What to Know About Fish Oil Supplements

by Joshua Soll

What Should You Be Looking Out For in Fish Oil Supplements? 

Fish oil, one of the most commonly consumed supplements, is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, something very important to maintaining human health. Fish oil may support heart, eye, skin, and mental health, and has many other benefits. If eating fish is not a viable option for your diet, then fish oil supplements are a great way to get the omega-3’s that you need. However, there is something in the fish oil industry that you might not be aware of. Some shark species are being fished for their oil to be used in supplements. While we know that shark liver oil supplements already exist, sharks are also used to make supplements under the guise of being regular fish oil.

The most common species used in fish oil supplements include salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and cod, among some others. While the majority of fish oil supplements you find on the market with likely be derived from these fish species, you might just buy a brand that contains oil from sharks and whale sharks. The New York Times and Quartz both reported that basking sharks, blue sharks, and whale sharks are being processed in a Chinese factory in the Zhejiang province for their fins, meat, cartilage, and oil, to be sold to consumers. This factory kills approximately 600 whale sharks annually, according to WildLifeRisk, a conservation group based in Hong Kong, noted The New York Times and Quartz. Not only is the factory involved in the fishing and killing of sharks for their raw materials, but WildLifeRisk has also found that there is a global system of fishing boats that sell their landings to the factory. The oil that is taken from these animals is used in fish oil supplements to meet the demand that has been created in the United States of America and Canada.

This does not mean that you should avoid taking fish oil supplements, however. It demonstrates the importance of reading labels and doing research to find a brand that uses sustainable ingredients. Supplements are not well regulated, so research should be done before consuming any such product, not only to protect your own health, but because of the uncertainty of the contents of the supplements. Try looking for more sustainable alternatives, like flax seed oil supplements!