Difference Between Fish Oil and Omega 3

The main difference between fish oil and omega 3 is that the fish oil is an oil produced from the fats or tissues of a fish whereas omega 3 is a fatty acid that is in polyunsaturated form. Furthermore, fish oil contains two forms of omega 3: EPA and DHA, while the three forms of omega 3 are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). 

Fish oil and omega 3 are two types of food components with a lot of benefits to the body, including the health of the heart. 

Key Areas Covered 

1. What is Fish Oil
     – Definition, Sources, Cod Liver Oil
2. What is Omega 3
     – Definition, Forms, Benefits
3. What are the Similarities Between Fish Oil and Omega 3
     – Outline of Common Features
4. What is the Difference Between Fish Oil and Omega 3
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms 

Alpha-linolenic Acid (ALA), Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), Fish Oil, Omega 3 

What is Fish Oil 

Fish oil is a health supplement that mainly contains omega 3 fatty acids. The two main types of fatty acids in fish oil are EPA and DHA. Fish oil is extracted from the flesh of fatty fish such as tuna, herring, anchovies, mackerel, and salmon. Actually, fish do not produce omega 3 inside their body. However, they get it by consuming phytoplankton that consumes microalgae. Thereby, the original source of omega 3 is microalgae.  

Figure 1: Fish Oil Capsules

An important subtype of fish oil is cod liver oil extracted from the liver of the codfishes such as Atlantic cod and Pacific cod. Cod liver oil is a good source of EPA, DHA, and vitamin A and D. The most important feature of cod liver oil is its anti-inflammatory effect. 

What is Omega 3 

Omega 3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that reduces the amounts of triglycerides in the body, lowering the risk of death, heart attack and stroke. It also helps in regulating the heart rhythms, lowering the risk of arrhythmia and atherosclerosis. It has an anti-inflammatory effect as well. However, omega 3 cannot be produced by the human body; hence, it has to be taken into the body through the diet or as supplements 

The three main forms of omega 3 are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA comes from plant sources such as vegetable oils (canola, soybean oil, etc) and walnuts. Both EPA and DHA mainly come from fish and they are more powerful than ALA. The current recommendation of omega 3 by WHO is 0.3-0.5 g of EPA and DHA and 0.8-1.1 g ALA per day. 

Figure 2: Omega 3 Fatty Acids

The other two types of omega fatty acids are omega 6, which is polyunsaturated, and omega 9, which is monosaturated. Omega 6 comes from vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds while omega 9 comes from olive oil, canola oil, safflower oil, avocado, and nuts such as peanuts and almonds.  

Similarities Between Fish Oil and Omega 3 

• Fish oil and omega 3 are important health supplements. 
• Both have benefits for heart health, mental health, inflammation, pregnancy as well as breastfeeding.  

Difference Between Fish Oil and Omega 3 

Definition 

Fish oil refers to a fatty oil obtained from oily fish, which contains a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids called omega 3 while omega 3 refers to a class of essential fatty acids, which lowers the levels of cholesterol and LDL. 

Source 

The source of Omega 3 in fish oil is the microalgae while omega 3 comes from either fish or plant sources such as vegetable oils and walnuts, flaxseed, and dark leafy greens.  

Forms 

Furthermore, the fish oil contains EPA and DHA while the three forms of omega 3 are APA, EPA, and DHA. 

Conclusion 

Fish oil is a source of omega 3. It is produced from the flesh of fatty fish. On the other hand, omega 3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid, which comes in three forms ALA, EPA, and DHA. ALA is based on plant sources while EPA and DHA are based on fish. The main difference between fish oil and omega 3 is their correspondance. 

Reference:

1. “Cod Liver Oil vs. Fish Oil: Differences, Benefits, Risks, and Dosage.” Healthline, Healthline Media, Available Here
2. “Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements for Heart Disease.” WebMD, WebMD, Available Here

Image Courtesy:

1. “fish-oil-capsule-yellow-oil-capsule-1915424” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “ALAnumbering” By en:User:Edgar181 – en:Image:ALAnumbering.png, re-drawn in BKchem+perl+inkscape+vim (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia 
3. “EPAnumbering” By Edgar181 – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia 
4. “DHAnumbering” By Edgar181 – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia