The Enteric Coated Omega 3 Fish Oil Capsule – Don’t Waste Your Money!

If you are shopping for an enteric coated omega 3 fish oil capsule, it may be because you have experienced burping or repeating after taking a supplement. Those symptoms are most likely to occur when the oils inside of the capsules are rancid.

Fishing boats are not always careful about how they handle their catches, particularly when they are bound for the fishmeal industry. Fishmeal is used as feed for animals, as feed in fish-farms and for other purposes.

In order to make fishmeal, the fish are first cooked. Once cooked, the manufacturers reduce as much of the moisture and oils as possible. This is where our dietary supplements come from.

While some supplement manufacturers may claim otherwise, fish oils are a byproduct of fishmeal preparation. From an environmental standpoint, this is a good thing. Overfishing has been a problem for a number of species in various parts of the world. If fishing were required in order to supply the supplement industry, it could lead to overfishing.

But, if the catch is allowed to rot, before the cooking takes place or if the oils are not encapsulated promptly, after being extracted from the fishmeal, they are likely to become rancid or spoiled. Rancid oils are oxidized, which means they contain free radicals.

Free radicals are one of the causes of cellular aging. They are also involved in atherosclerosis, as the fatty acids that form the plaques are oxidized.

These supplements are promoted as heart healthy and that is the reason that most people take them. But, if the oils have high levels of oxidation, then they are not heart healthy. They will also cause those annoying burps and repeats.

An enteric coated omega 3 fish oil capsule would mask the smell and taste of rancid oils. They might prevent the burping or repeating, but they might not. It depends on how quickly the coating dissolves.

An enteric coated omega 3 fish oil capsule is not the best kind of supplement, because the oils should be released in the stomach, not in the upper intestine. Researchers have studied the best release site for absorption of different nutrients. In their opinion, fish oils should be released in the stomach.

An enteric coated omega 3 fish oil capsule would cost more than other brands, even though the content might not be as good. The coatings are expensive. In addition, it would be difficult, if not impossible to determine if the capsules actually had a coating or not, without sending them to a laboratory.

What you really want to look for is a manufacturer that publishes the results of independent testing concerning the level of oxidation. This will be listed as peroxide and “TTOX” or total oxidation. Manufacturers are not required to have the testing done, but the better ones do.

So, don’t waste your money on an enteric coated omega 3 fish oil capsule. It’s just not worth it. It’s not even worth your time to look for one.