Fish Oil Side Effects

Fish oil side effects are the topic of many discussions regarding consumption of fish oil supplements. And rightly so. After all, it is only natural that when something is praised by the media and medical community alike as much as the various forms of fish oil concentrate (i.e., fish oil supplements, fish oil pills, fish oil softgels, fish oil tablets, liquid fish oil, etc.) have been lately, the next common sense question becomes: “Are there any side effects of fish oil?” The short answer is, of course, “yes.” You would be hard pressed to find many things in life that have all upside and no downside. Fortunately, however, fish oil side effects are minimal and, if properly managed, are no real cause for concern.  

The following are the top fish oil side effects:

1. Increased risk of bleeding - First and foremost, those who buy fish oil should be aware that omega-3 fatty acids are commonly thought to thin the blood (i.e., they are "blood thinners"). Basically, this means that these essential fatty acids cause blood platelets to become less "sticky," making it more difficult for the blood to clot around the site of open wounds. Of course, taken alone, this anti-clotting effect of fish oil supplements is hardly life threatening. However, when consumed along with other blood thinning drugs and medication, the combination can be legal. Accordingly, it is highly advisable that anyone taking various anti-coagulant medications such as aspirin, Coumadin, Heparin or Warfarin talk to their doctor and/or physician prior to buying fish oil concentrates for regular use. 

2. Poisoning due to contaminants, as well as industrial and environmental chemicals - Second, because fish oil is made from the fatty tissue of various species of fish, consuming fish oil from fish contaminated by pollutants and other contaminants may result in a similar consumption of those toxins. 

There are additional concerns regarding consumption of fish oil contaminated with mercury. Unfortunately, recent research studies do not agree on whether the risk of coronary heart disease increases as the mercury levels increase. However, the evidence leads to the conclusion that high mercury levels is directly related to several diseases and conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, kidney damage, and hearing loss.

As a result, it is important that consumers be aware of this issue and purchase fish oil supplements that have been properly filtered as only purified fish oil serves to eliminate these fish oil side effects (thereby allowing you to capitalize on the health benefits of fish oil).

3. Gastrointestinal discomfort - Third, fish oil side effects include many gastrointestinal issues, including diarrhea, acid reflux, heartburn, and indigestion. However, the most common complaint is the "fish burps", also known as "fish oil repeats." Essentially, this is a fancy way of saying that the consumer repeatedly burps after consuming fish oil concentrate, resulting in a horrible, fishy aftertaste. There are several ways to avoid the fish burps. First, some recommend that you keep your fish oil supplements frozen until you intend to consume them. Second, you can take the fish oil dietary supplement when you eat. These first two steps have shown to greatly reduce the fishy aftertaste. Another method of avoiding this fish oil side effect is to buy enteric coated fish oil softgels. These fish oil supplements are designed with a coating that protects the fish oil from the acids contained in the stomach. More specifically, the enteric coating on the fish oil softgels will remain undigested until it reaches the small intestine, where it is almost three times as effective than where it dissolves in the stomach. When you purchase fish oil with enteric coating, you not only make the fish oil pills more effective but also all but eliminates the fish burps. 

4. Reduced blood pressure - A fourth fish oil side effect is the fact that fish oil has been shown to reduce blood pressure. While this reduction is typically minimal, it is important to monitor this closely, especially you are also taking additional blood pressure medication that also lowers blood pressure. Of course, those that have low blood pressure should also be aware of this issue. 

5. Increased bad cholesterol - Other fish oil side effects include what most consumers would typically think of as the opposite of why they are taking fish oil supplements: it may actually increase the bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein levels) in your system by 5% to 10%. Again, if cholesterol is a concern, you should monitor your cholesterol levels regularly. 

6. Increase risk of vitamin toxicity - Finally, it is important to note that Vitamin E helps in the process of metabolizing omega-3 fish oils. To combat this problem, many fish oil manufacturers add Vitamin E to the fish oil pills they make. Accordingly, regular consumption of products enriched with this fat-soluble vitamin can lead to Vitamin E toxicity. However, this issue really only arises where fish oil dosage is incredibly high so this fish oil side effect is not one that you should really concern yourself with. 

The best fish oil supplement is what many consumers are looking for. Any discussion of fish oil benefits, including but not limited to fish oil weight loss, fish oil cholesterol benefits, fish oil arthritis relief, fish oil skin effects, and other health benefits of fish oil, has to also include fish oil side effects. With that said, fish oil supplements vary in quality and price, depending on the fish oil manufacturer (such as Carlson Fish Oil, Xtend Life Fish Oil, PFO Pure Fish Oil, Norwegian Fish Oil, Kirkland Fish Oil). 

As a result, before you purchase fish oil supplements, fish oil pills, fish oil tablets, fish oil softgels, liquid fish oil, fish oil for kids (also known as fish oil for children), fish oil for dogs, or any other type of fish oil concentrate or fish oil dietary supplement, it is important that you read fish oil nutrition articles to improve your base of knowledge about fish oil supplements. 

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