Fish Oil Quality

I buy fish oil capsules very cheap at Sams Club. Its their own version, Members Mark. They just changed the labels and amount of capsules in the container. My question is, when I opened it and smelt it it smelled horrible. I took it back to get a new one, but just to make sure I poked a hole in 3 other ones to smell, they all smelled the same too. When I take the capsules out of the bottle, they dont smell that bad. Just the bottle. So Are fish oil capsules supposed to have a strong smell or are all their packages bad?

Fish oil caps taste and smell shitty. There is no way getting around it. Thats why I prefer to eat a can of salmon per day instead. And then supplement with a little flax on top of that.

I read somewhere, maybe on this site, that you should bite a capsule in half. If it tastes like fish, it’s alright. If it tastes rotten or like anything other than fish, watch out. I buy my at Costco, they have their own brand, and did the bite test. Didn’t know what to expect, and well, it just tasted like fish. I also read that once you open the bottle, keep it in the fridge as it loses potency fast.

Pete: Some good news for you! I have been wondering the same thing about other brands of fish oil caps, namely Members Mark because they are the best deal going. I contacted Tom Incledon via Infinity Fitness and although he is not specific he stated that the Members Mark brand fish oil caps were tested and that they are in fact good quality. So, there you go!

I’ve been trying to find out the same thing about the Costco/Kirkland brand fishcaps,they smell ok.I have an unsual way of checking my 2 year old son(mini-me)likes to actually chew them
till theyre empty then spit the cap out on the carpet, when hes done I smell his breath its usually fishy but not too bad.I figure the oil is good for him so what the heck.

I’m gonna let you guys in on a little fish oil secret. There are PCB’s contaniments in the ocean and unless you filter them out through a process called Molecular Distillation than they will remain. Also fish oils deplete internal Vitamin E stores, unless supplemented at the same time as the dose fish oil. Look at 99% of all brands they have a very low IU count of vitamin e and they are not molecular distilled. THE ONLY brand to use is th zone perfect fish oils because they are molecular distilled and have alott of high quality vitamin e in them.

Zone fish caps aren’t the only ones that are filtered. GNC has a house brand that’s cholesterol free and because of the process is also mercury free. A heck of alot cheaper than zone fish oil caps. I’ve also never heard that fish oil actually depletes vitamin E. Where did that info come from? Even so, I think taking a decent multi vitamin with sufficent e in it is enough to counter balance any problems.

I think the reasoning behind fish oil depleting Vitamin E is the fact that Vit E is a ‘fat antioxidant’. So, if you’re taking in more fats you’re body is using more of Vit.E to quench those free radicals from fat oxidation. Just make sure you’re getting enough E in your diet and you’ll be fine…

Molecular Distilation is an expensive process I know GNC does not use it. Cholesterol free does not eliminate the PCB’s thats why the price is cheaper.

Tapper: I KNOW that the Dale Alexander MaxEPA and SuperMax EPA use distillation as well as a compound known as oxyguard™ to help keep the oil from turning rancid.

Maclar is correct. The the higher degree of “unsaturatedness” (i.e. the more double bonds in a fatty acid), the more likely they are to undergo lipid peroxidation (this is an oxidation process and is bad for the cells). Vitamin E is the major lipid soluble antioxidant and is needed in larger quantities to protect the polyunsaturates (like omega 3’s in fish oil) from oxidation once encorporated into the cell membranes. So the more fish oil/flax oil you take, the more vitamin E you need. How much? Generally the research says that a ratio of at least 0.6 mg of alpha tocopherol per g of PolyUnsaturatedFattyAcids is suggested. Higher levels may be necessary, however, for fats that are rich in fatty acids containing more than two double bonds (like omega 3’s). I think for most, around 400 IU of supplemental vitamin E per day is sufficient for free radical and lipid peroxidation protection.

About quality, remember guys, there are some slight cautions to be advised with excessive fish oil intake because of harmful chemicals dissolved in the fish fat. But I believe health repercussions are rare. Also we often debate whether whatever filtration process is really necessary while forgetting the fish itself doesnt undergo such filtration. My recommendations would be to eat fish and then take a good fish oil supplement in which the toxins have been reasonably “screened out”. Dale Alexander and the Zone stuff is good. I take the dale alexander oil and although it isnt a culinary delight for my palate, it gets the job done.

Dale Alexander is good quality, but I quit using it because the American Heart Association recommends less than 300mg cholesterol per day. Now I use the Optimum brand fish oil softgels (no bad smell), but if anyone knows a cholesterol-free bottled fish oil, please advise. Otherwise, I think the softgels may be the best bet because the oil is not exposed to air.

ronparker: Ask and ye shall receive, especially during the holiday season. The following should help, as Dale Alexander DOES in fact put out a cholesterol-free fish oil capsule.

TwinEPA Extra Strength Fish Oil

The highest potency omega-3 fish oil capsule available. Cholesterol free.

One softgel supplies:

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid): 600 mg
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid): 240 mg
Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol): 19 IU
Fortified with OxyGuard, a synergistic antioxidant mixture that helps protect the oil in each softgel from oxidizing and turning rancid.

46-0013
TwinLab
TwinEPA Extra Strength Fish Oil
60 caps
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 softgel
Servings Per Container: 60

Amount
Per Serving % Daily
Value*

Total Calories 15

Calories From Fat 15      

Total Fat <1.5 g 2%

Cholesterol 0 mg 0%

Glycerine 3 g

Vitamin E 19 I.U. 63%

EPA 600 mg

DHA 240 mg

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Ingredients: Fish Oil, Gelatin, Glycerine, Vitamin E, Purified Water.

Recommended Use: As a dietary supplement, Take 1-3 capsules with any meal or as directed by a physician or A healthcare professional