Is there any good reason to buy odorless fish oil capsules or are “fishy burps” a sign of some other problem?

If you’ve spent some time researching the benefits of Omega 3 polyunsaturated essential fatty acids you will inevitably come across odorless fish oil capsules. Today we want to look at what odorless fish oil capsules contain and consider whether you need to buy them.

As you may be aware the health and heart benefits of omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish are well-established, and there are good reasons why all of us, with the exception perhaps of those amongst us who eat a lot of oily fish, should be taking Omega-3 essential fatty acid supplements to reduce the risk of various diseases, to improve our overall health and in particular to reduce our risk of coronary heart disease.

However reviews of various fishoil products by customers of these products have mentioned a particular problem with various brands of fish oil softgels. The problem is what is known as “fishy burps”, or in other words repeating of the fishy taste, or that the person who has taken the omega 3 supplement experiences a form of fishy aftertaste some time after taking the capsules.

For this reason it is now possible to buy “odourless omega 3 supplements”, or odourless omega 3 liquid softgels. However we question whether it is important to find fish oil supplements that are odorless or whether the truth about odorless omega 3 capsules is a little more fishy.

The question that needs to be asked is what is it that causes that fishy aftertaste. If the fishy aftertaste is merely an inevitable result of taking any form of omega-3 supplement and there may be nothing that can be done about it, but we do not believe that to be the case. There are excellent brands of omega 3 supplements that are not specifically marketed as “odorless” but which are not reported in user ratings as causing a fishy burps sensation.

So why is it that some brands of omega 3 capsules repeat and others do not? It all comes down to the quality of the oil used in the softgels. Fish oil can oxidize, or go rancid, just as seafood can go off after a period of time. The highest quality Omega3 supplements use oil which has come from fish which are extremely fresh. Fresh fish oil does not smell “fishy” but oil which has been allowed to go rancid with age will do. If old oil is used in omega 3 softgels then there is a good probability that it will smell fishy.

If you take an omega 3 capsule and break it open there should be no smell. If there is then the oil used is rancid. Some brands of Omega 3 capsules actually use masking agents to help mask the smell of rancid oil. You are most likely to get that fishy aftertaste from these capsules. There is no need to look for odorless fish oil supplements. What you do need to find is high quality supplements that use oil from fresh fish that has not had time to go rancid. This oil will, by definition, be odorless.

If you’re in doubt about any supplements that you may have just cut one open and put it to the smell test.

Or if you’re feeling particularly scientific you can visit the website of the manufacturer of those Omega-3 supplements and examine the Certificate of Analysis of the oil used. Any manufacturer of high quality Omega3 capsules should publish regular Certificates of Analysis on their websites so that customers and prospective customers can see for themselves exactly what they are getting. It is the oxidation level in the Certificate of Analysis that will tell you whether or not the oil is rancid. The lower the figure oxidation the fresher the oil.

And if the manufacturer doesn’t publish a Certificate of Analysis buy different capsules.

If you’d like to find out more details about Omega 3 capsule freshness then you can find a much more detailed explanation of oxidation values and more information about freshness of your capsules. Read this page from Xtend Life which we consider make the best (and freshest) fish oil capsules.

But the bottom  line is that there is no need to buy odorless fish oil capsules. High quality capsules should not repeat, if yours are then change your brand.

Hopefully now you know a little more about odorless fish oil, and why, if you’re searching for odourless fish oil supplements because of a fishy aftertaste you need to consider changing your brand of supplements. There is no doubt that omega-3 fatty acids are good for you, but you don’t need to be suffering from a fishy aftertaste when you take your capsules. Read the rest of this entry

Written by - Healthy Omega 3 Fish Oils

(And make sure you read our page explaining why you need Omega 3 Fish Oil supplements, and find out how to choose the Best Fish Oil Supplements).

There are clear health reasons why you should be taking fish oil. Cancer sufferers have even more reasons for Omega 3 supplementation.

The scientific evidence linking fish oil intake with improvements in various types of cancers is increasing. There is now good evidence that anyone suffering from cancer should be taking Omega 3 supplements containing fish oil. Cancer sufferers can benefit in a number of areas from omega 3 supplementation.

For instance research in Scotland has found a clear link between increasing your intake of fish oil and bowel cancer risk reduction. The Scottish study examined whether there was a relationship between increasing the intake of omega 3 essential fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and a reduced risk of colon cancer. The results were that increasing Omega 3 fish oil intake could result in a reduced risk of colon cancer by up to 37 percent.

There is also an emerging omega 3 breast cancer link. Researchers from Indiana University have found that it is possible to reduce the growth of breast cancer cells by a combination of Omega3 fatty acid intake together with a drug called Propofol. Research published in the Journal of Breast Cancer Research suggested that this combination actually triggered some of the cancer cells to die spontaneously.

Another study undertaken in the National Cancer Centre in South Korea found that increased intake of Omega 3 fats can decrease the risk of breast cancer.   The conclusion of this study was, and we quote,”These results suggest that high consumption of fatty fish is associated with a reduced risk for breast cancer, and that the intake of ω-3 fatty acids from fish is inversely associated with postmenopausal breast cancer risk.”

On top of this it would seem that there is also an omega 3 prostate cancer link. Studies are also showing a link between Omega 3 essential fatty acid intake and prostate cancer reduction.

In fact there is a range of studies showing a fish oil cancer reduction link for a range of different cancers. Whilst in most cases it is probably too early to say that it is clearly shown that increasing your intake of fish oil can prevent or reduce the risk of some cancers there is no doubt that there is growing evidence linking increased omega 3 intake with a reduction in the risk of cancer.

It has long been known that better nutrition lowers the risk of certain cancers and it is also known that omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish are extremely important for our good overall health. It would therefore make sense that by increasing our level of good nutrition by increasing our intake of Omega3 fats we may well be able to reduce our risk of a number of cancers. And it is known that the average American has a diet way too low in the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA.

Whilst it is probably too early to state specifically that increasing your intake of Omega3 fats will lower your risk of cancer there is now clear evidence that for a range of other health reasons we should all be eating more fish, which in itself brings risks to our health because of chemical contamination of fish, or supplementing our diet with high quality Omega3 supplements every day. Whether or not our risk of cancer is reduced our general health, including our heart health will certainly be improved.

But whilst researchers have been studying fish oil and cancer reduction, others have been studying reduction in the risk of cancer from other natural substances. There is now also growing evidence that natural substances such as lycopene which is an ingredient of tomatoes also has a role in helping us prevent certain cancers. We quote from one of these studies, which says : “Numerous studies have demonstrated the anticancer activity of the tomato carotenoid, lycopene”.

Specifically there is now evidence that increasing the intake of lycopene can have a role in helping reduce the risk of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.

Along with very good scientists who study these things there is also some excellent health companies that are able to take the results of this research to produce products that take advantage of the health benefits of ingredients such as lycopene. One of the best of these companies has now released a new range of premium omega 3 supplements containing lycopene to increase the cancer fighting possibilities by combining these 2 natural ingredients, both of which are proving to be very important in improving the health of our citizens.

Clearly there are good reasons for all of us, unless we eat lots of fish, to supplement our diets with fish oil. There’s a huge range of reasons why we should all seriously consider reversing our inadequate intake of fish oil. Cancer sufferers also have powerful reasons for omega 3 supplementation, and in particular now using high quality Omega3 supplements which include lycopene as an active ingredient. Read the rest of this entry

Written by - Healthy Omega 3 Fish Oils

(And make sure you read our page explaining why you need Omega 3 Fish Oil supplements, and find out how to choose the Best Fish Oil Supplements).

Up to 96000 of us die each year from Omega 3 deficiency. Are you taking your Omega 3 capsules?

That sounds a little melodramatic doesn’t it? That omega 3 deficiency could be killing you? Melodramatic or not the results of a recent study has concluded that omega 3 deficiency was responsible for between 72000 and 96000 preventable deaths in the US every year.

This study was not just intended to study the negative effects of Omega 3 deficiency but was in fact intended to study the general mortality effects of a range of identifiable dietary, lifestyle and metabolic risk factors in the US.

It was intended to study these factors so that the data could be used for health policy and priorities setting.

The 12 dietary, lifestyle and metabolic risk factors that were studied included high blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure, obesity, high dietary trans fatty acids and salt,  dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid levels, Omega 3 fatty acids, fruits and vegetable intake and  low physical activity, use of alcohol and smoking.

Not surprisingly the results concluded that the 2 biggest preventable lifestyle factors causing the highest number of preventable deaths in the US were smoking and high blood pressure. It was estimated that in 2005 smoking and high blood pressure were responsible for almost 800,000 preventable deaths in the US, accounting for around one in every 5 or 6 deaths of adults in America. Next came obesity and physical inactivity accounting for around one in 10 deaths.

The first thing that surprised us about this study is that omega 3 deficiency was studied at all. There is ample evidence that omega 3 deficiency can contribute to various poor health outcomes including heart attack and stroke, however we had still not considered the possibility that deficiency of omega 3 in the population of the US could possibly contribute to so many deaths.

Estimates are that over 90 percent of adults in the US have too little intake of Omega 3 essential fatty acids and their diet and are therefore omega 3 deficient. It seems clear from the study that this now contributes significantly to the risk of death from an omega 3 deficiency related condition such as heart attack or stroke.

And it’s not just an increase in the likelihood of health problems that are directly related to omega 3 deficiency. For example studies now show that low levels of Omega 3 essential fatty acids in the body can contribute to becoming overweight and that increasing your intake of both DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), the 2 most important Omega 3 essential fatty acids, can help you lose weight as part of an overall weight loss program.

And of course obesity itself contributes to a range of lifestyle diseases which themselves can result in disability or death. Therefore omega 3 deficiency also contributes to these diseases indirectly by contributing to the sufferer carrying excess weight.

If you browse our categories at the right you will see a wide range of health conditions which have all been found to benefit from higher levels of Omega 3 essential fatty acids in the diet. The evidence is now so overwhelming that omega 3 supplements are now the first nutritional supplements recommended by the American Heart Association.

With 90 percent or more of American adults being deficient in Omega 3 this has major implications for individuals and also for our health system.

There is an easy way to improve your levels of omega 3 essential fatty acids. One way is to eat more fish however fish is expensive and contaminated with toxins including mercury and for this reason the FDA recommend against eating too much fish. However the best omega 3 capsules are entirely clean and are a very cost effective and safe way to add omega 3 essential fatty acids to your daily diet.

Melodramatic or not the studies are now clearly showing the benefits of an increased intake of Omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish oil and it is now quite clear that virtually all of this should be supplementing our diet with daily Omega 3 capsules.

The best Omega 3 capsules are way better than the worst and we have written articles helping you compare Omega 3 supplements, both for value and for quality. We hope you enjoy those articles.

There’s so many reasons to add fish oil capsules to your daily diet. Read the rest of this entry

Written by - Healthy Omega 3 Fish Oils

(And make sure you read our page explaining why you need Omega 3 Fish Oil supplements, and find out how to choose the Best Fish Oil Supplements).