Okay, so you've been sold on the benefits of taking 1000 mg fish oil capsules on a daily basis. People ingest them for their Omega-3 fatty acid content, and in particular EPA and DHA. The point is, you've been sold on the benefits for lowering blood pressure or cholesterol levels,a nd so on. You want to say alleviate some dependence on medications for some health problems and try the natural route of supplementation to help out (something only a doctor can guide you through, certainly not this article, so don't consider this medical advice. For that, please see a physician). You're over the fact that you might have to take more than a few capsules per day, and you don't mind the fishy aftertaste or smell if you burp.

Why take them? Fish oils, also known as marine oils, are taken for their essential fatty acid content. Fish oil capsules typically contain a ratio of EPA to DHA of 1.5. Studies show that fish oils can lower triglyceride levels and help people who have suffered myocardial infarctions. They've been shown in studies to lower high blood pressure. They can help with arthritis by eliminating the severity of joint pain and inflammation, improving mobility of joints and providing relief to stiff and achy joints. There's probably twenty or more diseases and medical conditions where fish oil supplements have shown a promise to help the condition.

So which one? What's the best 1000 mg capsule?

First off, don't buy the cheap brands at Costco. You need pharmaceutical grade fish oil to get the health benefits you're seeking. ONLY purchase pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplements. As Dr. Joseph Mercola warned in his website, the cheap brands don't produce the effect you want. It's like buying cheap shoes versus expensive shoes; the cheap wear out and the expensive do their job, lasting a long while. You get what you pay for so if you are seeking health benefits, you must pay. You need a premium brand, which eliminates most everything you find offered at cheap discount prices or in the mail.

A good brand might mean enterically coated so it passes to the intestines (something of importance for Crohns disease sufferers). Maybe you want the fish oil to be enzymatically cleaved -- the best brand being Pharmax. Maybe you want a good tasting brand -- lemon and orange flavors are often added to reduce the odor and taste. You want to make sure the oils are fresh and unoxidized because they were produced in a non-oxygen rich, dark environment.

You definitely want to make sure the heavy metal content is at safety levels (see Carlson brand and Nordic Naturals) where there are no detectable levels of mercury and other heavy metals, and other contaminant levels are within the strictest European and North American standards. Many popular brands of fish oil supplements have high PCB contamination. You might want high levels of EPA/DHA

We like the following fish oil 1000 mg capsule brands: Carlson, Nordic Naturals and Pharmax.