Not everyone considers the side effects of fish oil before choosing these health supplements. That’s because fish oil supplements are generally safe and harmless. Indeed it may well be more dangerous to eat fresh fish, considering the level of water pollution and what happens in fish farms on which they are grown!
Investigators of a study linking fish consumption to breast cancer warned “Fish is not merely a source of omega 3 fatty acids, but also of methyl mercury.”
Sadly, many of today’s fish are contaminated with methyl mercury, a relic of industrial waste disposal practices in the past.
Mercury is harmful to many organ systems and tissues, as well as being likely to harm developing fetuses when ingested by pregnant women. Humans are exposed to methyl mercury primarily by eating fish.
How about fish oil supplements, are they safe?
Yes, they are. You can enjoy the benefits of fish oil, without the risks, by taking fish oil capsules. 3 grams a day of fish oil provides 1 gram of DHA and EPA, which is all you need.
Several brands use oil from fish caught in the cleanest and coldest waters, preferably those far from commercial shipping lines and industrialized countries where the highest risk of water contamination by wastes exists.
Making fish oil capsules even safer is the practice of molecular distillation, a process that removes any mercury or other heavy metals, dioxins, PCBs and other contaminants.
Are there any serious side effects of fish oil supplements?
Only a few, and even those matter only if you are currently on medication for other health conditions. For instance, if you are taking blood thinners for any other disease, the supplements might interfere and cause excessive bleeding.
The solution to this is simple. Make sure you discuss the supplements you are taking with your doctor and clarify if there are any concerns about interactions between them that could cause side effects.
There have been no reports of sudden death, life-threatening illness, handicaps or disabilities from taking fish oil supplements.
What side effects of fish oil will you have to deal with?
Minor problems have been reported in fewer than 7% of users, and side effects include diarrhea and a fishy after-taste. The latter may be avoided by washing down the capsules with a glass of fruit juice or eating a cracker with it. If that doesn’t work, you might try lowering the dose a bit, or even discontinuing the capsules for a while.
Another side effect of fish oil supplements is the troublesome effect of having it repeat on you, with fishy burps and bad breath. This is highly individual, and you may suffer a lot from it, or barely notice it happening ever.
One solution to this problem is to experiment with different brands. The best brands, made with pure oil, do not cause this because the fish are caught in clean waters, and the processing prevents it becoming rancid.
To see if your current brand passes this test, cut open one of the soft gelatin capsules and smell it. All you should have is a faint, pleasant oceany smell – not a foul fishy odor.
If you’re keen to learn more about the Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil supplements many others like you take daily, please drop by this website today.
How To Avoid Side Effects of Fish Oil
The side effects of fish oil remain the biggest reason for its limited acceptance by most of the general population.
Fish oil has been demonstrated to boost immunity, delay or prevent degenerative conditions, even reverse heart disease, and improve mental health. That discovery has led to a lot of publicity for the benefits of dietary supplementation of Omega 3 fatty acids.
Yet many people shy away from taking a daily dose because of the side effects of fish oil. The supplement can be consumed as liquid (1 to 2 tablespoons daily) but it is widely preferred in the form of capsules. Taken in this form, there are very few side effects and even those can be avoided or minimized with some simple precautions.
Fishy burps:
One of the side effects of fish oil is ‘return’ or regurgitation of the oil for some time after ingestion, causing an unpleasant fishy taste in one’s mouth and bad breath.
You can prevent this happening by eating a cracker along with the fish oil capsule, or washing it down with a small glass of fruit juice. Also, some forms of pharmaceutical grade fish oil come with lemon or orange flavor which helps reduce this side effect.
Diarrhea and post-prandial discomfort:
Rare, but annoying, this can be one reason that forces discontinuing fish oil. By taking your capsules along with meals, and reducing the dose or skipping it for a few days, you can bring this troublesome side effect of fish oil under control while still enjoying the health benefits it confers.
Excessive bleeding:
Fish oil has a mild blood thinning effect, which usually does not affect normal people. However, if you are taking any blood thinning medication for related medical conditions, this effect can be aggravated leading to potential problems. Always consult your doctor before adding fish oil capsules to existing medication.
By and large, fish oil is a very safe dietary supplement. There have been no reports of sudden death, life-threatening illness, handicaps or disabilities from taking fish oil supplements.
And through following these simple techniques, you can keep these niggling side effects well under control and continue benefiting from the various health advantages that come from taking your fish oil supplements.
Finally, if you continue having fish oil side effects, try other brands which may completely eliminate these unpleasant events. If you’d like to learn more about the almost side effect free fish oil supplements I personally take daily, please read this short free report – click here.
Your Handy Guide To Effects of Fish Oil
Omega 3 fats, the kind you see in good fish oil, has been shown to reverse heart disease, boost immune function, fight degenerative disease, help increase fertility, improve mental health and promote healthy skin.
A list of benefits from fish oil use, mostly related to their anti-inflammatory activity, includes protection from colon cancer, depression, asthma, menstrual cramps, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Fish oil lowers triglyceride levels and reduces heart disease risk.
But the body does not manufacture omega 3 fatty acids, and has to rely on dietary sources of this critical ingredient. And with dietary sources rarely being adequate to meet the need, often we have to use fish oil supplements.
One way that you can enjoy all the rich benefits of fish oil, without any risks or side effects, is to take fish oil capsules. As more people become aware of the many incredible benefits, fish oil use and sales of supplement capsules has soared.
3 grams a day of fish oil provides 1 gram of DHA and EPA, both of which are essential long-chain omega 3 fatty acids with numerous benefits to your body.
One study published in August 2000 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on post-menopausal women monitored their fish oil use and found that those who ate more of the omega 3 rich oil had 25% less risk of developing heart disease than those taking a placebo.
Omega 3’s role could be absolutely life-saving! In a report in the medical journal, JAMA, 20,000 men were followed for 11 years and found that those who use fish oil one or more times a week had a 50% reduced risk of sudden death from a heart attack – over the following 10 year period!
Here are some tips for safe and effective fish oil use:
- take your capsules with some fruit juice or a cracker to avoid fishy burps
- if you have any medical conditions, check with your doctor before you start
- in case you have side effects, lower the dosage or discontinue it for a while
- be consistent and regular in your fish oil use – daily is good
- choose the best brands with pure fish oil, not the cheapest or most hyped
Several brands use oil from fish caught in the cleanest and coldest waters, preferably those far from commercial shipping lines and industrialized countries where the highest risk of water contamination by wastes exists.
Making the capsules even safer is the practice of molecular distillation, a process that removes any mercury or other heavy metals, dioxins, PCBs and other contaminants.
If you’d like to learn more about the Omega 3 Fish Oil supplements I personally take daily, please check it out here today.
