Fish Oil supplement

bpayne78
bpayne78 Posts: 249 Member
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
My husband has a health fair that his company does to help its employees keep track of their health. They are self insured so they are big on health preventative measures. Anyway, ALL my numbers from my initial tests (blood glucose, total cholesterol, "bad" cholesterol, triglycerides) were just perfect which is awesome considering I thought they were going to be horrible. I have an auto-immune disorder and it prevents me from doing much exercise and my diet hasn't been perfect in the last few years. My total cholesterol was 160 something which I'm thrilled about since the last time I had it checked was about 7-8 years ago and it was 205!!!! The only thing that wasn't so good was my good cholesterol. I need to bring it up. One way they told me was through exercise, but I can't really do much in that respect due to my disorder. Another thing is to add things to my diet, like almonds (which I do like). They also mentioned fish (which I HATE). I was thinking about adding a fish oil supplement but I don't want one that will give me the fishy aftertaste. So after that long-winded back story my question is to those who take fish oil.....what brand would you recommend? Like I said I don't want one that gives me the taste of fish in any way shape or form.

Suggestions please.....and thanks bunches!!!!!

Replies

  • Kristie18
    Kristie18 Posts: 332 Member
    My husband takes the Mega Red. NO aftertaste at all. I guess it really isn't fish oil, but Krill.
  • 4alison4
    4alison4 Posts: 54
    I just get whatever brand is cheapest at Target at the time. I've tried several and never had any "fishy burps" that I've heard of. Ew.
  • purplespeckle
    purplespeckle Posts: 652
    What are the benefits of this supplement?
  • loveandprideforever
    loveandprideforever Posts: 29 Member
    As tricky as it is because most Fish Oil Supplements at least have a teeny-tiny midst of fishy taste, I take Nature's Bounty Fish Oil (Omega 3 & 6) every single morning. I usually just down it with a swig of water and don't notice much if any at all fish taste. This would be my recommendation, as I have also noticed great results with my heart information regarding health (HR, BP, Cholesterol, etc.). To make sure you have to fishy aftertaste, I would just say to take it with a LARGE swig of water (besides, they are pretty hefty pills too) or to take it with a drink of milk or another flavored beverage. :)
    These are great and great for you with little to no fish taste. I hope this helps!
  • scoops13
    scoops13 Posts: 31
    I hate fish. I take the Members Mark brand from Sam's Club. I don't taste any fish at all.
  • Lizzy_Sunflower
    Lizzy_Sunflower Posts: 1,510 Member
    Nordic Naturals! They are THE BEST. Make sure anything you choose is distilled and tested for rancidity. When you have fish burps, or after taste it is a sign of rancid fish oil, which is BAD for your health. Good Luck
  • mountainwoman98
    mountainwoman98 Posts: 182 Member
    I take the Mega Red which is krill and I never have any *fishy* burps.
  • bpayne78
    bpayne78 Posts: 249 Member
    Wow....so many replies already.....thanks everyone! I have a lot to look into.....
  • kym2396
    kym2396 Posts: 1
    I keep the fish oil pills in the freezer and it has dramatically cut back on the after taste
  • alienblonde1
    alienblonde1 Posts: 749 Member
    Look for ones that say on label Odorless.. The one I have is Nature Made.
  • Becky1971
    Becky1971 Posts: 979 Member
    My brother told me he puts his in the freezer so he doesn't get the taste... I don't know about that.

    My doctor suggested them to me and I told her I'm in fear of the fish taste, I can not stand fish or seafood. She then told me to do flaxseed oil then. I have yet to take either. I just want to take what I can in the morning and leave it at that, many I have read, say 3 times aday.
  • fayelein
    fayelein Posts: 51 Member
    I always take cod liver oil capsules instead of a liquid. It's basically the liquid concentrated and encased to dissolve when digesting and you take it like any other tablet. You could have it in your mouth for five minutes and not even taste a thing.
    You can get them in all supermarkets, chemists and even the larger corner shops in England so i'm pretty sure you can get your hands on them somewhere in the US! Liquid form = yuk!

    Oh i'd like to add that the ones I'm taking at the moment are Asda supermarket own brand. Asda is now owned by Wallmart so I don't know if that helps in anyway finding them.

    The only real big brand of them here is called Sevenseas. Don't know if it's an international brand but try those if you can!
  • bpayne78
    bpayne78 Posts: 249 Member
    My brother told me he puts his in the freezer so he doesn't get the taste... I don't know about that.

    My doctor suggested them to me and I told her I'm in fear of the fish taste, I can not stand fish or seafood. She then told me to do flaxseed oil then. I have yet to take either. I just want to take what I can in the morning and leave it at that, many I have read, say 3 times aday.

    I didn't realize that flaxseed would do the same thing....hmmm....I may have to do some research.....
  • sugarbeans
    sugarbeans Posts: 676 Member
    I have fish oil in capsule form and from a brand that my Naturopath provides.. the potency is higher than any store brand. She says fish oil should be kept in the fridge. My capsules are also lemon flavored =)
  • MakingAChoice
    MakingAChoice Posts: 481 Member
    I take the Triple Strength Fish Oil from GNC and it has no taste to it at all. I tried the ones from Costco before and found they had a slight taste to them. I like the GNC ones much better, no burps or taste.
  • kacarter1017
    kacarter1017 Posts: 651 Member
    Sorry to tell you, fish oil won't increase your HDL (good cholesterol). Fish oil decreases your trigycerides, which is also important. But if your triglycerides are ok, you don't need to take any. Exercise is really the only thing that does. With your limitations as far as exercise, optimizing the rest of your "numbers" is really important. If you decide to take fish oil anyway, keep it in the freezer and take it frozen, there won't be any fishy aftertaste.
  • mowrynation
    mowrynation Posts: 91
    I am assuming that you are taking fish oil for the Omega-3 benefits. If so Arbonne has a terrific alternative. Their Omega -3 supplement is botanical.. made from plants, specifically flaxseed oil, chia seed oil, perilla seed oil, kiwi seed oil and black rasberry oil.I have been using it for about a year now! I am a consultant and lolve all the products.

    Also with your auto immune problem, I want to let you know that Arbonne also has an Antioxidant & Immunity Booster. This promotes a strong, active and healthy immune system along with antioxidants to protect against damage from free radicals. It has milk thistle, elderberry, green tea and sacchromyces cerevisiae (a good yeast) which is clinically proven to support immune health.

    Let me know if you are interested in more information. No pressure, just want to help
    All the Best
    Gail
  • audjrey
    audjrey Posts: 360 Member
    Are you taking the fish oil for essential fatty acids (EFA's)? If so, and you don't like fish oil, why not try hemp? Hemp comes in edible seeds (hemp hearts), flour and protein powder.

    Hemp contains "approximately 44% of the weight of hempseed is healthy edible oils, containing about 80% essential fatty acids (EFAs); i.e., linoleic acid, omega-6 (LA, 55%), alpha-linolenic acid, omega-3 (ALA, 22%), in addition to gamma-linolenic acid, omega-6 (GLA, 1–4%) and stearidonic acid, omega-3 (SDA, 0–2%)." (1).

    You might also consider Lemmon's Oil EFA oil found in most health food stores in the refrigerator section. I've listed two sites you might consider reading before making any decision.

    Flax is also very high in omega 3's as are soya oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, and walnuts.

    There are different types of EFA's. The following excerpts are taken from Advanced Health & Life Extension.

    "Although the body needs both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to thrive, most people consume far more omega-6 fatty acids than omega 3 fatty acids ... There are several omega-3 fatty acids including alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and others. The human body cannot synthesize omega-3 fatty acids but can convert alpha linolenic acid into the other omega-3 oils. Alpha linolenic acid is therefore a nutrient essential for life and is sometimes called vitamin F. Alpha linolenic acid is found in dark green leafy vegetables, flax seed oil and certain vegetable oils. ALA from flaxseed oil is converted in the body to EPA and then DHA at an efficiency of (5%-10%), and (2%-5%) respectively. Additional sources of ALA with a high omega-3 to omega-6 ratio include chia seed oil, perilla oil, sachia inchi, purslane, lingon berry, sea buckthorn and hemp seed oil. The human body may be able to convert more ALA to EPA and DHA if the ratio of omega-6 oils to omega-3 oils in the diet is near (1:1)."

    If I were in your shoes I'd do more research instead of simply running out and act upon my doctor's direct commands. Not all doctors are savvy on alternative food choices so while it's good to heed their medical advice sometimes it's essential to find more suitable alternatives.

    Hemp Source Sites
    (1) Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp

    EFA Oil Source Sites
    http://www.bestshapeofyourlife.com/KHN-EFA-Oil-Perfect-Blend.html
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/efa.html
    http://www.advance-health.com/efa.html


    p.s. with all the great advice you've been given so far from everyone, aren't you glad you asked?!
  • bpayne78
    bpayne78 Posts: 249 Member
    I'm def going to do some more research....it was the nurse at the health fair that told me about eating/taking the "heart healthy" supplements and food so as to bring up the good cholesterol numbers. I'm going to talk with my specialist when I see him on 3/22 and see what he says.

    As far as my immune system goes.....I can't really take any immune system boosters because we're (my specialist and I) suppressing my immune system right now. In my disorder, my immune system is attacking my muscles so boosting it would just cause me to lose more muscle strength. I've already lost some in my upper body and it is frustrating as heck.
  • runnergirl2027
    runnergirl2027 Posts: 15
    I used to take fish oil supplements, but then started noticing big bruises under my arms, on my legs and abdomen after a few weeks on them. After MANY doctor's appointments later (I freaked and immediately thought leukemia, etc.), turns out that fish oil can also be a blood-thinning agent - hence the easy bruising. Once I stopped taking the supplements, the bruises went away!

    From the Mayo Clinic: Certain dietary supplements such as fish oil and ginkgo also may increase your bruising risk, since these supplements have a blood-thinning effect. Make sure your doctor is aware of any supplements you're taking — especially if you're taking them while on a blood-thinning drug. (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/easy-bruising/HQ00355)
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