Adding vitamin E to liquid fish oil

by Sal

Is it safe (or beneficial) to add liquid vitamin E to a bottle of fish oil to further prevent it from getting rancid?

I bought a couple of 500 ml bottle of Carlson's Very Finest Fish Oil (one of each flavor). I started with orange and used it daily for 3 months.

Today I opened the Lemon flavored one and noticed a big difference in oil color; the first one was yellowish by the time i finished it, and the recently opened second bottle was almost clear.

Fearing rancidity, I thought about adding a capsule's content of vitamin E (500 IU)to the bottle. Which effectively adds 50% more vitamin E per serving.

Reply: It's probably pretty safe to add extra vitamin E to your fish oil. How much longer it will preserve your fish oil is up for debate. I'm sure there are specific ratios of vitamin E that can be added to oils that will boost the antioxidant properties and preserve the fatty acids; just how much I can't tell you. Another factor to consider is to make sure you're not exceeding the daily recommended allowance for vitamin E when you add it to your fish oils.

I found my Carlson fish oils can settle over time. When I open a fresh bottle of lemon-flavored fish oil, the oil is a bright yellow. By the time I nearly finish off the bottle I find the oil is thicker and a bit more cloudier. I believe this is the fatty acids and the lemon extract that's settled at the bottom of the bottle. This could probably be avoided if I frequently shake the bottle before each serving I take.