21 replies to this topic

[jdog]

I've read somewhere in the past that the liquid form of fish oil is superior to capsule. I can't quite remember, but the reason I believe it gave was something about how the encapsulation process causes the oil to break down in quality. Is there any truth in this, or is capsule supplementation just as good?

[tintinet]

I've not seen that claim, but I have seen a a few claims regarding specific fish oil products made by the producer or vendor touting the superiority of their particular product. Many fish oils supplements are available in both liquid and capsule forms, and I've not seen the producers of any of those vendors claim superiority of either, except convenience for capsules, and, perhaps, quicker absorption of the liquid.

[tintinet]

Never had that experience, and, IIRC, Consumer Reports and ConsumerLabs.com reviewed fish oil supplements and didn't encounter that problem.

Have you tasted "corruption and filth" like fish oil, Addison? Any particular brand to be wary of?

BTW, one of my kids will take Omegabrite capsules only because they have no detectable "fish" odor at all.

[mitkat]

I like liquid just for the ease of dosing . I can get exactly what I want without taking extra pills. There's no real reason to have fish oil pills unless you really can't handle the taste (and the flavour formulations they've come out with have come far) or you're always on the go and can't get to a fridge in the morning.

[mitkat]

Or you don't like cleaning spilled fish oil off of your counter.

Concentrate, shakey hands!

[mitkat]

If it's indeed a problem, pills may be best. Just be sure to drink more of Beru's weird blue milk before fixing the harvesters and you'll be fine.

[stephen_b]

By mistake I bought the unflavored version of carlson's fish oil. Yum, just like french kissing a fish.

I did manage, with heroic effort, to finish the bottle. It's amazing how much a little bit of fruit oil flavoring can mask the taste.

Stephen

[tintinet]

Some flavored fish oils (e.g. PureOmega, TwinLab, Carlson ) even, IMO, begin to taste good after a while. But others (e.g. Omegabrite liquid "Tutti Frutti" and "Orange Cream") are so revolting and carry such lingering aftertaste (all day!!!!), that no one in my family could tolerate them, and we ended up tossing the stuff, despite its relatively premium pricing and quality WRT purity and assumed health benefits.

[mitkat]

I'm always pimping the Nutrasea - pharmaceutical quality, good taste.

My GF bought this absolutely revolting caramel flavoured flax oil once...wow. Disgusting. That's what you get for not being a vegan who cops out on fish oil.

[olderbutwiser]

I've read somewhere in the past that the liquid form of fish oil is superior to capsule. I can't quite remember, but the reason I believe it gave was something about how the encapsulation process causes the oil to break down in quality. Is there any truth in this, or is capsule supplementation just as good?

The potential downsides to capped fish oil are:
Much greater surface exposed to oxygen - gelcaps offer little or no protection from oxygen in the air
Taste is muted/prevented. Taste is a reliable indicator of rancidity, especially with a little experience. There is a reason for the retching response to the taste of rancid oils.
Few brands of capped oil are packed in light proof bottles with nitrogen flush - most liquids are.

Personal judgement call, but I never use capped fish oils. If I did, I would be sure to bite and taste each dose which negates most of the convenience.

OBW

[jdog]

I've been using twinlab's non-flavored fish oil for awhile now (it's cheap) and DAMN, that stuff just tastes horrible. I'll take a couple spoonfuls then chase it with some NOW berry flavored collodial minerals to help mask the taste. Definitely grows hair on your chest. [sick]

Now, how do you know if the fish oil is rancid? Is it supposed to taste even WORSE then it does when it normally does (non-flavored that is)? Also, when I near the bottom of the bottle, the liquid looks a little cloudy. Could that be an indicator of rancidity?

[tintinet]

AFAIK, cloudy is OK:

"The development of cloudy sediment near the bottom of the bottle after refrigeration is completely normal and does not affect quality. All oils have what is called a “melting point”. The melting point simply indicates the temperature at which the oil goes from a liquid to solid state or vice versa. If you’ve ever put olive oil in the fridge you would have noticed how quickly it turned into a cloudy thick liquid. If you return it to room temperature it turns back to a completely clear liquid. This process also occurs with fish oil except that fish oil starts to turn solid at a lower temperature than olive oil. Therefore, depending on the temperature of your fridge you may or may not see a slight cloudiness near the bottom of the bottle."


Try lemon or cherry flavored oils. The taste of 'em grew on me after a bit (although I admit I generally like fish), and after a while I came to like and look forward to 'em! [huh]

If it's rancid, you will know it! Gakkkkkkk!

[niner]

Try lemon or cherry flavored oils. The taste of 'em grew on me after a bit (although I admit I generally like fish), and after a while I came to like and look forward to 'em! 

My kids (boys, 5 and 7) take Carlson for Kids Chewable DHA orange flavored fish oil gelcaps. They actively seek them out after dinner, as though they were desert. They like the popping sound they make when you bite them, and they like the flavor. I like it too, but I don't like the gelatin capsule. It's tough to chew and doesn't taste that great. The oil's fine though.

[tintinet]

I've no doubt DHA is a plus for anyone, but is it not recommended to emphasize EPA after very early childhood? A bit of controversy in this area, no doubt.

[shifter]

Why chew the gelatin capsule? Just swallow it whole. Thats how its supposed to be taken.

[sentinel]

Mitkat
I'm always pimping the Nutrasea - pharmaceutical quality, good taste.

I second that, even my 9 year old daughter takes this as it has a subtle lemon flavour (not like some artificial lemon curd taste with fish background, Gzus!) and 800mg of EPA per 5 ml.

As previously mentioned, the only irritating thing is the accidental dribbling of oil on the work surface, down the side of the bottle/daughter etc.although you could use one of those syringe style measurers you get with child medications to eliminate this.

I have progressed her onto caps as, with 3 kids, it's a lot quicker in the morning than lining everyone up with 5 separate spoons (unless you want to exacerbate everyone catching the same colds and bugs in the family).
We use MorEPA Minis for them (c500mg per 2 caps) and Lamberts (c1000mg per 3 caps) for grown ups.

Tintinet
I've no doubt DHA is a plus for anyone, but is it not recommended to emphasize EPA after very early childhood? A bit of controversy in this area, no doubt.

Agreed, after age 2/3 EPA is a priority.


Sentinel

[luv2increase]

Carlson's Fish Oil = Superb Quality


I use the liquid. This saves money and tastes grrrrrrreat!

[timmusi]

I agree with Carlson's. Top shelf product.

[shifter]

I heard of Carlsons through mercola.com. I dont know if there is financial interest, but I figure if he gives it the thumbs up it had to be worth looking into.

[jdog]

I heard of Carlson's through mercola.com, as well. You can get a good background on his choice of fish oil supplementation if you do a google of 'mercola, costco' and 'carlsons'.

From my understanding that while he does sell it on his website, he was a proponent of the company before he had any financial interest in them.

[stephen_b]

Why chew the gelatin capsule? Just swallow it whole. Thats how its supposed to be taken.

Well, it's actually fun to chew -- kind of like a gummi bear.

Stephen

[health_nutty]

Why chew the gelatin capsule? Just swallow it whole. Thats how its supposed to be taken.

Well, it's actually fun to chew -- kind of like a gummi bear.

Stephen

[huh] wow....