Fish Oil Vs Cod Liver Oil

[cuda2003]

Hi! I read in PP that we should use Carlson cod liver oil for the EPA & DHA, But now i found that there is Cod Liver Oil and Finest Fish oil Liquid Omega -3 both by Carlson, which is more beneficial? or are both the same

Thanks

[gitfiddle]

I take Carlson's Cod Liver Oil. I think I read that was better, but I'd be interested in what others have to say.

[LisaS]

Cod Liver oil does not have the same omega-3 profile as the Fish (body) Oil. But it does have the vit A and vit D for which it was traditionally used.

So it depends - are you looking for vit A and vit D - or omega-3s ?

[cuda2003]

Hi! I'm really looking for the Omega 3

Gladys

[LisaS]

well looking at the labels:
Carlson Cod Liver Oil
Each teaspoon contains, 1100 mg to 1250 mg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids including:
DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) 500 mg to 590 mg
EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) 340 mg to 500 mg
ALA (Alpha Linolenic Acid) 40 mg to 55 mg


Fish Oil (from the label) - per tsp
Omega-3 1600 mg
EPA 800 mg
DHA 500 mg
other 300 mg

---
some people use CLO in winter and Fish Oil in the summer -

[cuda2003]

Ok, I will stick with the Fish Oil.

Thanks a lot for the help

Gladys

[LisaS]

you might also do a cost comparison per 1000mg of EPA+DHA
I haven't done one yet- but it may work out cheaper to take 1.5 tsp CLO than 1 tsp FO for the same omega-3

[Wens]

I just read that supplements and vitamins may harm the immune system. Do you think it is possible or just B.S ? I dont know how serious is that discussion but I would like to know better.

[Karole]

I'll have to look it up in my PPLP since I have it back home again, but I have been using the reg. fish oil by Carlson in the summer months and Cod Liver oil --also Carlsons in the winter.

[Omlette]

I just read that supplements and vitamins may harm the immune system. Do you think it is possible or just B.S ? I dont know how serious is that discussion but I would like to know better.

I think it would depend on the quality of the supplement. Is it synthetic or a whole food supplement?

I know that without my supplements, I'm in worse shape. I feel bad. My immune system is pretty good, so I don't think the supplements are hurting it. I do take good quality non-synthetic (for the most part) supplements.

[maxlharris]

I would say it depends on the supplement. Both in terms of what you're taking and in terms of what you're actually getting in the supp. The problem is, it's a largely unregulated industry (thanks stupid lobbyists and money politics). So, you get a supplement that has a real effect (say fish oil). You have little way of knowing that your fish oil is really fish oil and not 10% fish and 90% canola. You buy a good brand that has tested well by an independent lab, but that's really the best you can do. Some of the stuff supps are made of is fairly expensive, so there's large incentive to cheat and no regulatory body to stop the cheating.

[Ammy]

Hey...after reading Dr Mike's blog (thank you Mitra) on the benefits of fish oil and my JOINTS, I'm going to try it for a month...

I've been searching the PP website trying to decide on a brand to buy, but there are SO many entries that it's taking me forever...
so...

What brand should I buy?
1. Please no or VERY reduced fish scent
2. Please no or VERY reduced fish "after-burps"
3. PRICE MATTERS

I was looking at WalGreens.com and there are 49 to choose from :eek:!!
I would prefer it be somthing I can pick up and not something I have to order on line until I know I can tolerate it.

Suggestions on brands??

Thanks!

[lczeledoc]

Carlson's Cod liver oil is suppossed to be tops. But it is pricey, I use the Twin LAbs brand, Cherry flavor, no fishy aftertaste or burps. I found that the burping is mostly from the fish oil gel caps. I am taking one Tbsp. of Cod lIver OIl and one cap of Krill Oil per day. In addition to Magnessium,

[Ammy]

Oh, good to know about the gel caps. Cherry flavor, that sounds pretty good...

I don't see it at Walgreens, but I'll check a couple other pharmacies around here. Thanks!

I was thinking I'd start here...It's a small price to pay and would give me and my GF a good go at it.
http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=100178&id=prod2499520&skuid=sku2498957

I assume the enteric coating is a good thing??
It claims to not have a fishy aftertaste...:rolleyes:...we'll see.
GF is lactose intolerant, so I have to pay attention to that.
I only found gelcaps and liquid form. I'm not sure I can get past the IDEA of swallowing liquid fish oil yet...:o...even with flavor??:o

[gitfiddle]

I only found gelcaps and liquid form. I'm not sure I can get past the IDEA of swallowing liquid fish oil yet...:o...even with flavor??:o
I have swallowed it from a spoon but, as you say, it's the idea. I just toss a tablespoonful in the blender with some other ingredients and it becomes a smoothie. I use the Carlsons and got it online at half the cost of buying it in a store.

What keeps me from gelcaps is that Dr. Mike recommends that you bite into them every few days to make sure they're not rancid. Eeeeeeeeuuuuuwww!

[Liliana]

I have taken naturally fishy flavor Cod Liver Oil by the tablespoon. And by the shot glass. Holding or clipping my nose shut while taking it and then eating or drinking something thereafter, keeping the nose closed off for a few minutes, pretty much masks the taste. I think I burped once or twice the first day or two I was taking it and that was it.

At the moment I'm taking a couple or three Spectrum fish oil gelcaps per day. They were on sale so I thought I'd try them and take a break from the CLO. They're almost completely innocuous. I keep the bottle in the fridge and take them with meals. Again the first day or so I experienced a small burp, but that seems to have passed.

Then again, my mother is norwegian and so I may have a natural affinity for fishy things. Salmon....mmmm....

Do any of you guys have a source for krill oil that's not online? I'm not finding it anywhere in the shops.

[Seymour Spectacles]

Ammy,

I'm not sure if they sell these at Walgreens or not.

I buy them, on the cheap, online. It saves me about 50% over my local health food stores.

My wife uses this product:

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=4814 (she uses one packet-a-day)

I use this product:

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=7908&at=0

The taste, for both products, is pretty good. The product I use is more economical but it doesn't appeal to my wife.

BTW, these products are available all over the 'net - not just at the store we shop at.

Enteric-coated products can help prevent any problem with fishy-burps. They allow for the softgels to open-up further along in the digestive process ... too late to repeat any of the flavor.

I hope you find success with whatever you end up trying. :)

Liliana,

I'm not sure if krill is widely-available in Europe. Perhaps you can ask the manager, of a local health food store, to special-order it for you? If krill oil is available, in Italy, they may be able to order it especially for you.

[Ammy]

Liliana, your product got a LOT of really good reviews!!
I'm going to save that page!

Thanks for the info about the enteric...

Carol, I wish I had smoothies so I could just get the liquid and throw it in, but I'm not a smootie gal, I need to CHEW!!! :D

I didn't get around to buying anthing last night, nor will I tonight, so that is my goal for friday...get fish oil!!

[Liliana]

Ammy,

I'm not sure if krill is widely-available in Europe. Perhaps you can ask the manager, of a local health food store, to special-order it for you? If krill oil is available, in Italy, they may be able to order it especially for you.

Actually, SS, I'm temporarily in the US at the moment and I'm not either seeing it here in the shops of my very cosmopolitan and high-priced little burg. I thought I'd be better off buying it in the US and carrying a supply of it back with me than trying to ask for a special order. Romans often don't value their customers very highly. The great amount of recent immigration seems to have been changing that attitude, but I don't yet count on it.

So...are there any chains that any of you know of that carry krill oil?

[Seymour Spectacles]

Liliana,

There are several chain health food stores, in my neighborhood, that carry krill oil. Of those, I know that (the local) The Vitamin Shoppe carries it. I've also seen it at Whole Foods.

[Mitra]

Amy, if you don't like fishy tastes, you may prefer the krill - I'm not aware of any taste from the capsules, but if there is any smell to the jar, it's more like shrimp than fish - don't know if you'd consider that an improvement ;). I'm quite happy with cod liver oil from a spoon, but I know lots of people aren't.

[Ammy]

Well, I have now taken my SECOND "serving" of the fish oil gelcap.
I LOVE the smell of it...coconut. And today the pill touched my tongue, and it TASTES like coconut.
I haven't had any "burbs" yet...YET. Last night I had some intestinal discomfort, but nothing bad at all, and cannot be linked directly to the pills, so I'll keep taking them (and reporting to y'all) and see how it goes.

GF, who has HIGH cholesterol, is not convinced yet to take it, but I'm working on her...

[Liliana]

Liliana,

There are several chain health food stores, in my neighborhood, that carry krill oil. Of those, I know that (the local) The Vitamin Shoppe carries it. I've also seen it at Whole Foods.

Thanks, SS!

The local version of those two establishments are located within a block of each other, so I can easily check them both out tomorrow. Whole Foods seems like the kind of place that would get it, too, if they didn't have it in stock and I asked (I didn't see it there when I checked, but maybe I just missed it). Never been in The Vitamin Shoppe.

But, Amy, your report on the coconutty fish oil gelcaps is tempting me...

[Ammy]

Two days down on the fish oil.
Still absolutely no fish-burbs!!

I'm on to day 3!

[naturalhealth]

What to use as far as fish oil, cod liver oil, or other blend depends on what you're looking for in the pill. I would recommend reading the label to see the amounts in the supplement. You also want to consider the quality. If the pill is "molecularly distilled", then the mercury and toxins have been removed, so you want to look for that as well.

There are actually some good supplements containing EFAs at the company I work for. The Nature's Way EPA 18 has fish oil, along with additional Omega-3s, so that's worth looking into. Good luck in your quest.

[bigdawg_SLC]

I like the GNC fish Oil 1000 tabs. Easy to swallow -- absolutely no fish burps!