What shall I do if I'm not sure which product is best for me?

Your pharmacist or health food store will be able to recommend products that are suitable for you, and the product information on this website should help, but if you have any further questions you can call the Efamol customer service team on 0800 0291978 (local call rate) from within the UK or from elsewhere in the world +44 1904 202336 from 09:00 to 20:00 hrs GMT Monday to Friday and from 0900 to 17:00 hrs GMT during the weekend.

How long is it between the fish being caught and processing?

The fish is placed on ice as soon as it’s caught and is processed as soon as possible to maintain freshness. Note that some of the meat is used in sushi so the product must obviously be maintained in excellent condition.

What parts of the fish are used to make the oil?

For all Efamol fish oils, the raw material is high-quality food-grade fish body oil. The whole fish is used. Body oil is naturally lower in environmental toxins than liver oils.

Liver oils contain high levels of Vitamin A and Vitamin D. It is possible to exceed the recommended daily allowance for Vitamin A in particular when trying to achieve the required dosage of Omega-3 fatty acids from liver oils - particularly when taken in combination with other vitamin supplements.

Women who are pregnant must take care taking any supplements containing Vitamin A and not exceed the recommended daily intake, this would include from your diet and supplement programme. Cod liver oil is rich in this nutrient and extra care should be taken.

Is the fish oil included in Efamol products tested for mercury levels?

Yes, every batch must contain less than 0.01 parts per million (ppm) of mercury. The fish oil is also tested for approximately 50 other potential environmental contaminants (heavy metals, PCBs, pesticides, etc).

What makes the Efamol fish oil molecular distillation process unique, resulting in pure oil?

The oil refining technology used is carried out in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards. This particular process concentrates and purifies the oil over a minimum of three molecular distillation steps using ultra high vacuum and short residence times in order to maintain the integrity of the oil. Every batch is quality tested against defined specifications using pharmacopoeial standards and methods.

Why are thyme oil and vitamin E added to Efalex Capsules and Efalex Liquid?

Thyme oil and vitamin E are included due to their antioxidant properties: these ingredients help protect the fatty acids in Efalex from damaging oxidation.

Why you might supplement your diet with Omega-3 rich fish oil.

Some Omega 3-nutrients can be made in the body. In the case of the two Omega-3 nutrients in Efamol Fish Oil docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), these can be made from ALA, Alpha-lipoic acid. ALA is present in your food for example in seeds including flaxseeds, walnuts, tofu and spinach. However, factors such as age, poor dietary choices including an excess of saturated fats and more can reduce the body’s efficiency in this process. With today’s busy lifestyles we don’t always get enough of what is good for us. Following a varied and balanced diet including oily fish, seeds and dark green leafy vegetables can ensure that you can get an adequate dietary intake of these important nutrients.

How long will it take before I feel the benefit of using an Efamol fatty acid supplements?

It may take up to 12 weeks as fatty acid supplementation provides nutrients that have been depleted from the body and correcting this takes time to achieve maximum benefit. Therefore, allow at least three months before evaluating whether the treatment is effective.

Can I take any Efamol fatty acid supplements with other medications or supplements?

Anyone under medical supervision or taking medication should consult their health care provider seek medical advice before taking any supplement, including those in the Efamol range. There are no known contraindications with other supplements so there should not be a problem taking Efamol products at the same time as other vitamin and mineral supplements.

Care should be taken when combining a range of products into a supplement programme to unsure that the upper safety limits of nutrients are not exceeded.

Why does Efamol use DHA-rich oil rather than an EPA-rich fish oil for cognitive products? What’s the best balance of these Omega-3 fatty acids?

  • The most abundant Omega-3 fatty acid in the brain is DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
  • There is hardly any EPA in the brain and in nerve cells.
  • EPA is converted in the body to DHA.

Are the fatty acids in Efamol products 'standardised'? How does Efamol ensure a constant concentration of Omega-3s in their fish oils?

Every batch of raw material oil and finished product capsules is tested by gas chromatography to ensure that the relevant fatty acids are present within a certain range. That range is specified in the product specification. Only if the oil composition agrees with the specification is it released for sale by the Efamol Quality Assurance Manager.