Hello, my brother was telling me about Fish oil pills, does anybody know what role they play while low-carbing and are they good for the Atkins diet? Would just like some info I appreciate it very much.


Thanks,
Corey

Dieters are not the only people who should take fish oil! Everyone should!!Do you mind if I take the easy way out and just refer you to a website (one of 1000's) explaining the benefits of taking Omega-3 fish oil?

Click here

Funny, I *just* bought a bottle of cod liver oil today! (I haven't tasted it yet! ) In addition to the omega-3s, fish oil is also a source of vitamins A and D - good for people in Northern climates who don't get enough sunlight to make their own vitamin D. The vitamin D in fish oil is active, as opposed to the inactive vitamin D that is in pill form.

Just make sure that if you buy the capsules, crack one open every now and then and make sure they haven't gone rancid. If so, toss them. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the difference would be between *good* and *bad* tasting fish oil! Yuck.

From the link TeriDoodle put in above...

Caution:
Cod liver oil is not an appropriate source of omega-3s. "The amount you'd have to take to supply a therapeutic dose of omega-3s provides a toxic dose of vitamin A," warns Dr. Stoll.

Just thought you'd want to know...

BTW TeriDoodle, how did the Cormega work out? I'm considering a switch.

There is no difference in taste between rancid and non-rancid fish oil they are both wretched (but oh so good for you)! Hold your nose and slug it back or purchase capsules.

I made the mistake of buying mint flavored cod liver oil a few years ago. Like fudging on my 1988 tax form and my first husband, I learned to regret that decision the hard way.

The Coromega is WONDERFUL!!! I love it! Tastes just like orange sherbert! I know it's hard to believe but it's true!

I found a good price on it at iherb.com... $24/90 doses.

>>"Caution: Cod liver oil is not an appropriate source of omega-3s."

Really? What exactly is a 'theraputic' dose?

For the record, I take it mainly for vitamin D. *shrug*

>>"Like fudging on my 1988 tax form and my first husband, I learned to regret that decision the hard way."

*ROFL*

Thanks everybody for your replies, I just picked up a bottle at the drug store, got some softgels. I got 1000 MG of Fish Oil pills that is, it says take 2 a day, should do the trick right? Also just starting my second week on the induction period and have been feeling kind of slugish, I'm taking some high energy vitamins of which it has only 7.5 mg of potassium in it, so I picked up some at the drug store and these are 99 mg pills, will taking both help out a bit with the energy level? I guess I will find out huh? But just curious if I'm doing the right thing.


Thanks again for everybodys help!


Corey

Hi Corey! I think you're doing the right thing. What you really need is *time*... it takes some time for your body to adjust. You'll be fine.

I've recently posted this over in the supplements area.

I would like to caution those choosing cod liver oil.
Cod liver oil is slightly less rich in EPA than is fish oil, although it is much cheaper. About 9 percent of the fatty acids in cod liver oil are EPA, whereas about 18 percent of the fatty acids in fish oil are EPA. Therefore on a gram-for-gram basis, fish oil will give you about twice the amount of EPA as cod liver oil. Any oil, and especially fish oils, should be stored away from light to prevent oxidation of the polyunsaturated fatty acids. If the oils are in soft gelatin capsules, then this acts as another barrier to oxidation of the oils.

However, both cod liver oil and fish oil CAN be contaminated with PCB's. This is why they should be purified by molecular distillation which removes PCB's. These molecular distilled brands are slightly more expensive, but their health benefits are dramatically better.

I've been doing a lot of research on fish oil. I'm trying to figure out why the prices are so all over the board ~ anywhere from $10/mo to $80/mo. One would think quality has a lot to do with it. Not necessarily! Here's what I have learned so far.
There are three grades of fish oil. The first is cod liver oil. The second is health-food grade fish oil. And finally there is pharmaceutical-grade fish oil. What distinguishes one from another is the purity and concentration of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids Each step in the refining process adds additional cost to the final product.
The term ‘pharmaceutical-grade’ seems to be only used by Dr. Sears (Zone), however, there is really no standard definition for it. I’ve been able to find products which meet his criteria, but don’t necessarily use that term.
Total long-chain omega-3 fatty acids should be more than 60% of the total fatty acids and PCBs/gram oil should be less than 10 ppb (parts per billion). Molecular distillation ensures the contaminants have been removed.
Vitamin E is often included in fish oils as a preservative. At low levels, approximately 5 I.U./gram of fish oil, it is protective. At higher levels, such as 20 I.U./gram of fish oil, it can actually speed up the oxidative process.
Since the NOW brand (Omega-3 1000mg-Cholesterol Free) is the least expensive (about $9.00) and the most easily obtained (for me), I focused my attention on that brand. Seems it fits. It’s actually manufactured in Canada by a company that private labels for many companies world wide. I’m going to stick with this product unless I find compelling evidence to not to. (http://www.nowfoods.com/?action=itemdetail&item_id=3374)

For those who might be interested, Dr. Barry Sears came out with a book called The Omega Rx Zone. Regardless of the Zone diet, there is great information regarding the use of fish oil. You'll note from above, I am not advocating his product. I believe there are other, more cost effective, high quality products available.

Yep, I just need to settle down and give my body time, it is funny I keep going back to my Atkins book and double checking things but you still feel like you are screwing up some how, but thanks to all the great people on here it really helps a lot! Thanks again.


Corey

One source of Omega-3 and GLA that is often overlooked is Evening Primrose Oil in capsules. I take them with the Fat Flush PLan, and there are beneficial side effects for women as well. I also take flaxseed oil with this diet, 1 T. 2x a day. Flax seed oil, at 53% Omega-3s, is, by far the most concentrated vegetable source.
Borage Oil is another source for GLA. (it's way late too, and I'm really zonked, so i will double check my books tomorrow & if any corrections need made to this, I will swallow my pride and admit my flubs LoL

I just want to second what Teri suggested - Coromega actually taste quite good and there are no fish burps. It is very good

ZoneCoach: thanks for that info. I'll have to look up the other thread. When I'm earning more than minumum wage, I'll look into the higher priced brands. I hope I can find the one you mentioned, since I *am* in Canada.