Best Omega 3 Supplement For Mental Health: Fish Oil Vs Krill Oil Vs Cod Liver Oil Vs Algae Oil

Perhaps you’ve heard the adage, “Fish is brain food.”

Nowadays, many people are feeding their brains with fish in the form of supplementation.

Fish oil supplements provide the mind and body with crucial omega-3 fatty acids that many Westerners are so deficient in.

If you’re one of the many people interested in supplementing omega 3’s, it’s important to understand how to navigate the complicated world of fish oil and its associated products.

The following article is a deep dive into all things fish oil, including the benefits of supplementation, the variety of available products, recommended dosages, and safety issues to be cognizant of.

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What Is Fish Oil?

Fish oils rich in DHA and EPA are the most common dietary supplements extracted from fish tissue.¹

How is Fish Oil Extracted?

The most common fish used for extracting fish oil are salmon, herring, anchovies, sardines, mackerel, and tuna.²³⁴⁵

Fish use can be either caught from the wild or a by-product of farmed fish.

This includes the entrails, head, and trimmed parts after processing the fish.⁶

However, because of its nature, fish oil is prone to oxidation and rancidity, so it goes through purification and stabilization.⁷

This process removes the off-odors and off-flavors in the fish oil before it goes to the market.

Another method used to improve the quality of fish oils is through fractionation using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2).⁸

Fractionation effectively removes the solid parts of the oil to improve its quality and shelf-life.⁹

The quality of the fish oil depends on the manufacturer’s attention to detail in these crucial steps.

Benefits of Fish Oils

Fish oils are best known to improve quality of life by delaying the aging process, preventing acute and chronic diseases, increasing life expectancy¹⁰, and improving the body’s overall functions.¹¹¹²

Fish oils are essential for the proper development of the brain and the eyes.¹³¹⁴¹⁵

Women of child-bearing age also benefit from consuming fish oil as it lessens the incidence of postpartum depression¹⁶¹⁷

Most importantly, fish oil plays an essential role in improving mental health conditions such as ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression, and PTSD.¹⁸¹⁹²⁰²¹

It acts by preventing inflammation in the neural cells, which helps manage depression.²²²³

Lowering inflammation has been documented to improve a person’s mood and fatigue levels.²⁴²⁵

It can also potentially lower suicidal ideation as it helps to modify neurotransmitter signaling²⁶²⁷and G-proteins²⁸, which appear to be high in the postmortem brain samples of people who commit suicide.²⁹

In older patients, omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils help prevent dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, and mood disorders.³⁰³¹³²³³³⁴³⁵

Dosage

The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has not identified the right dosage for fish oils but has set the Adequate Intakes (AIs) for omega-3 fatty acids.³⁶

The Adequate Intake for babies to children up to 8 years old ranges from 0.5g to 0.9g for both males and females.³⁷

From ages nine and above, the AI is higher for the males at 1.2g to1.6g and 1g to 1.1g in females.³⁸

Pregnant women need more at 1.4g, and breastfeeding women need 1.3g.

Literature differs in their recommendations on the dosage of fish oils, but many recommend between 1.5g – 5g/day to be considered safe for autism, anxiety disorders, OCD, anorexia nervosa, or substance addictions.³⁹

For people diagnosed with depression, a dose of 720mg – 1000mg/day of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil showed the best in achieving the desired effect.⁴⁰

Clinical practitioners recommend lower doses of omega-3 fatty acids for persons with ADHD and other conditions where impulsiveness and aggression are the primary concern.⁴¹

For schizophrenia, though, there is no definitive data for the recommended dose, so it is prudent to stay on the modest side to prevent adverse effects.

Side effects

Adverse effects of prolonged or misuse of fish oils include altered platelet function, leading to clotting problems and poor wound healing.⁴²⁴³

Refrain from using fish oil supplements when under antiplatelet or anticoagulant treatment to avoid side effects.

Lipid peroxidation is another adverse effect of unsupervised use of fish oils. This condition affects the cell membrane’s stability and the attack of free radicals on proteins and DNA.

To counter this adverse effect, add antioxidant supplements or eat a diet high in vitamins A, C, and E, which are good antioxidants.

A high dosage of PUFAs is discouraged for people taking antidepressant medication since it messes with serotonin reuptake inhibitors’ actions.⁴⁴⁴⁵

What is Krill Oil?

Krill serve as the most massive biomass that feeds various fish, marine mammals, and penguins. These are tiny crustaceans that abound in all oceans around the world.⁴⁶

It is a known fact that species that live in colder waters have a higher oil content than the fish living in tropical waters, so only Antarctic krill are used in extracting krill oil.

How is Krill Oil Extracted?

Extracting krill oil involves a few approved processes.

One efficient process involves adding ethanol and acetone to freeze-dried krill.

However, when used alone to extract krill oil, acetone showed low omega-3 acids and low phospholipids compared to those extracted using either ethanol and isopropanol.⁴⁷

Benefits of Krill Oil

Research on Dutch adolescents given krill oil as a supplement for a year showed little improvement in cognitive functions.⁴⁸

However, cognitive function improved among elderly patients administered with krill oil.⁴⁹

Compared with krill oil, fish oil is a better source of omega-3 fatty acids, but krill oil lasts longer in the body.⁵⁰⁵¹

Metabolism of krill oil is more efficient than fish oil in that both had comparable results even if the PUFA levels in krill oil are lower than that of fish oil.⁵²⁵³

This result further corroborated the findings that krill oil can improve the brain’s cognitive functions.⁵⁴⁵⁵⁵⁶

Another study also proved that krill oil has a more potent anti-inflammatory effect than fish oil when fed to mice.⁵⁷

Since inflammation is one precursor to depression, there is a strong potential for krill oil to prevent or manage depression.

Dosage

There is no data for the dosage of krill oil, but a dose lower than the recommended dosage for fish oil is enough based on the information included here.

One study showed that 825mg of krill oil per day effectively reduced inflammation from oxidative stress⁵⁸

, contributing to Alzheimer’s disease, depression, memory loss, and other degenerative diseases.⁵⁹⁶⁰

Side Effects

Side effects listed after krill oil use were allergic reactions, nausea, sleeplessness, hunger, headache, and a fishy taste in the mouth. A more comprehensive study to prove these claims is needed.⁶¹

People taking Lovaza should see a medical professional before taking krill oil since a study showed adverse effects on the health and lifespan of long-lived F1 mice.⁶²

What is Cod Liver Oil?

Cod liver oil, extracted from the liver of Gadus morhua, is one of the most popular types of omega-3 fatty acid supplements.

How is Cod Liver Oil Extracted?

There are a variety of methods to extract cod liver oil. Some methods are very rudimentary, and therefore, the resulting oil is not fit for human consumption.

However, in the 1850s, Peter Möller managed to extract cod liver oil by steaming fresh cod livers. This method is now known as the Möller method and is the most popular cod liver oil extraction method to date.

Manufacturers extract the oil within 24 hours after the fish is caught.⁶³

To maintain the quality of cod liver oil, manufacturers protect the oil from overexposure to oxygen since oxidized oil can cause intestinal irritation.⁶⁴

Benefits

Cod liver oil is useful in managing and preventing depression and anxiety.⁶⁵

The use of cod liver oil also lessens the risk of inflammation by countering arachidonic acid’s inflammatory effects, a type of n-6 essential fatty acids.⁶⁶

As previously stated, inflammation may lead to various inflammatory diseases, including psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.

Dosage

There is limited information on the dosage of cod liver oil for mental health problems. Still, more established data for maintaining cardiovascular health pegs a dose of between 250-500mg per day.⁶⁷

Side Effects

Take precaution when adding cod liver oil as a supplement when one is pregnant, asthmatic, or taking anticoagulants as part of your medication.⁶⁸

Another adverse effect of overdosage (>1500mcg/day) is bone health⁶⁹, so it is best to stay way below that dosage.

What is Algae Oil?

Algae oil is a good alternative for vegans and vegetarians who have an increased need for omega-3 fatty acids.⁷⁰

However, the consumer must practice vigilance when choosing the right algal oil since some only contain EPA.⁷¹

Green algae, brown algae, red algae, diatoms, and fresh water single-cell green algae are all excellent sources of both DHA and EPA.⁷²

How is Algae Oil Extracted?

Different methods⁷³

extract oil from the algae, but the most recent advancement uses supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2), which maximizes the lipid extraction up to 31%.⁷⁴

However, another study recommended solvent-free extraction like enzymatic degradation as they have a promising future in laboratory-scale production.

Benefits

Algal oil shows potential in improving underperforming children’s behavior and other mental health conditions in subjects of various ages.⁷⁵

These conditions include ADHD, mood disorders, autism, low cognitive functions, memory, and brain activation.

Sex may play a role in response to algae oil supplementation.

This result may explain why more women are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive dysfunction, and dementia.⁷⁶⁷⁷

This effect further showed the correlation between a healthy gut and brain function.

Maintain the health of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. An unhealthy gut increases the chances of depression, altered social behavior⁷⁸Maintain the health of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. An unhealthy gut increases the chances of depression, altered social behavior⁷⁹, and autism.⁸⁰

Dosage

There is no definite dose for algal oil consumption for humans, but a study on underperforming children aged 7-9 showed improvement in their behavior after using 600mg/day algal oil for 16 weeks.⁸¹

Side Effects

Consumption of algal oil from Nannochloropsis oculata is generally safe⁸², but more studies are needed to corroborate this claim.

A study on the bioequivalence of algal oil from undisclosed algae also showed the viability and safety of algal oil capsule supplements.⁸³

The Ugly Side of Producing Marine-Sourced Omega-3 Oils

Challenges and Complications

The marine environment is a vast ecosystem that hosts various life forms. It is also the depository of all effluents arising from human activities.

As a result, fish, algae, and marine mammals thrive in a polluted environment, accumulating toxic substances in their cells over the years.

One of the most critical challenges in producing omega-3 oil from marine sources is the high mercury⁸⁴⁸⁵, especially in seas near mining locations.

Toxic chemicals from agricultural practices are another threat to consider.

Industrial wastes continuously dumped in the rivers and creeks that eventually end up in the oceans also pose a high risk for aquatic life contamination.

Some of these chemicals have a long half-life. As the fish grows, more toxins accumulate in the different parts of its body if not removed from the toxic environment.

Humans then ingest these toxins, and the cycle goes on.

Add to that the very pressing issue of microplastics, which disrupt the endocrine system. Ingestion of these microplastics results in neurologic manifestations.⁸⁶

These accumulated toxins trigger various illnesses and conditions, including low reproductive capacity, developmental problems in developing fetuses and growing children, kidney diseases, and cancer.⁸⁷

Algae are no better since they act as the siphon of toxins in their environment while also absorbing these toxins into their cells.⁸⁸

Low Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Another issue is getting the right amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from the diet.

Certain dietary restrictions from religion, preferences, culture, and access to fish and seafood are the most prominent reasons.⁸⁹

Omega 3’s From Real Food

For those wary of supplements, these powerful nutrients can also be gotten from the actual fish themselves.

Much like supplements, it’s important to know which fish to steer clear from.

Tuna, swordfish, and king mackerel are all notorious for high mercury levels.⁹⁰

Good, low-mercury fish alternatives include salmon, pollock, sardines, cod, and tilapia,

Other seafood like shrimp, clams, oysters, and crabs are also fairly safe.⁹¹

You can also get adequate omega-3 fatty acids from red meat, organs, nuts, and beans.

Vegetables like beans, broccoli, and its family, and purslane and fruits like avocado and berries are good sources of omega-3.⁹²

Bottomline

Overall, adding a high-omega 3 supplement like fish oil into your day seems to have many mental health benefits.

However, judiciousness and vigilance come into play when choosing the right combination of food and supplements to obtain the right amount of omega-3 fatty acids for the brain’s proper functioning.

The good thing is you have plenty of options to experiment with and find what works best for you!

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