At BePure, we are commonly asked about the benefits of fish oil and the value of this product.

It's really important that people know why not all fish oils are the same. The clinical team at BePure has spent years researching pretty much everything you could ever need to know about fish oils; so we could get the highest level of quality for the BePure Three fish oil.

The report highlighted three main concerns:

 

1. The level of active essential fatty acids, EPA and DHA (the reason we take fish oil supplements) was, in all but three cases, much lower that stated on the bottle.
2. Over half the products tested had oxidized to a level higher than the recommended limit (which had nothing to do with the best before date).
3. The study tested 36 different brands of fish oil capsules. BePure Three was not tested in the study but it is essential that you know the processes and procedures we have in place to ensure you are getting, not only the level of active ingredients we state on the bottle, but also the product is protected from oxidation and is as pure as we can possibly make it.

 

Active Ingredients

Why do we need such a high level of active ingredients?

The benefits of taking a fish oil supplement are well known, with omega-3 fatty acids being one of the most highly researched nutrients in the world.

Fish oil supplements have become very popular, for good reason – with every pharmacy, health food store, and most supermarkets selling them. The problem is, as the study published in the journal Scientific Reports reports, many of the cheaper brands may not be providing the benefits they claim because the don’t have the concentration and stability they need.

EPA and DHA play an essential role in reducing inflammation and are the building blocks for hormones that control immune function, cell growth and normal metabolism. The health benefits of active omega 3’s for protecting against heart disease, brain health, mood, arthritis, skin, hair and eyes are incredible.

BePure Three has 1400mg of active ingredients (EPA and DHA). You will notice that some products claim they have, for example, 1000mg of fish oil. The label may say 1000 mg of fish oil on the front but that does not have any relation to how much active DHA and EPA are in the dosage. All it means is that there is 1000mg of fish oil (usually inactive). Recent studies have highlighted that many brands may not even have this amount of active ingredients.

How do you know the levels in BePure Three are what we say?

BePure has specification testing from the manufacturer, which guarantees that the amount of fish oil we state in BePure Three is actually what is in the bottle.

Oxidation

Research during the recent study also found that in over half of the products tested, the oil had oxidised to a level higher than the recommended limit, meaning the oil was turning rancid or already off.

We know certain brands of fish oil are processed at high temperatures (because I was offered this form of processing), which causes oxidation of ingredients, leading to increased inflammation in the body and risk of disease.

BePure has strict, low-temperature, oxygen-free processing, which is essential to prevent oxidation (rancidity) in our fish oil. Brands that follow this process will include details of molecular distillation on the bottle.

Fish oil can be tested for rancidity after production but what is to stop it going rancid on its journey to you?

Natural vitamin E is a great antioxidant for preserving freshness as well as being essential for your health. BePure Three Fish Oil contains 60 I.U. of Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) per serving to stop oxidation in the capsule.

Apart from vitamin E, BePure Three has a natural coating protecting it from light and therefore oxidation once it leaves the factory. I have, as an extra precaution, added a small amount of Iron to the capsule to protect the oil from light (you will notice the orange colour).

How long does BePure Three sit on the shelf?

The turn over at BePure is very quick, so our customers should consume their product within three months, provided they use it as soon as they get it.

Where does BePure source fish from?

The media and research reported that the majority of fish oils were sourced from South American deep-sea-fish. BePure Three is made in NZ from small fish caught wild in the pacific. This is important to ensure the low level of toxic metals in BePure Three…

Heavy Metals

When I began my research into fish oil for the New Zealand market three years ago, I was shocked to find the international levels for toxic substances were, in some cases, 10 times higher than the international standards in products on the NZ market.

One NZ manufacturer provided product tests from shallow-water shark liver oil that contained 1mg/kg of mercury and arsenic. The international standards are less than 0.1 part per million. This is horrifying and I am shocked this is being sold over the counter in NZ.

Mercury is a known toxic, bioaccumulative substance that can negatively affect your brain, nervous system, kidneys, and an unborn baby’s brain and health.

BePure Three is molecularly distilled and third party tested to ensure virtually all environmental pollutants, such as heavy metals, PCB's, and dioxins, have been removed. The heavy metal levels tested in BePure Three are less than 0.01 parts per million, which exceeds international standards. Quality brands will disclose this relevant information on the bottle.

So do I really need to take a fish oil with all this risk?

Omega 3 is the most highly researched nutrient in the world.

In 1989, the respected medical journal ‘The Lancet’ reported a study trialing omega-3 rich foods, during which the death rate dropped an impressive 29%. Dr. Ralph Holman found that populations with high levels of omega-3 in their blood were the healthiest.

Omega-3’s are essential fatty acids, which means our body cannot make them but rather they have to come from a food or supplement source. With the modern diet being so high in pro-inflammatory omega-6’s (and we now know many modern diseases stem from inflammation in the body), it is essential you get enough omega-3.

But you do need to be aware of the importance of buying a quality product that is pure, concentrated, biologically available, non-rancid fish oil, and what’s on the label matches the content in the capsule.

Other common questions:

What about Omega 3 from plant seeds?

Omega-3 from plant seed oil is a type called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and is found mostly in flaxseeds and kiwifruit seeds. The problem is ALA needs to be converted by the body to useable forms of Omega 3 (EPA) and DHA (as found in fish oils, which have already been converted by the host fish). Some people have difficulty converting ALA to EPA and DHA and therefore will benefit more from taking a high quality, concentrated, pure fish oil.
Some research suggests that only 9% of omega-3’s from flax seeds are converted to EPA and DHA.

Why not eat fish?

Molecularly distilled and purified, fish oil can have high concentrations of DHA and EPA, at levels that would be difficult to obtain from eating fish. You would have to eat 85g of fresh wild salmon every day to get the daily serving available in BePure Three (2 capsules).

Unfortunately, our oceans are not as clean as they used to be, and the risk of mercury contamination is high when eating a lot of fish for concentrated Omega 3 benefits. Getting your Omega 3’s from a quality, filtered source is possibly a safer option.