27 replies to this topic

[david ellis]

First an introduction about the problems with fish oil freshness. Fish oil is very susceptible to oxidative damage. Oxidized fish oil will lessen the benefits that fish oil provides. There has been an ongoing discussion about which way is better, take fish oil from a bottle or from a gel capsule. I have read about problems from both. Some say that capsules will prevent oxidation better than an periodically emptying bottle. The bottle aficionados love the fresh start they get on fish oil because it comes sealed in impermeable glass bottles. Both objections are correct, I have oxidation trouble both ways. Because, it's true, the taste changes as the fish oil bottle empties. And its hard to buy unoxidized capsules, plus the capsules are permeable, and oxidize at a slower rate, but still they oxidize.

What I decided was, let's see what happens if I put the 16 ounces of fish oil that I bought into 4-4 oz glass bottles. I am happy to report that I finished my first 4 oz bottle without any noticeable change in flavor. This is a big advantage because fresher oil causes less upset stomach.

This happened because it took me and my wife about 10 days to finish the smaller bottle. Instead of the 40 days the bigger bottle would have taken. Because the 4 oz bottle is smaller, it is opened far fewer times and lots less fresh oxygen is admitted into the bottle.

If you think this is excessive, let me tell you about excessive. My first pass through this idea involved 60 tiny test tubes to hold each day's fish oil. I finished all 60 test tubes, but decided that was a bad idea. Four glass bottles takes hardly any time compared to 60 test tubes.

Edited by david ellis, 11 May 2008 - 12:51 AM.

[graatch]

Maybe put some rosemary extract in with it. Rosemary extract is apparently extraordinarily powerful at preventing lipid peroxidation. This is what Carlson's does in their "Very Finest Fish Oil" liquid (instead of the lame use of vitamin E), and I've never had any problems with their stuff going rancid if it's refrigerated, even after several months.

[david ellis]

Maybe put some rosemary extract in with it. Rosemary extract is apparently extraordinarily powerful at preventing lipid peroxidation. This is what Carlson's does in their "Very Finest Fish Oil" liquid (instead of the lame use of vitamin E), and I've never had any problems with their stuff going rancid if it's refrigerated, even after several months.

I suspect the use of rosemary and lemon flavors is to hide the rancid taste in the fish oil. One study found that rosemary extract had no effect and that vitamin E was effective in reducing oxidation.

[ajnast4r]

Maybe put some rosemary extract in with it. Rosemary extract is apparently extraordinarily powerful at preventing lipid peroxidation. This is what Carlson's does in their "Very Finest Fish Oil" liquid (instead of the lame use of vitamin E), and I've never had any problems with their stuff going rancid if it's refrigerated, even after several months.

I suspect the use of rosemary and lemon flavors is to hide the rancid taste in the fish oil. One study found that rosemary extract had no effect and that vitamin E was effective in reducing oxidation.

i dont quite get that study... were they feeding chickens rosemary extract and looking at the effects on the eggs? because if so thats a LOT different than adding rosemary extract to fishoil directly.

most of the companies i feel are extremely reliable as far as fishoil goes, use rosemary extract... their products neither smell nor taste of rosemary, so i doubt very much its being use to cover up the taste of rancidity. in fact, pretty much NOTHING will cover the taste of rancid fish oil.

[edward]

Maybe put some rosemary extract in with it. Rosemary extract is apparently extraordinarily powerful at preventing lipid peroxidation. This is what Carlson's does in their "Very Finest Fish Oil" liquid (instead of the lame use of vitamin E), and I've never had any problems with their stuff going rancid if it's refrigerated, even after several months.

I suspect the use of rosemary and lemon flavors is to hide the rancid taste in the fish oil. One study found that rosemary extract had no effect and that vitamin E was effective in reducing oxidation.

i dont quite get that study... were they feeding chickens rosemary extract and looking at the effects on the eggs? because if so thats a LOT different than adding rosemary extract to fishoil directly.

most of the companies i feel are extremely reliable as far as fishoil goes, use rosemary extract... their products neither smell nor taste of rosemary, so i doubt very much its being use to cover up the taste of rancidity. in fact, pretty much NOTHING will cover the taste of rancid fish oil.

Agreed

Rancid fish oil is hooorrrriblleeee. I once dropped a glass bottle of fish oil in the kitchen (it had rosemary extract in it to prevent rancidity), it broke and went everywhere. I thought I had cleaned it all up with bleach and everything but about a week later I started to smell something. Apparently the oil had found its way under the oven. When I removed the bottom part of the oven, whoooaa very bad smell, no rosemary will cover up that.

Anyways the best fish oil I have found are:
Carlson http://www.iherb.com...px?c=1&pid=2796 and
Nature's Answer (not natures way!) http://www.iherb.com...px?c=1&pid=7908

Both from my experience have never gone rancid, unless you break the bottle and let it sit under the oven for a week
Both products in my opinion are of equal quality, one is a lot cheaper and thus that is the one I buy now as I see no difference

[david ellis]

i dont quite get that study... were they feeding chickens rosemary extract and looking at the effects on the eggs? because if so thats a LOT different than adding rosemary extract to fishoil directly.

most of the companies i feel are extremely reliable as far as fishoil goes, use rosemary extract... their products neither smell nor taste of rosemary, so i doubt very much its being use to cover up the taste of rancidity. in fact, pretty much NOTHING will cover the taste of rancid fish oil.

None of the supplements that I use have rosemary extract. I am open to more facts. I went looking in PubMed and found only one study of rosemary extract and Omega3's. There must be some evidence that rosemary extract works, but I couldn't find any in pubmed. Why not find something to change my mind? I won't insist that it has to be pubmed. I am unimpressed with claims made by people trying to sell me stuff, and need facts to decide.

The study is very simple, here is the abstract in its entirety. They used 2.5 to 5 times the weight of rosemary extract to vitamin E. Why would you need more of a powerful antioxidant? And the result was "rosemary extract showed no effect". Where did you get the idea that they fed rosemary to the chickens? They experimented with high omega3 eggs, not chickens. This study is highly relevant to the subject. We are talking about a one-on-one rosemary extract to a-tocopherol. The oil being tested is Omega3.

"The antioxidant effect of dietary supplementation with 500 or 1,000 mg/kg of a commercial rosemary extract vs. 200 mg/kg of alpha-tocopheryl acetate (alpha-TA) on the lipid oxidative stability of omega3-fatty acid (FA)-enriched eggs was compared. Lipid oxidation was measured in fresh eggs by the lipid hydroperoxide level and malonaldehyde content. Stability to iron-induced lipid oxidation was also measured. Results showed the clear antioxidant effect of dietary alpha-TA supplementation on omega3-FA enriched eggs. In contrast, dietary supplementation with rosemary extract showed no effect on any of the lipid oxidation parameters evaluated."

Lipid peroxidation is an ongoing process, first a small amount of peroxidation, then more, then more, until it is finally completely rancid. So when you decide that fish oil is rancid, don't you think that some peroxidation occurred before you could taste it? When buying fish, you certainly don't buy fish with a rancid smell. You buy fish that smells only slightly fishy. Any more than that and you won't be happy with your purchase.

[krillin]

Where did you get the idea that they fed rosemary to the chickens?

It's clearly stated in the full text.

Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2000 Sep;51(5):327-39.
Preservation of alpha-tocopherol in sunflower oil by herbs and spices.
Beddows CG, Jagait C, Kelly MJ.
School of Health Science, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK.

The ability of some commercially available herb and spice extracts to preserve alpha-tocopherol in sunflower oil during heating at 85-105 degrees C was assessed using sunflower oil as a model system. The Rancimat was evaluated for the heating stage and was used throughout as it was shown to be viable: alpha-tocopherol did not evaporate under the test conditions. The delay in the onset of rancidity was found to be directly related to the initial alpha-tocopherol concentration (P < 0.01). Rosemary, thyme, turmeric, sage, oregano and cumin extracts (2000 mg.kg-1) delayed rancidity (P < 0.01) and preserved alpha-tocopherol (P < 0.01). Some preservation was observed with clove extract but coriander and cardamom extracts were pro-oxidants. With thyme extract, the log of the induction time (as an indicator of the delay in rancidity) was directly proportional to the temperature (85-100 degrees C). The ethyl acetate, hexane and methanol extracts of fresh sage were effective for preserving alpha-tocopherol (P < 0.01). With thyme, rosemary and sage extracts, the increase in the preservation of alpha-tocopherol was directly related to the concentration of the herb extract (P < 0.01) and was quite effective even at 100 mg.kg-1. The increased delay in the onset of rancidity was due directly to the improved preservation of alpha-tocopherol (P < 0.01). In further experiments, the preservative effect of turmeric was shown not to be due to its reported major antioxidant, curcumin, even though it delayed rancidity. When herb/spice extracts were examined mixed with thyme, bay and turmeric showed synergism (P < 0.01) whereas bay alone was slightly inhibitory. The mode of action appeared to be due to free radical activity rather than through singlet oxygen generation.

PMID: 11103298

[ajnast4r]

The study is very simple, here is the abstract in its entirety. They used 2.5 to 5 times the weight of rosemary extract to vitamin E. Why would you need more of a powerful antioxidant? And the result was "rosemary extract showed no effect". Where did you get the idea that they fed rosemary to the chickens? They experimented with high omega3 eggs, not chickens. This study is highly relevant to the subject. We are talking about a one-on-one rosemary extract to a-tocopherol. The oil being tested is Omega3.

"The antioxidant effect of dietary supplementation with 500 or 1,000 mg/kg of a commercial rosemary extract vs. 200 mg/kg of alpha-tocopheryl acetate (alpha-TA) on the lipid oxidative stability of omega3-fatty acid (FA)-enriched eggs was compared. Lipid oxidation was measured in fresh eggs by the lipid hydroperoxide level and malonaldehyde content. Stability to iron-induced lipid oxidation was also measured. Results showed the clear antioxidant effect of dietary alpha-TA supplementation on omega3-FA enriched eggs. In contrast, dietary supplementation with rosemary extract showed no effect on any of the lipid oxidation parameters evaluated."

they were feeding the rosemary extract to the chickens that were producing the omega-3rich eggs, not putting the extract directly into the egg itself. those things are so different its not even worth mentioning them in the same sentence.

if you just type 'rosemary lipid peroxidation' into pubmed, its clear that rosemary is very effective. i dont think reliable companies like carlson and nordic naturals would use it if it didnt work... i also know that these companies are testing post-production batches for rancidity markers, and consider their product stable through the expiration date if stored properly...

*edit*

interesting read:
Oregano, rosemary extracts promise omega-3 preservation
http://www.foodnavig...y-oregano-omega

esearchers from Louisiana State University tested the efficacy of methanol extracts of oregano and rosemary at different concentrations to retard the oxidation of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in menhaden oil.

Extracts were added at a concentration of zero, one, 2.5 and five per cent, and the oil was subsequently subjected to an accelerated ageing study by heating at 150 degrees Celsius for 30 min or incubating at 60 degrees Celsius fro five days.

In the oil subjected to heating at 150 degrees Celsius in the absence of the herb extracts, only 15.9 per cent of DHA and 18.5 per cent of EPA remained in the fish oil. All of the EPA and DHA was found to have been oxidised in the extract-free oil incubated at 60 degrees Celsius for five days.

However, when one and five per cent oregano extract was added, the oil contained 39 and 66 per cent, respectively, of the original DHA content after heating at 150 degrees Celsius, and 45 and 69 per cent, respectively, of the original EPA content.

The highest retentions of DHA (57 per cent) and EPA (58 per cent) in fish oil with added rosemary were found for 2.5 per cent rosemary.

The same concentration of rosemary produced the best results after incubation at 60 degrees Celsius for five days, 88 per cent of the original DHA and EPA contents retained.

Edited by ajnast4r, 12 May 2008 - 12:26 AM.

[sUper GeNius]

My brand uses ascorbyl palmitate as an antioxidant. I alternate with LEF's, which has rosemary extract.

[maxwatt]

...
None of the supplements that I use have rosemary extract. I am open to more facts. I went looking in PubMed and found only one study of rosemary extract and Omega3's. There must be some evidence that rosemary extract works, but I couldn't find any in pubmed. Why not find something to change my mind? I won't insist that it has to be pubmed. I am unimpressed with claims made by people trying to sell me stuff, and need facts to decide.
...

Well, here's one:

1: J Chromatogr A. 2006 Jul 7;1120(1-2):221-9. Epub 2006 Mar 24. Links
Liquid chromatograpic-mass spectrometric analysis of phenolics and free radical scavenging activity of rosemary extract from different raw material.Almela L, Sánchez-Muñoz B, Fernández-López JA, Roca MJ, Rabe V.
Department of Agricultural Chemistry, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain. almela@um.es

The antioxidant activity of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extract from different raw materials has been studied. Extracts were prepared from wild or drip-irrigated plants, as well as from the by-product resulting from the distillation of the aromatic essential oil. The radical scavenging activity of rosemary extracts was compared with that of antioxidants widely used in food, such as BHT and delta-tocopherol, using an optimization of the method based on the reduction of the radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The results pointed the excellent antioxidant activity of the crude fresh rosemary extracts, which was almost identical to that of pure delta-tocopherol, and higher than that of BHT; extracts prepared from distilled rosemary showed the lowest activity, although they are also of interest due to the low cost of the raw material. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with diode array (DAD) and electrospray (ESI)-ion trap-MS detection was used to separate and identify the compounds present in the rosemary extracts. Rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid and seven of their terpene-type metabolites, and seven flavones were identified. The drying and/or distillation treatments used with the plant material strongly affected the content of the two compounds of higher antioxidant activity: rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid.

PMID: 16563403 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

and another:

J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Mar 27;50(7):1845-51. Links
Antioxidant activity of chemical components from sage (Salvia officinalis L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) measured by the oil stability index method.Miura K, Kikuzaki H, Nakatani N.
Division of Food and Health Science, Graduate School of Human Life Science, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.

A new abietane diterpenoid, 12-O-methyl carnosol (2), was isolated from the leaves of sage (Salvia officinalis L.), together with 11 abietane diterpenoids, 3 apianane terpenoids, 1 anthraquinone, and 8 flavonoids. Antioxidant activity of these compounds along with 4 flavonoids isolated from thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) was evaluated by the oil stability index method using a model substrate oil including methyl linoleate in silicone oil at 90 degrees C. Carnosol, rosmanol, epirosmanol, isorosmanol, galdosol, and carnosic acid exhibited remarkably strong activity, which was comparable to that of alpha-tocopherol. The activity of miltirone, atuntzensin A, luteolin, 7-O-methyl luteolin, and eupafolin was comparable to that of butylated hydroxytoluene. The activity of these compounds was mainly due to the presence of ortho-dihydroxy groups. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity of these compounds showed the similar result.

PMID: 11902922

FYI, carnosic acid is the lipid-soluble antioxidant from rosemary that is used as an antioxidant in meats and oils.


The food industry is taking a great deal of interest in rosemary extracts as preservatives. The are cheap, effective and "natural", though what's natural about HPLC extraction or critical CO2 extraction beats me.

Effects of Rosemary Extracts on the Reduction of Heterocyclic Amines in Beef Patties

The photos HERE demonstrate the effectiveness of rosemary as an antioxidant and preservative in raw beef.

Rosemary extracts, particularly carnosic acid, have potential for lowering fasting glucose levels as well. PMID: 16858665

[david ellis]

First, I looked wider (not exclusively PubMed) and I found studies that confirmed Rosemary Extract is routinely used in fish oil. I missed the ones that said Rosemary Extract is special.

I suspect the use of rosemary and lemon flavors is to hide the rancid taste in the fish oil. One study found that rosemary extract had no effect and that vitamin E was effective in reducing oxidation.

I should not have said something I thought, but didn't know for sure about hiding rancidity with flavors. Not only was it wrong but I shot myself in the foot because rosemary extract became the subject of my thread.

I was surprised that some seemed to think that fish oil is unchanged after opening the bottle 60-90 times. Probably they know oxidation is happening, but think the oil is still good enough. I want my EPA/DHA to be as undamaged as possible. Maybe the problems found with using DHA are due to the normal amount of oxidation in a bottle opened 90 times. It costs me hardly anything to get less oxidation in my fish oil by filling up and using 4 smaller bottles.

Here is the complete abstract from my link--
I stopped, when I saw the first "dietary supplementation" and decided it made no sense and forgot all about it. It had to be an error where they were trying to say "the dietary supplement Rosemary Extract" Think about it, if they meant "dietary supplementation", you would have to believe that they fed food to eggs. It is just a problem translating from Spanish. Maybe I couldn't find the problem because I live 10 miles from the Mexican border. And I apparently learned to interpret spanglish without thinking about it.

So its still a negative report on rosemary extract in PubMed. A flat "no effect". I imagine a lot of discussion went on before they decided to add it to PubMed.

Galobart J, Barroeta AC, Baucells MD, Codony R, Ternes W.

Unitat de Nutrició i Alimentació Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.

The antioxidant effect of "dietary supplementation" with 500 or 1,000 mg/kg of a commercial rosemary extract vs. 200 mg/kg of alpha-tocopheryl acetate (alpha-TA) on the lipid oxidative stability of omega3-fatty acid (FA)-enriched eggs was compared. Lipid oxidation was measured in fresh eggs by the lipid hydroperoxide level and malonaldehyde content. Stability to iron-induced lipid oxidation was also measured. Results showed the clear antioxidant effect of dietary alpha-TA supplementation on omega3-FA enriched eggs. In contrast, dietary supplementation with rosemary extract showed no effect on any of the lipid oxidation parameters evaluated.

PMID: 11297285 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Krillen, thanks very much for this link. Rosemary extract is stronger than BHT. That's impressive. Also it was interesting to find that tumeric and others have a synergistic relation with alpha-tocopherol.

I notice that the test is with an omega6 oil. Not an Omega3 oil.

Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2000 Sep;51(5):327-39.
Preservation of alpha-tocopherol in sunflower oil by herbs and spices.
Beddows CG, Jagait C, Kelly MJ.
School of Health Science, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK.

The ability of some commercially available herb and spice extracts to preserve alpha-tocopherol in sunflower oil during heating at 85-105 degrees C was assessed using sunflower oil as a model system. The Rancimat was evaluated for the heating stage and was used throughout as it was shown to be viable: alpha-tocopherol did not evaporate under the test conditions. The delay in the onset of rancidity was found to be directly related to the initial alpha-tocopherol concentration (P < 0.01). Rosemary, thyme, turmeric, sage, oregano and cumin extracts (2000 mg.kg-1) delayed rancidity (P < 0.01) and preserved alpha-tocopherol (P < 0.01). Some preservation was observed with clove extract but coriander and cardamom extracts were pro-oxidants. With thyme extract, the log of the induction time (as an indicator of the delay in rancidity) was directly proportional to the temperature (85-100 degrees C). The ethyl acetate, hexane and methanol extracts of fresh sage were effective for preserving alpha-tocopherol (P < 0.01). With thyme, rosemary and sage extracts, the increase in the preservation of alpha-tocopherol was directly related to the concentration of the herb extract (P < 0.01) and was quite effective even at 100 mg.kg-1. The increased delay in the onset of rancidity was due directly to the improved preservation of alpha-tocopherol (P < 0.01). In further experiments, the preservative effect of turmeric was shown not to be due to its reported major antioxidant, curcumin, even though it delayed rancidity. When herb/spice extracts were examined mixed with thyme, bay and turmeric showed synergism (P < 0.01) whereas bay alone was slightly inhibitory. The mode of action appeared to be due to free radical activity rather than through singlet oxygen generation.

PMID: 11103298

[krillin]

So its still a negative report on rosemary extract in PubMed. A flat "no effect". I imagine a lot of discussion went on before they decided to add it to

It's very plausible to me. Many phytochemicals get metabolized rapidly and wouldn't be expected to make it into the eggs in appreciable concentrations. Alpha-tocopherol, on the other hand, has a specific mechanism to elevate its concentration in the body.

Edit: You've inspired me to stuff cotton into my fish oil bottle after I dispense my pills for the week. The bottle thus gets opened only 5 times before depletion and there won't be much air for the pills to soak in.

Edited by krillin, 12 May 2008 - 03:07 AM.

[ajnast4r]

I should not have said something I thought, but didn't know for sure about hiding rancidity with flavors. Not only was it wrong but I shot myself in the foot because rosemary extract became the subject of my thread.

I was surprised that some seemed to think that fish oil is unchanged after opening the bottle 60-90 times. Probably they know oxidation is happening, but think the oil is still good enough. I want my EPA/DHA to be as undamaged as possible. Maybe the problems found with using DHA are due to the normal amount of oxidation in a bottle opened 90 times. It costs me hardly anything to get less oxidation in my fish oil by filling up and using 4 smaller bottles.

you sir, are a gentleman and a scholar... honestly.

i actually didnt even read the first post you made. i think breaking your large fishoil down to smaller containers to maintain freshness is a great idea, in fact thats right in line with proper HACCP food sanitation standards.

[Bghead8che]

Maybe put some rosemary extract in with it. Rosemary extract is apparently extraordinarily powerful at preventing lipid peroxidation. This is what Carlson's does in their "Very Finest Fish Oil" liquid (instead of the lame use of vitamin E), and I've never had any problems with their stuff going rancid if it's refrigerated, even after several months.

I suspect the use of rosemary and lemon flavors is to hide the rancid taste in the fish oil. One study found that rosemary extract had no effect and that vitamin E was effective in reducing oxidation.

An interesting side note. Carlson's "Norwegian" fish oil has never met or been certified to Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia standards. Few companies do actually because they can't meet the peroxide requirements among others.

-Brian

[david ellis]

Great link from Louisiana directly covered my concerns. I asked for info and it will take me days to go through it. Thanks ajnast4r.

Thank you for the great links. This is the best fish oil post ever. It will take me days to get through this stuff on one of my favorite subjects. Fish oil almost totally dampens my arthritis and has many other great effects that make me think its a super supplement.

Edit: You've inspired me to stuff cotton into my fish oil bottle after I dispense my pills for the week. The bottle thus gets opened only 5 times before depletion and there won't be much air for the pills to soak in.

A good solution, you have the air barrier of the capsule and a large reduction in fresh air exposure.

[graatch]

Pay a contractor to install a one-way straw (no backwards oxygen flow) system/device/thingy into all of your glass bottles.

[nameless]

Please let us know how the fish oil holds up once you get to the other bottles. It is an interesting experiment. An alternative I'm considering is simply buying the smaller bottles of oil. I normally use the big bottle of Carlson's, but it comes in a 6.7 ounce too. It'll be a little more expensive monthly, but probably easier for me than pouring the big bottle into little bottles... I'd probably waste some of the oil spilling it anyway.

[shuffleup]

Pay a contractor to install a one-way straw (no backwards oxygen flow) system/device/thingy into all of your glass bottles.

So when the fish oil is all gone, what remains is just a vaccuum?

[wayside]

You've inspired me to stuff cotton into my fish oil bottle after I dispense my pills for the week. The bottle thus gets opened only 5 times before depletion and there won't be much air for the pills to soak in.

Unless you compress the cotton down to brick-like density, I would guess that 98% of the volume of cotton is air. A better strategy would probably be to store them in a ziploc and suck the air out (close it to the last half an inch, and use your mouth to suck the air out, it works), or refrigerate or freeze them.

[krillin]

Refrigeration is a must. I keep all of my other softgel supplements in there too. I wouldn't want to subject supplements to the temperature cycling of a frost-free freezer.

Oxygen absorption packets are probably the most convenient solution.

[maxwatt]

If you have a narrow necked bottle (for oil) sucking the air out of the bottle with one of those vacuum wine corks, like Vacu-vin, is an option.

Edited by maxwatt, 16 May 2008 - 09:53 AM.

[david ellis]

Please let us know how the fish oil holds up once you get to the other bottles. It is an interesting experiment. An alternative I'm considering is simply buying the smaller bottles of oil. I normally use the big bottle of Carlson's, but it comes in a 6.7 ounce too. It'll be a little more expensive monthly, but probably easier for me than pouring the big bottle into little bottles... I'd probably waste some of the oil spilling it anyway.

I have completed one cycle-filling up 4 bottles and using them up completely. All of the a4 bottles tasted very much the same. I like using a liquid instead of gels because I have physical and visual contact with my fish oil. I am using Nature's Answer Liquid Omega 3. A milky thin layer can be seen on the bottom of my clear bottles. So to keep the mixture the same each time, I shake the bottles before pouring.

I was diagnosed this week with AMD. This problem is probably genetic, but one of the difficulties is that the macula contains polyunsatured fats that are susceptible to oxidation. My focus on keeping my fish oil as fresh as possible seems even more important to me now.

Bghead8che's quote in this thread has my attention-
"An interesting side note. Carlson's "Norwegian" fish oil has never met or been certified to Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia standards. Few companies do actually because they can't meet the peroxide requirements among others."

This means that almost all of the fish oil that we are using comes with a certain percentage of peroxide. And the percentage will increase with time and every occasion we handle the oil. The studies showing the benefits of fish oil don't usually say that we are using pharmaceutical grade fish oil. And one study by the British health service had a brand name that as far as I could tell was an ordinary fish oil. So, I don't see any evidence yet that using regular fish oil is bad. However, I have read of researchers having problems with stale oil. This is what I think, I wish I knew more things for certain.

[maxwatt]

Please let us know how the fish oil holds up once you get to the other bottles. It is an interesting experiment. An alternative I'm considering is simply buying the smaller bottles of oil. I normally use the big bottle of Carlson's, but it comes in a 6.7 ounce too. It'll be a little more expensive monthly, but probably easier for me than pouring the big bottle into little bottles... I'd probably waste some of the oil spilling it anyway.

I have completed one cycle-filling up 4 bottles and using them up completely. All of the a4 bottles tasted very much the same. I like using a liquid instead of gels because I have physical and visual contact with my fish oil. I am using Nature's Answer Liquid Omega 3. A milky thin layer can be seen on the bottom of my clear bottles. So to keep the mixture the same each time, I shake the bottles before pouring.

I was diagnosed this week with AMD. This problem is probably genetic, but one of the difficulties is that the macula contains polyunsatured fats that are susceptible to oxidation. My focus on keeping my fish oil as fresh as possible seems even more important to me now.

Bghead8che's quote in this thread has my attention-
"An interesting side note. Carlson's "Norwegian" fish oil has never met or been certified to Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia standards. Few companies do actually because they can't meet the peroxide requirements among others."

This means that almost all of the fish oil that we are using comes with a certain percentage of peroxide. And the percentage will increase with time and every occasion we handle the oil. The studies showing the benefits of fish oil don't usually say that we are using pharmaceutical grade fish oil. And one study by the British health service had a brand name that as far as I could tell was an ordinary fish oil. So, I don't see any evidence yet that using regular fish oil is bad. However, I have read of researchers having problems with stale oil. This is what I think, I wish I knew more things for certain.

What about getting your fish oil directly from the fish? Salmon, tuna, herring, bagels and lox. If the fish is fresh, so is the oil. Sashimi, anyone? Or bagel and lox?

[david ellis]

What about getting your fish oil directly from the fish? Salmon, tuna, herring, bagels and lox. If the fish is fresh, so is the oil. Sashimi, anyone? Or bagel and lox?

Maxwatt, you are absolutely right, the best place to get omega3's is from the fish. Absorption is twice as high as processed fish oil and we don't eat stale fish.

Edited by david ellis, 17 May 2008 - 03:35 PM.

[niner]

What about getting your fish oil directly from the fish? Salmon, tuna, herring, bagels and lox. If the fish is fresh, so is the oil. Sashimi, anyone? Or bagel and lox?

Maxwatta, you are absolutely right, at the best place to get omega3's is from the fish. Absorption is twice as high ass praocessed fish oil and we don't eat stale fish.

I like fish a lot, but I still don't want to eat it every day. It's pretty expensive, and a lot of fish has contaminants like mercury and PCBs, whereas distilled fish oil doesn't.

[nameless]

What about getting your fish oil directly from the fish? Salmon, tuna, herring, bagels and lox. If the fish is fresh, so is the oil. Sashimi, anyone? Or bagel and lox?

Maxwatta, you are absolutely right, at the best place to get omega3's is from the fish. Absorption is twice as high ass praocessed fish oil and we don't eat stale fish.

Mercury is the issue then, unless you get super clean salmon.

[maxwatt]

What about getting your fish oil directly from the fish? Salmon, tuna, herring, bagels and lox. If the fish is fresh, so is the oil. Sashimi, anyone? Or bagel and lox?

Maxwatta, you are absolutely right, at the best place to get omega3's is from the fish. Absorption is twice as high ass praocessed fish oil and we don't eat stale fish.

Mercury is the issue then, unless you get super clean salmon.

Tuna has high mercury. Salmon not so much. And where do you think the fish-oil capsules come from? The cheaper ones could very well have high mercury content.

[krillin]

http://www.mayoclini...patient-fishoil

Methylmercury accumulates in fish meat more than in fish oil, and fish oil supplements appear to contain almost no mercury.