Side Effects from Fish Oils

"Are you Using a Safe Fish Oil Product?"

Can you get side effects from fish oils?

Just like vitamin supplements, taking too much of anything can be dangerous to your health. While fish oils are generally regarded as safe, there are a few things to consider to ensure you get the most benefits from this healthy oil.

Fish oils are a natural source of omega 3 fatty acids. You can buy this supplement in bottled liquids or in the popular soft gel or capsule form.

Two of the most important factors that may determine the possibility of fish oil side effects is the quality of your fish oil and its omega 3 fatty acid content.

Other factors to consider are if you have allergies to fish oils and use of certain medications while taking these products.



Common Side Effects from Fish Oils

According to research, the most commonly reported fish oil side effects are:

  • fish burps

  • fishy breath

  • diarhhea

  • upset stomach

  • increased risk for bleeding and bruising

  • allergic reactions

It turns out that most of these side effects are caused by people eating rancid or poorly processed fish oils. However, there are ways to avoid consuming these type of products....



How Fresh is your Fish Oil?

nordic natural fish oil

Ingesting rancid fish oils will increase your risk for fish burps, gas and indigestion.

You can avoid these specific side effects if your fish oil is fresh. But how do you know how fresh your fish oil is?

Your fish oil should smell and taste fresh, just like freshly-caught fish from the sea. Rancid and oxidized fish oils will have a 'foul' or 'fishy' odor. Some of these odors can be masked when manufacturers add 'scents' in an attempt to mask these odors, so use caution if you're have these types of fish oils on hand.

Fatty acids are susceptible to heat damage, light exposure and oxidation. Now some fish oil manufacturers may add vitamin E to prevent oxidation of the fatty acids, but there are a few things you can do to avoid your exposure.

Two Steps to Protect your Fish Oil:

  1. To avoid damaging the fragile fattty acids in fish oil you should store your bottle in a dark cool place after opening; I like to keep my fish oils in the fridge after opening a new bottle to maintain its freshness.

  2. You should also never heat fish oils as this will destroy the fatty acid bonds in the omega 3's. Eating heat-damaged fish oils will definitely cause gastrointestinal side effects.

Dr. Sears Omega 3 Fish Oils

As you'll see below, there are two important factors to look for if you want a highly-purified fish oil supplement....



Is your Fish Oil 'Certified'?

A good quality fish oil should have a Certificate of Analysis (COA) and an expiry date.

The test results should provides you the measured values for omega 3 fatty acids, contaminants, manufacturing date, expiry date and other important information. This data will help ensure you're getting a product that's safe to ingest.

The fish oil industry isn't regulated and many uninformed consumers may purchase low-priced fish oils that don't have an expiry date or any method to check on the quality of the product.

Along with Certificates of Analysis and Expiry Dates, you can also use enteric-coated fish oils to reduce fish oil side effect.



Benefits of Enteric Coated Fish Oils

enteric coated fish oil gels

Enteric-coated fish oils
may reduce side effects

So just what are enteric-coated fish oils?

Enteric coated fish oils are packaged in a soft gel that has a special coating that helps reduce digestion in the stomach; the enteric coating allows the fish oil soft gel to be digested in the small intestine.

These enteric coatings are usually made from shellacs or waxes and they may help reduce the associated symptoms of gas, bloating and fish burps.

In most cases, these symptoms may be due to ingesting a rancid, poor quality fish oil. Not everyone will experience these side effects so you may or may not require the use of an enteric coated product.

Some people believe there's no benefit to using enteric coated fish oils. However, there's research showing there may be some advantages over regular fish oils....

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed an enteric coated fish oil was more effective at reducing relapses in Crohn's disease patients.

It should also be mentioned that many pharmaceutical companies use enteric coatings to enhance drug absorption. These specialized coatings are particularly helpful in individuals that need to take medications but have impaired digestive systems.

Based on this information, it seems there is some advantages to using these specialized fish oil supplements to reduce the risk for side effects.



Drug Interactions with Fish Oils

The next most commonly reported fish oil side effects are an increased risk for blood thinning and bruising.

prescription pills

Some drugs may cause side
effects from fish oils

If you're taking any type of blood-thinning medication, such as coumadin, heparin or aspirin, you should be careful if you're taking a fish oil supplement.

Researchers have found an increased risk for bleeding disorders if you combine blood-thinning drugs with fish oils. Just to be on the safe side, you should consult with your physician before using fish oil supplements.

It should be noted that the above symptoms were usually only seen if someone takes in a higher than average amount of fish oils and omega 3 fatty acids.



What about Allergies to Fish Oils?

If you're allergic to fish, you might have an allergy to fish oil. Possible side effects from fish oils due to allergies may include:

  • hives

  • itching

  • swelling

  • anaphylactic shock

Depending on the type of allergy you have, you should be careful about exposure to potential allergens; with fish oil allergies, the cause is usually fish proteins.

Can you use a safe fish oil supplement even if you have an allergy to fish? This will depend on how your fish oil was processed; pharmaceutical-grade fish oils are generally free of allergy-causing proteins due to their highly specialized processing.

However, if you are concerned about potential allergic reactions, you should still research the manufacturing methods used to make your fish oils.

An alternate source for omega 3 fatty acids can be found in foods such as flaxseed oil or specialized algae-based omega 3 supplements.



Latest Research on Side Effects from Fish Oils

If you want to determine the overall risk for experiencing side effects from fish oils, one of your best sources is published medical studies.

Boston, MA - The Tufts-New England Medical Center Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) looked at 148 studies where fish oils were used to see if anyone experienced side effects from fish oils.

These studies included the following factors:

  • About 100,000 subjects had taken fish oils in different forms and dosages (from 300 milligrams to 8 grams/day), for at least 1 week to more than 7 years.

  • Most of the studies were small, with only a few dozen participants using the supplements for less than 6 months.

And the results are:

  • More than half of the studies (77) showed no side effects from fish oils.

  • Any reported fish oil side effects were mild. The most common side effect was gastrointestinal, such as diarrhea. This was reported in fewer than 7% of the participants in all studies and may be contributed to taking too much fish oil

  • No reports of serious events, such as death, life-threatening sickness, disabilities or handicaps from taking too much fish oil.

  • Although fish oils reduce your risk of blood clots, they don't increase your risk for bleeding. There were a few reported cases of clinical bleeding, but these patients were also taking blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin and warfarin.

The New England Medical Center EPC concluded any side effects from fish oils would be minor and it appears you can reduce your risk for fish oil side effects by lowering the dosage or to stop taking them.



Editorial Comments on Fish Oil Side Effects:

fish oil soft gels

Fish oils are generally safe

Based on the above information, the risk for experiencing side effects from fish oils appears to be rare. The only possible side effect may be mild diarrhea; and this will discontinue if you stop taking fish oil supplements.

Researchers advise caution if you're taking any type of blood-thinning medication, like warfarin or aspirin. There may be a slight increased risk for bleeding if you combine fish oils and blood-thinning drugs.

If you fall in this category, it's probably best to talk to your doctor before using fish oil supplements.

Most health conscious consumers can avoid side effects from fish oils by not buying poor quality, rancid fish oils. Using IFOS-rated fish oils or other fish oils that have been certified and lab-tested may help prevent any fish oil side effects.

Fish oils that come with a Certificate of Analysis and an Expiry Date are generally higher quality products. It's these types of products you may want to look for to avoid getting side effects from fish oils.

Taking fish oils is an excellent way to get omega 3 fatty acids. These healthy fats are considered safe and there should be minimal concern for fish oil side effects.

Want to know how to buy a good quality, pure fish oil? Read my Guide to Buying Fish Oils. You'll learn how to get the highest quality fish oils for the best health benefits.

Using a highly-purified product, such as Dr. Sears Zone Lab Omega 3 Concentrates will reduce your exposure to rancid omega 3 fatty acids.

These fish oils are specifically analyzed for their PCB and Dioxin values; two important components needed to determine the oxidation and freshness of a fish oil.


Research References:

Evidence Report/Technology Assessment(Summary). 2004 Mar;(93):1-6. Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiovascular risk factors and intermediate markers of cardiovascular disease. Balk E, Chung M, Lichtenstein A, Chew P, Kupelnick B, Lawrence A, DeVine D, Lau J. PMID: 15133887 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]





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