these products as shown on their websites and packaging. It is correct to the best of my knowledge, but I could have made a typo or the label could have changed, so I make no guarantees to the accuracy of this chart.
Levi Bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. A former Cat 1 road and mountain bike racer (professional class on the regional circuit), he is now a cycling coach (USA Cycling Level 3 Certified) and sports nutrition coach (Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified).
I take fish oil every day and have for most of the last 6 months.
And I did, even if it was imagined, feel like I was a little sharper than normal after taking them for a week or two.
I started, took them for about 90 days, then ran out. I couldn’t afford another bottle right away.
What I noticed was a massive depression that at first I didn’t attribute to this. I have to assume that it was withdraw symptoms and to me, prooves the connection between fish oil and brain function.
The “depression” began lifting within days of starting to take fish oil again.
I’m thinking that if I’d eased off fo them, rather than taking them at a steady rate until I’d run out completely, the “depression” would have been less.
Of course, this is no laboratory test and I can’t prove anything except that this is my belief. But I find it interesting and thought it was worth sharing so that others might be aware of the potential reaction.
@Tom
Interesting findings. Usually fish oil is used to treat depression.
As with anything, individual results will vary greatly. It could also depend on the brand and what else happens to be in their pills.
This is a very good post. Fish oil supplements are very good for the human body. But one must be careful to see that they are extracted from the best oily fish from areas which are least contaminated. They should also be prepared by molecular distillation. Fish oil supplements are very good as they have the least contaminants.
What I’d like to see is a comparison between fish oil and ground flaxseed for their omega-3 benefits. I am considering reintroducing ground flaxseed into my daily nutrition.
@Bigbubba
The big difference is that fish oil contains EPA and DHA fatty acids, while flax contains ALA. There’s debate on which is the better choice.
My personal plan gives me both. I take fish oil pills, but also use ground flaxseed by sprinkling it on my oatmeal and other foods.