Reddit mentions of Pure Alaska Omega-3 Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil 1000mg Softgels 180-Count

My [old] assumption was that fish oil was more or less a commodity and therefore I did not care about brand much as long as it was cheap. I kinda changed my mind a few years ago after I met a tri-athlete friend who works for an OTC manufacturer.

Aside from being a super-finicky eater, he also got to pick virtually anything he likes from the world of supplements - no matter how exotic or expensive. That's why I asked him the question of which one he'd pick if he could have ONLY one. He answered "fish oil". Then after I told him that as far as I was concerned, when it came to supplements, I more or less bought the cheapest type, I challenged him to convince me why a skeptic like me would pay the extra premium for the brand he recommended which is available at... Costco ... "Pure Alaska Omega" made from "wild Alaskan salmon". [ You can also order it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Alaska-Omega-Natural-Omega-3/dp/B0024LWRIQ ]

He explained that the source being wild salmon caught up in Alaska means that they don't have the existing amounts of mercury or PCBs ... unlike other sources that do (and need to be heat distilled etc). I was wondering how they could extract oil from what is a pretty damned expensive gourmet product so he explained the producers have a relationship and joint venture with one of the largest fish processors up in Alaska called TRIDENT http://www.tridentseafoods.com/ . The JV is called Alaska Protein Recovery: http://alaskaproteinrecovery.com/index.html

Apparently, the highest concentrations of DHA and EPA oils are in the heads which were normally trashed or converted into fish meal products like pet food and fertilizer. The JV company has a special barge with a fish oil processor onboard that intercepts the freshly-caught salmon before they are unloaded at the Alaskan fishery, lops off the heads, converts it into oil (similar to cold-pressing olive oil) and the rest of the salmon is sent to the fishery for processing.

Because there aren't existing PCB or mercury contamination issues, they don't need to heat-distill the fish oil. Combined with the fact that the fish weren't semi-rotting in the boat on the way to the fishery as it is supposed to be the case with sardine, anchovy, and menhaden (the source of most other fish oils on the market) which are generally caught in more temperate climes ... it means you don't get the stale fishy taste or after-taste issues... and that was probably my main complaint about fish oil supplements. You still definitely need to take them with meals - preferably during ... not just immediately afterwards.

I don't know an optimal dosage/ratio. This page is another good resource. Personally I take 250-500mg of Jarrow Formulas Citicoline, CDP Choline, 250mg, 120 Count. CDP-Choline is 18.5% choline by weight (vs Alpha-GPC at 40%), so that's about 46-92mg of choline, but it also contains the cytidine, which converts into uridine. It's definitely more expensive, but I think the benefits are worth it. I don't take racetams, but I know some people increase their choline intake when doing so due to possible depletion causing headaches, etc.

Regarding fish oil, I take 2000mg of Pure Alaska Omega-3 Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil 1000mg Softgels 180-Count, which contains 220mg DHA and 180mg EPA per serving (400mg Omega-3). Some people take more concentrated forms to get more Omega-3, but I prefer the sort of whole food approach. It's important to note the distinction between 1g fish oil vs 1g of Omega-3. Keep that in mind when making comparisons and doing research to determine your goals.