# Has anyone noticed a difference after taking fish-oil capsules? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734 "2011-02-09T04:45:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/41 "2011-02-10T22:07:33Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Try asparagus. Or garlic. Or really really cheap beer when you were a broke college student. Um. Not as obsessive about this as it seems, honest. ---
**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/42 "2011-02-11T00:24:13Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > I’ve eaten asparagus, and not noticed a smell. Maybe I didn’t eat enough at one sitting? as has probably been addressed here before (but I’m too lazy to search)… everybody produces the noxious asparagus pee, but only [22% of us can smell it!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus#cite_note-28) And regarding “good fats” and “bad fats”, I’m constantly surprised how many people are still stuck in the mid-80’s mindset that all fat is bad, and more fat means higher cholesterol. That science is over 25 years old, and has been disproved many times since. The food companies, on the other hand, are still happy to sell you “fat-free” products that make you more unhealthy… maybe some people get their diet advice from Kraft? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/43 "2011-02-11T00:53:37Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > There are good fats and there are bad fats. [Read all about it.](http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-full-story/index.html) oh, I’m aware of the different kinds of fats, it’s just that it seems counterintuitive that if you have high triglyceride levels, that taking pills containing fats (which are conglomerations of triglycerides) could actually lower the levels in your system. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/44 "2011-02-11T17:21:34Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > oh, I’m aware of the different kinds of fats, it’s just that it seems counterintuitive that if you have high triglyceride levels, that taking pills containing fats (which are conglomerations of triglycerides) could actually lower the levels in your system. Counterintuitive, but true: > **[Dietary intake of differently fed salmon; the influence on markers of human...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15638820/)** > > Tailor-made Atlantic salmon fillets very high in n-3 PUFAs of marine origin seem to impose favourable biochemical changes in patients with CHD when compared with ingestion of fillets with intermediate and low levels of marine n-3 PUFAs, when replaced... > [@](#): > > RESULTS: The serum fatty acid profiles of the patients after the intervention mirrored those of the corresponding salmon fillets and the respective salmon feeds. Significant differences between the groups were obtained, especially for the levels of total n-3 PUFAs and the n-3/n-6 FA ratio, which were markedly increased in the FO group in contrast to the two other groups (P \< 0.02 for all). **Additionally, significant reductions of serum triglycerides and of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and interleukin-6 were obtained in patients receiving the FO diet when compared with the two other groups (P \< 0.05 for all)**. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/45 "2011-02-11T17:31:44Z")
Would swallowing live gold fish be equally beneficial? ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/46 "2011-02-11T17:41:24Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > One thing it’s definitely helped is my eyelids. They were getting greasy, and if the grease got in my eyes, it stung like a bitch. If I take my fish oil (or flax seed oil) every day, then this is not a problem. I had the exact same experience with stinging eyes, and I interpreted it the same way - it seemed if I washed my face it got better, so I figured it was face grease seeping into my eyes. It turns out I have Dry Eye Syndrome, which is a little more serious than it sounds - my corneas had started to erode due to it. There is at least one study showing omega-3s help this condition. So you might want to mention it to your eye doctor and have them look at your corneas! Regarding bleeding and fish oil, my MIL told me she’s not allowed to take it because her platelet count is low. 😕 I take Carlson’s every day, largely due to the studies indicating it might help with depression. But as it’s part of a holistic approach, it’s hard for me to say that one thing is helping. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/47 "2011-02-11T18:29:57Z")
I tried taking fish oil, but no matter what I did (different times of day, before/during/after meal), I would always feel sick to my stomach from about 30 mins up to a couple of hours afterward. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/48 "2011-02-11T19:58:30Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > Would swallowing live gold fish be equally beneficial? Yes. Or equally ineffectual, actually. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/49 "2011-02-11T20:31:41Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > I had the exact same experience with stinging eyes, and I interpreted it the same way - it seemed if I washed my face it got better, so I figured it was face grease seeping into my eyes. It turns out I have Dry Eye Syndrome, which is a little more serious than it sounds - my corneas had started to erode due to it. There is at least one study showing omega-3s help this condition. > > So you might want to mention it to your eye doctor and have them look at your corneas! That makes a lot of sense, and I’m sure I’ve got some sort of dry eye thing going on, as I have to keep a bottle of artificial tears on the nightstand. Last eye check, my corneas were normal, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/50 "2011-02-12T02:56:19Z")
I’ve taken them for years and never noticed anything. My triglycerides were high even on them, so they did nothing for that. I do have a coworker in her 50s who said they did help her knee and hip joints out tremendously when she started, and several coworkers the same age who say the same. But I can’t pinpoint any cardiovascular or mental health benefits to fish oil. But I take them anyway since they are my only source of omega 3 fats. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/51 "2011-02-12T04:31:42Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I’ve taken them for years and never noticed anything. My triglycerides were high even on them, so they did nothing for that. Have you taken them in conjunction with niacin? As I said, my doctor wanted me to take both of them together. Niacin works on cholesterol and the fish oil on triglycerides. Online searches show that many non-quacky sites do recommend both. If you haven’t tried niacin, ask your doctor about it. Regular niacin does create ridiculously uncomfortable hot flushes in a minority of patients, and I hate them. I switched to Slo-Niacin, a brand of controlled release designed to minimize flushing. It’s listed as acceptable by the Mayo Clinic. There is also no-flush niacin, but everybody not directly involved in selling it says that it is worthless because it uses a wrong formulary. ---
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/52 "2011-02-12T04:40:57Z")
My dry skin in winter is slightly less annoying when I take the fish oil capsules. Also, I experience a synergistic effect with the Sam-e I take. I am quite a bit more cheerful these days and much less of a snarly old fart. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/53 "2011-02-12T17:57:53Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The evidence shows that the omega-3’s are quite useful for lowering triglycerides. > > Other claims made for them have not been well-substantiated. Here’s some interesting recent research on Omega 3 and synaptic function: [http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nn.2736.html](http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nn.2736.html) ---
**Author:** ![Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acorns.but_not_Bacon)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/54 "2011-02-12T18:12:59Z")
The thing I noticed when taking omega 3 6 and 9’s is my skin became clear and the spots along my jawline disappeared, also the little red bumps on the top of my arms disappeared too. It was a mixture of flax, starflower and fish oil. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/55 "2011-02-12T22:50:51Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Have you taken them in conjunction with niacin? As I said, my doctor wanted me to take both of them together. Niacin works on cholesterol and the fish oil on triglycerides. Online searches show that many non-quacky sites do recommend both. > > If you haven’t tried niacin, ask your doctor about it. Regular niacin does create ridiculously uncomfortable hot flushes in a minority of patients, and I hate them. I switched to Slo-Niacin, a brand of controlled release designed to minimize flushing. It’s listed as acceptable by the Mayo Clinic. There is also no-flush niacin, but everybody not directly involved in selling it says that it is worthless because it uses a wrong formulary. I can’t remember what all forms I’ve used, but a regular (non-slow release form) caused severe flushing when I took 1g at once. I have heard your body adapts to it though. I have tried inositol hexaniacinate but I don’t think that works as well as the regular stuff, at least the studies aren’t as supportive. Plus I have heard there are liver issues with time release stuff, so I’d need to find a doctor to work with. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/56 "2011-02-12T23:45:37Z")
Yes, certainly talk to your doctor. All niacin products have some implications for those with pre-existing liver disease. However, there are some good reports. [Multiple-dose efficacy and safety of an extended-release form of niacin in the management of hyperlipidemia](http://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149(00)00703-7/abstract) > [@](#): > > Transaminase increases were relatively small, and the proportion of patients who developed liver function abnormalities on extended-release niacin was not significantly different from placebo. Thus, extended-release niacin was generally well tolerated and demonstrated a dose-related ability to alter favorably most elements of the lipid profile. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/57 "2011-02-13T02:08:45Z")
I have a family history of hypertension as well as high cholesterol, so my PCP recommended them to me a few years ago. My numbers have remained consistently low in both 🙂 I’ve never had an issue with fish burps. Maybe a slight fishy smell upon opening the bottle, but that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734/58 "2011-02-14T21:06:46Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > At the advice of my PCP, I’ve been taking 4000 milligrams of fish oil a day for a few years, and my triglycerides have gone down quite a bit. Some of that is due to increased exercise, but I haven’t increased my exercise _that_ much. > Edit: **and my blood vessels are supple and silky smooth**. How do you know that? :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-noticed-a-difference-after-taking-fish-oil-capsules/570734.md?page=2)