For years now, fish oil has been a popular supplement. It’s been shown to have several health benefits, specifically, the Omega-3s contained within it, including some for heart, brain, and of course, eye health! Fish oil is a common remedy for people suffering from occasional dry eye symptoms like dryness, irritation, redness, burning, and grittiness. But fish oil is fish oil, right? Wrong. Not all fish oil is created equal, and the lower the quality, the worse off you might be.

Poor Quality Fish Oil

The negative effects noted with fish oil are usually quite mild and include things like upset stomach, “fish burp,” or fishy aftertaste. However, these side effects and more are much more common with poor quality or rancid fish oil. The chemical makeup of fish oil, especially Omega-3s, is very susceptible to oxidation, a process in which the molecules break down when exposed to oxygen.

It’s the same process that causes metal to rust or an apple or avocado to brown after being cut. Poor quality fish oil is more likely to succumb to oxidation quicker, which causes it to become rancid and creates that infamous fishy taste and fish burp. Additionally, studies show that rancid fish oil actually adds to internal swelling and discomfort versus relieving it. There are a few identifiers to help you know if you’re looking at rancid fish oil, including:

• Poor taste
• Bad smell
• Cloudy
• Discolored

Side Effects of Fish Oil

Aside from fish burp and aftertaste, there are a few other side effects linked with poor quality fish oil:

• Heavy metal poisoning – the waters fish swim in have toxins that can be transferred through the oil
• Bloating
• Heartburn
• Weight gain
• Risk of excess bleeding
• Increased cholesterol

What to Look for In Quality Fish Oils

When looking for a supplement that includes Omega-3s, it’s important for the quality, purity, and efficacy to be tested and proven. Label claims can be an issue with some Omega-3 supplements. R. Preston Mason, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and President of Elucida Research, spoke about his research that included a few popular brands of fish oil in an article on CNN.com.

“We were quite surprised to see that in some of these widely used supplements, only a third of the product was the favorable Omega-3s, and the balance of them were these other lipids, including saturated fats, which we don't associate with health benefits."

The processing and distribution of each supplement make a difference in the quality and rancidity. Adding antioxidants and limiting exposure to light, heat, and oxygen can all help stabilize the fish oils. A product following rigid manufacturing and quality-assurance processes can guarantee its safety and efficacy. A few indicators of quality include:

• Third-party tested
• Ultra-refined purification process
• FDA Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP)
• Money-back guarantees
• Lower pill count – with a lower pill count, you can be confident you’re receiving Omega-3s with higher potency, and the product has less time to be exposed to oxidation.

A Quality Omega-3 Product 

EyePromise® EZ Tears™ is an occasional dry eye formula crafted with high-quality fish oil with highly potent Omega-3s. In a 2-a-day dosage, EZ Tears delivers fish oil that’s 70% Omega-3s versus the typical 40%-50% found on most retail shelves. Our highly concentrated fish oil is sourced from the oceans of Chile and put through a patented purification process to ensure quality and freshness. Certified for Responsible Sourcing, Friend of the Sea, and Dolphin Safe, these Omega-3s are as good for the environment as they are your eyes.

More Than Omegas

Although Omega-3s are important for relieving symptoms of occasional dry eye, you’ll need more than fish oil to find lasting relief from your symptoms. EyePromise EZ Tears includes 7 additional ingredients to tackle the causes of occasional dry eye from the inside out, including:

• Evening primrose oil
• Turmeric
• Green tea

Even with all these ingredients, we know you’re still thinking,  where’s the proof? Here are some clinical results observed after using EZ Tears:

• Some participants started feeling relief in as little as 1 week.
• About 50% of participants felt relief in 2 weeks.
• Nearly 90% felt relief after 4 weeks.
• Symptom improvements continued after the 4-week study.
• Contact lens users were able to wear their contacts an average of 2.2 hours longer per day.

Based on these clinical findings, EyePromise  guarantees relief from your occasional dry eye symptoms in 30 days or your money back. Additionally, EZ Tears comes with a 60-day satisfaction guarantee, meaning that if you find any reason you don’t like it within 60 days, we’ll refund you no questions asked (except a few to try and make the product better in the future).

Sources:

1. “17 Fish Oil Side Effects of Taking Too Much Fish Oil or Too Poor a Quality of Fish Oil.” The Best Fish Oil Benefits and Supplements, The Best Fish Oil Benefits and Supplements, 2014, best-fish-oil-benefits-and-supplements.com/fish-oil-side-effects/.
2. Chalmers, Anne-Marie. “Is Your Fish Oil Rancid?” Omega3 Innovations, Omega3 Innovations, 5 Sept. 2012, omega3innovations.com/blog/is-your-fish-oil-rancid/.
3. Kollias, Helen. “Fish Oil and Omega-3s Fats: How to Be Safer with Your Supplements.” Precision Nutrition, Precision Nutrition Inc., 12 June 2017, www.precisionnutrition.com/fish-oil-dangerous.
4. Scutti, Susan. “Health Effects of Fish Oil: Where Do We Stand?” CNN, Cable News Network, 1 Mar. 2018, www.cnn.com/2017/01/19/health/fish-oil-health-effects/index.html.