Let’s face it! Many of us have trouble swallowing pills and capsules. However, breaking open fish oil pills or capsules is not the easiest way to deal with the problem.
There is basically no reason not to open a capsule of a high-quality dietary supplement in a clean spoon or even in a glass of V-8 juice or some tasty salty vegetable juice. As long as the oil is consumed promptly, it will not oxidize and the essential fatty acids it contains will not denature. You can just scoop out the capsule, though some brands like Nordic Naturals add flavoring to the capsule itself to make it tasty enough to chew. But don’t! You really don’t want to squirt fish oil in your mouth unless you’ve tasted it before and are used to it.
However, there are reasons not to open a capsule of any product labeled as containing “marine fluids”. Another term for marine fluids may be fish juice. Just as a fish will spoil if you put it in a bottle and leave it on the shelf for six months or more, marine liquids ferment inside the capsule. It doesn’t really smell putrid. They smell fishy. It’s one of the ingredients in low-quality products that give you fishy burps and indigestion. Never open a fish oil capsule if the label lists marine fluid as an ingredient.
There are two easy ways to deal with problems swallowing omega-3 supplement pills.
One is to buy a chew. Usually offered in fruit flavors, such as cherry-lime and orange-lime, these omega-3 gummy bears are meant to be chewed and swallowed. The best brands do not taste fishy and are usually enjoyed by both children and adults.
The other way to get your fish oil dose without having to open a pill or capsule is to buy liquid fish oil in bottles.
Back in the days when the only type of this oil available was rancid cod liver oil, getting your daily omega-3s, vitamin A, and vitamin D from fish oil seemed more like punishment than nourishment. The awful flavor of the oil is due to the fact that trawlers lack storage and basic sanitation.
Fortunately, this problem no longer exists today. Fish are caught in cold water and immediately put on ice. Supplement makers are not responsible for bacterial contamination in the catch and test their products for any signs of spoilage or microbial contamination.
Fermented cod liver oil can still be purchased, and believe it or not, it is actually the most nutritious form of fish oil on the planet. One teaspoon (5 ml) per day is enough to meet your daily needs for vitamins A and D.
There are other types of these oils that are not made from liver and are also available in fruit flavors. In Norway, they are even a popular breakfast drink.
Make no mistake about it! It’s okay to open capsules of high-quality fish oils. But it’s much easier to use chewable DHA capsules or a fruit-flavored oil.
If you are interested, I can give you my personal recommendation for a high quality supplement that I take daily…without having to open the capsule. Just visit my website.