What Is Fish Oil?

Fish oil is the fat or oil that’s extracted from fish tissue.

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It usually comes from oily fish, such as herring, tuna, anchovies, and mackerel. Yet it’s sometimes produced from the livers of other fish, as is the case with cod liver oil.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating 1–2 portions of fish per week. This is because the omega-3 fatty acids in fish provide many health benefits, including protection against a number of diseases.

However, if you don’t eat 1–2 servings of fish per week, fish oil supplements can help you get enough omega-3s.

Around 30% of fish oil is made up of omega-3s, while the remaining 70% is made up of other fats. What’s more, fish oil usually contains some vitamin A and D.

It’s important to note that the types of omega-3s found in fish oil have greater health benefits than the omega-3s found in some plant sources.

The main omega-3s in fish oil are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while the omega-3 in plant sources is mainly alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

Although ALA is an essential fatty acid, EPA and DHA have many more health benefits (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).