I was initially impressed with the high levels of omega 3 and especially the DHA in particular, which can be difficult to find in a supplement. That said, you need to take 4 big pills per day, so I’m sure you could just take extra of a different brand omega 3/DHA to achieve these levels if you wanted to.
Unfortunately, Needed says they can only provide a certificate of compliance (COC) and will not give me the actual COA showing the levels. The COC shows that all of the levels fall within limits determined by the FDA, however I would still like to see what the actual levels are and how close they are to the limits (as we are getting things like lead, arsenic, and mercury from other sources throughout the day which may put us over the limit). They are a very flashy brand with lots of great marketing which increases my skepticism. Being that they are catering to pregnant women, one of our most vulnerable populations, I would love to see more transparency! Other brands I’ve spoken with have readily shared their COA’s with me (I’m not sure if amazon will allow me to mention specific brands in this review).
The bottle was sealed, but there was no desiccant packet or cotton and the pills were all clumped together. This makes me wonder if they’ve been exposed to the elements. Fish oil goes rancid very easily, so I’m surprised not to see more care here.
As others have said – yes, they smell fishy, but I have not experienced any of the dreaded fish burps from them. I’m not pregnant yet, so I will continue taking these. But I will likely switch to a brand that I can confirm is clean for actual pregnancy.