![]() Fish oil is regularly found to contain much lower toxin levels than edible fish (5). On top of this, manufacturers are bound to both an international code of practice and local regulations, which set and enforce very low limits for permissable toxin levels (4). It is the larger, predator fish that have the highest levels of toxin, because they feed on smaller prey fish over a longer time, accumulating their combined toxin load. ![]() Secondly, fish oil is often produced from small fish which feed on algae. Firstly, heavy metals like mercury tend to bind to protein, not fat, which means the majority of the contamination remains in the flesh of the fish, rather than the oil. The good news is that fish oil is a great substitute for dietary fish oil because it is much lower in toxic substances. Fish Oil Side Effects – Mercury and other Toxinsįor the past decade of so, we have been advised to restrict our oily fish intake to a few serves a week due to to possibility of high levels of mercury and other toxins like PCBs and dioxins. Other digestive disturbances reported include diarrhoea, particularly with larger doses, and nausea. Additionally, many manufacturers are now producing "odourless" fish oil capsules. This can be lessened by breaking doses of fish oil up into smaller portions and taking them with, or immediately before meals, or the use of enteric-coated fish oil capsules which are designed not to split open until they have passed into the duodenum. As the fish oil is floating near the stomach's entrance, the act of burping can have the unfortunate side effect of introducing fish oil back into the oespohagus, giving the unpleasant sensation that the fish oil is "repeating". Fish oil has a lower density than water, so it has the tendency to float on top of the other stomach contents. The stomach, particularly after eating, regularly expels gas into the oespohagus as a normal consequence of digestion. Reflux or "fish burps" is the most commonly cited problem. ![]() Fish Oil Side Effects – Reflux, Gas and Digestive Disturbancesĭigestive issues are by far the most frequent side effects related to fish oil consumption, responsible for about 80% of complaints (3). Let's have a look at what users of fish oil should know. According to the pooled data from a number of trials involving fish oil, side effects are are recorded about 10% of the time, and these are generally mild (3). This does not mean that fish oil is completely without side effects. For example, many physicians are now using fish oil as a first-line treatment for arthritis because it has significantly fewer adverse effects than the drugs that are usually used for treatment, including familiar, over the counter treatments like Ibuprofen (2). One of the reasons for the popularity of fish oil is its comparitive lack of side effects. Subsequently, fish oil has become one of the most popular nutritional supplements on the market (1). While the RDI for omega-3 fatty acids is quite low and easily obtainable through diet alone, many of the well researched beneficial effects of DHA and EPA have been seen at doses which would be very difficult to consume through food alone. It is endorsed by a number of health regulatory bodies, including the Australia Heart Foundation and the US National Institute of Health (NIH) for the treatment of conditions which include cardiovascular disease and arthritis. One of the richest sources of essential omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaneoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), it is used by a large number of people to attain or maintain good health, which it does in a variety of ways. ![]() Fish oil is extracted from oily fish like Salmon, Mackerel and Cod, and as is the case with many supplements which are derived directly from edible sources, it is widely known as a very safe and well received product.
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