Nowadays, few people question the usefulness of fish oil supplements and their associated benefits for our health. Fish oil and its beneficial ingredients, DHA and EPA, are very sensitive to light and heat, and can easily become oxidized if not handled properly.

Make sure the supplement you buy is in capsule form, and that it is inside an opaque container. Here are three key distinctions you have to make before choosing a fish oil supplement. Personally, I would never give my family members a fish oil if I wasn't 100% convinced of its freshness. Proper packaging guarantees the freshness of the product. The problem is that there are so many supplements on the market today that it can become confusing when it comes to deciding what to buy. Good fish oils include one or more forms of natural vitamin E, otherwise known as tocopherols, to act as a preservative for the sensitive EPA and DHA in the capsules. Oxidized omega 3's can actually do more harm than good.

Make sure you look at the ingredients list.