Side Effects of Fish Oil

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Author: Yi Lai

Fish oil is oil derived from the tissues of fatty acids. Fish oil is recommended as source of Omega 3 fatty acids. Fish oil products are becoming increasingly popular due to the many health benefits. However, there are some side effects of fish oil.
If you take large doses of supplements which contain high level of vitamins (especially vitamin D) in addition to Omega 3 fatty acids, the significant risk is possibility of vitamin poisoning. Vitamin poisoning is a condition which can lead to toxic symptoms. For this reason, you should take fish body oil instead of fish liver based oil.
Another side effect of fish oil is heavy metal poisoning. Many fish contain heavy metal (mercury, lead, nickel, arsenic and cadmium) and other contaminants (PCB's, furans, dioxins). If you eat fish, avoid fish species which contain toxin mercury and contaminants, including Largemouth Bass, Sturgeon, and others such as Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, and Tilefish.

OK, I hear you ask: should you give up fish oil? All the side effects of fish oil are avoidable. If you are concern about the side effects, you should take fish oil supplements as your source of Omega 3 fatty acids. In fact, only fish oil contains the form of DHA that can be used by your body. In addition, fish oil helps to protect you against wide spectrum of diseases and promote overall health. Specifically, fish oil is beneficial to:
· Cardiovascular health
· Skin health and skin disorder, like eczema, psoriasis and rosacea
· Visual function
· Brain function
· Neurological health
· Immune system
· Diabetes
· Gout and arthritis

So,how to avoid the side effects of fish oil? The best source of Omega 3 fatty acids is fish oil supplements. These tips would help you to choose pure and quality fish oil supplements, to ensure you are safe from the above mentioned side effects:
- Choose supplements that are manufacture under strict GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) compliance.
- Choose the supplements that contain high potency of DHA
- The fish oil should be in ester form
- The fish oil should be free from contaminants
- Choose the supplements that are processed with molecular distillation