Which is better: liquid fish oil or the caplets? You can sometimes get conflicting information on which form of nutritional supplement is best. To make the choice even more confusing, there are even liquefied vitamin supplements on the market these days. Companies are adding vitamins to water, sodas, and, of course, they've been "fortifying" foods for years. But what's really the best for your health?
You should always ensure that all of your vitamin supplements contain the natural nutrient, rather than the synthetic version of it. Nearly every time that a study is published concerning the health benefits of a particular nutrient, another research comes along and refutes the study. Reporters jump on these stories, but they fail to inform the public that the positive benefits are seen when the natural nutrient is used in the study. When researchers attempt to duplicate the findings using a synthetic version, they get different results.
Vitamin Fish Oil
Is liquid fish oil more effective than what is found in the caplets? There are several reasons why the liquid fish oil might not produce the best benefits. It is difficult to estimate the correct dosage. The liquids are more likely to become rancid during shipping and storage. In addition, the unpleasant aftertaste of the fish oil liquids and the common side effect of stomach upset may impact the effectiveness of the dosage if a person, seeking to avoid that aftertaste or stomach upset, takes it less regularly.
To improve the taste, some companies have added artificial flavorings like lemon. That's a problem, because the flavoring could mask the taste that would indicate spoilage. Companies that provide the liquids typically add artificial preservatives to prolong the product's shelf life. We are exposed to enough artificial preservatives on a daily basis. We don't need or want them in our vitamin supplements.
It is also important to remember that those caplets contain liquid fish oil. As long as the company uses a vegetable-based gelatin cap and adds natural vitamin E to prolong the shelf life, then what you will get is the safest and best omega-3 supplement available.
Companies should clearly list all ingredients and the omega-3 content on the bottle. They should name the fish that is used as the source. If you can, you might want to do a little research into the company's philosophy concerning purity and value for the money. Omega-3s provide numerous benefits, but the supplement industry is not well regulated. Unless you do your homework, you might never realize those benefits.
I have purchased many vitamin supplements over the years, only to throw them away when they didn't provide the promised results. Of course, some results are not immediate. For example, omega-3 fatty acids are good for the heart. That's a benefit that you might not notice immediately. But if you are suffering from painful joints and you start taking a good omega-3 supplement, you should see results fairly quickly.
I take the gel-caps, but if you do choose liquid fish oil over the gel-caps, be sure to get the unflavored version. Rancid fish-oil can make you sick.