OTC Fish Oil (Nordic Naturals)

[RoughCollie]

I bought Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Fish Oil capsules (1000 mg ea).

 

When I went to the doctor last week, he told me that no over the counter fish oils are any good. The only ones that work are those available by prescription, because the OTC ones make claims as to their content that are untrue. He told me I should be taking 4000 mg. of fish oil a day.

 

I researched fish oils and determined that Nordic Naturals are a good brand that contain what they purport to contain.

 

He also told me that the supplements I take are a waste of money, and do me no good. These are Co Q-10, B-Complex, Niacin, Magnesium, a multivitamin, Vitamin D, and Pantothenic Acid.

 

Since he said taking these won't hurt me, I told him I would continue to take them because I feel better and have more energy when I do. I also declined a prescription for fish oil.

 

I came away wondering again how much the medical profession is in cahoots with Big Pharmacy. Am I wrong? Is it indeed much preferable to get a prescription for fish oil?

 

What do you all think?

[LittleIzumi]

It is true that you have to be careful of your brands, because there is no regulatory agency making sure they have as much as they claim to have. However, writing a prescription for fish oil??? And saying ALL of your supplements are NO good out of hand?? :confused: I do not like that attitude at all, frankly.

[WiseOwlKnits]

I don't buy it. My doctor even told me that the OTC Vitamin D is just as good as the prescription stuff; the only improvement in the prescription Vitamin D is the higher dosages. DH's doctor told him OTC Fish Oil is good as long as you get a name brand.

[linguistmama]

Was it a regular MD? I think some supplements can be a waste of money, but if you are taking the right forms of the vitamins from a good company I don't see the problem. For instance magnesium oxide isn't absorbed well etc. The Weston A Price Foundation recommends Nordic Naturals and they are WAY into how good fish oil is for you and taking a high quality oil.

[Orthodox6]

This, for me, is old territory covered long ago.

 

Nordic is one of the top responsible companies for fish oil. (I used the Nordic brand liquid for several years until blood continued to turn up in my urine, and I realized that the fish oil's property as a blood thinner was the culprit, so I reluctantly stopped taking the supplement.)

 

Everything you list is a good choice, depending on your purpose. (I'm leery of Niacin overdose, however. Perhaps you are using this as a remedy for high cholesterol?)

 

Without any additional information about your physician, I'm guessing that he simply never has taken the time to educate himself on alternative medicine.

 

 

I bought Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Fish Oil capsules (1000 mg ea).

 

When I went to the doctor last week, he told me that no over the counter fish oils are any good. The only ones that work are those available by prescription, because the OTC ones make claims as to their content that are untrue. He told me I should be taking 4000 mg. of fish oil a day.

 

I researched fish oils and determined that Nordic Naturals are a good brand that contain what they purport to contain.

 

He also told me that the supplements I take are a waste of money, and do me no good. These are Co Q-10, B-Complex, Niacin, Magnesium, a multivitamin, Vitamin D, and Pantothenic Acid.

 

Since he said taking these won't hurt me, I told him I would continue to take them because I feel better and have more energy when I do. I also declined a prescription for fish oil.

 

I came away wondering again how much the medical profession is in cahoots with Big Pharmacy. Am I wrong? Is it indeed much preferable to get a prescription for fish oil?

 

What do you all think?

[hsmom2011]

n/m

[Tigger]

You may want to tell him the prescription fish oil has trans-fatty acids in it due to how it is processed! The OTC fish oil does not. Just choose your brand carefully - it shouldn't smell fishy and you shouldn't burp fishy burps after taking them (those are signs of rancidity). I've used Nordic Naturals and now usually buy Barleans; Carlson's is another well-known and well-respected brand.

[goldberry]

You do have to investigate supplements, but absolutely there are reputable ones out there.

 

I have changed doctors previously due to a doctor's negative attitude toward ANYTHING he couldn't prescribe me personally.

[Liz CA]

Nordic Naturals and Carlson's are supposed to be trusted brands according to my naturopath.

If you want a more natural approach, make an appointment with a more holistically minded doc. I went round and round with my GYN about bio-identical progesterone until I finally saw a naturopath.

[RoughCollie]

Perhaps you are using this as a remedy for high cholesterol?)

 

My cardiologist told me to take the niacin and fish oil. He said buying prescriptions was a waste of money because those items are way overpriced.

 

My cholesterol is 160. My HDL is 30 and should be at least 50.

 

I thoroughly researched everything I take. I don't like dismissive, authoritarian doctors very much... there seem to be a lot of them around here. Luckily, my cardiologist is not like that. I went to this doctor because I was in agonizing pain and could not bear weight on my right leg. He is my husband's doctor, as I didn't have a GP yet. It turns out I have sciatica and spine and knee problems. The sciatica is new ... I've had back and knee pain for years, and hadn't sought treatment for it.

 

I have to remember, though, not to judge this guy too hastily. I agree with his treatment plan, so that's good. I've only seen him once, and there is no way to develop the sort of rapport with him that I had with my doctor of 22 years in Boston.

 

This doctor is board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics.

Edited September 20, 2011 by RoughCollie

[gardenmom5]

does this doc sell supplements from his office?

 

Nordic naturals is a good brand. (some brands are better than others) They have an exact OTC version of the ProOmega Rx version.

some docs are very much thinking about their bottom line with Rx - but they also usually order lots of tests and other things to make extra money. Other's aren't, and are more interested in treating their patients.

 

Many OTC's are simply less concentrated forms of the Rx. I have no tolerance for Rx strength decongestants, so it limited what antihistamines I could take as most Rx were bundled - my Doc had no problem with me using an OTC decongestant in a strength I could tolerate with an antihistamine that didn't contain it.

 

I should also mention, I've had ER docs "prescribe" drugs that were OTC's.

[RoughCollie]

does this doc sell supplements from his office?

 

No, he doesn't. He told me the prescription fish oil was much better and why. I told him that I had researched it and I was going to stick with Nordic Naturals. He didn't bring it up again.

[Negin]

I researched fish oils and determined that Nordic Naturals are a good brand that contain what they purport to contain.

He also told me that the supplements I take are a waste of money, and do me no good. These are Co Q-10, B-Complex, Niacin, Magnesium, a multivitamin, Vitamin D, and Pantothenic Acid.

Your doctor is annoying me and I haven't even met him.

Considering that most MDs barely cover nutrition in med school and really don't know much about it at all, I think it's all rubbish.

Carlson's and Nordic Naturals are superb.

The supplements you listed are great.

Yes, quality is key.

Doctors should, IMHO, generally avoid giving advice on nutrition and supplements. I have yet to meet one who's truly knowledgeable.

Here's some info on supplements you listed, etc.

 

WHAT I LIKE TO AVOID

Many “one-a-day†formulas - Theragram-M, Geritol, Centrum usually:

• Have such long ingredient lists (a red flag for me!) with synthetic coloring, waxes, and other undesirable ingredients – this is my main reason for avoiding them

• Are too low in potency – most one-a-day formulas cannot possibly give you high enough potencies of nutrients. Peela said this: There simply isn’t enough room to pack a lot of nutrients into a single capsule. Do be aware that a good multivitamin and mineral formula requires that you take it in larger quantities – from 3-6 capsules daily. This may seem like a lot, but it’s not. When it comes to herbs, and often minerals and vitamins, most of the time, the quantity and potency is so very, very low, that it really isn’t going to do anything much at all. I prefer to research all the brands and see which has the highest dosage, or I have found that I may need to double or triple the dose. I have to admit that due to financial constraints, I seldom do this these days, unless I'm focusing on a specific health concern. I do believe that nutrition (healthy diet) is first and foremost.

• Are often poorly absorbed

 

Anything that is multi-marketed. Supplements from multi-marketed companies are obviously going to cost much more. The supplements may be good, but remember that you’re paying for a wealth system that may play on people’s greed.

 

Any supplement (usually they are minerals) that has the word “oxideâ€. The oxide form of any is the cheapest source of that mineral. Most of the cheaper brands include oxide to cut down on costs, but these brands do our bodies no good, since they’re barely absorbed.

 

Any supplement that has vitamin E as dl-alpha – dl-alpha is synthetic and junk.

 

Any supplement that has calcium carbonate – ditto, as above

 

Most brands at Walmart, Costco, etc. But this doesn’t always apply. Some brands at these larger stores are fine. You'll have to do your own research to know. Just because the supplement is sold at Walmart or Costco does not that it’s necessarily bad. You need to look at the ingredients.

are the same.

[Negin]

WHAT I PREFER

Bio-available when possible – these are best absorbed. Many bio-available forms are patented and identified on the label.

 

Anything with a short ingredient list – no soybean oil, no sugar, starches, colorings, soy, etc. – the less things in it, the better! With vitacost, you can click on side bar buttons to say that you're looking for something without soy, etc.

 

MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE – IF I COULD

If I lived in the U.S., I would try my utmost to get as much as I could from Standard Process - which you have to buy from an alternatiave health care practitioner. Standard Process is wonderful. But they don't have every single supplement. They're very specialized.

 

ALKALIZING MULTI VITAMINS AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS

Most of us have systems that are overly acidic. Working towards a system that is balanced or more alkaline is the key to overall health. These supplements are said to be very good for alkalizing the body.

• http://www.auntiegs.com/index.php

12 Systems Synergistic Multiple – one tablet per meal

 

• Vita Lea (Shaklee) – one tablet with each meal

 

• Bio Strath – One teaspoon with each meal or tablet as indicated – I saw it on vitacost

 

AFTER THAT

I prefer searching for good brands on vitacost or amazon – reading reviews, and looking at brands. The following are brands that I like and trust:

Carlson’s

Nature’s Way

Twin Labs

KAL

Enzymatic Therapy

Green Magma – for green, alkalizing drink

Solgar

Source Naturals

Rainbow Light

Solaray

NOW

Swanson

UniKey (do a google search)

New Chapter Organics

 

Brands I've heard good things about, but have not yet tried, and don’t yet know enough about:

Aerobic Life Products

Blue-Green Algae

Country Life

Darwin’s

Gaia Herbs

Health from the Sun

Jarrow

Kyo-Green

Member’s Mark

Metagenics

Nature’s Plus

Nature’s Sunshine

Nordic Naturals

Planetary Formulas

Pure Encapsulations

Puritan’s Pride

Shaklee

Trace Minerals Research

Vitamin World

Zone Perfect

[Negin]

B COMPLEX

Any good multivitamin or B Complex needs to have at least 10 mg of B vitamins. It's a red flag if the B vitamins are at very low levels. When lower than 10 mg, they’re insignificant and unhelpful.

 

VITAMIN C

Best if taken as Ester-C – this is a patented form of bio-available vitamin C

 

CALCIUM

I think there is a very big difference not only in the brand but the type of calcium you use.

The major types of calcium are: Carbonate, Citrate and Bone Meal.

1. Calcium carbonate (also found in coral calcium) is the hardest calcium compound for the human body to break down and absorb. You’ll find it in a lot of supplements because it’s inexpensive. The Carbonate (like Tums) is basically like taking chalk board chalk. It may alkalize your body, but it does almost nothing for your bones.

2. Calcium citrate is slightly better than calcium carbonate, since minerals need an acidic base to break down and get used. It is a little bit more bio-available, but still not the best.

3. Bone Meal is the best source for bones and has one of the highest bio-availabilities. Just make sure it's from a clean source, and the animals it came from weren't given hormones or antibiotics. KAL from New Zealand is good and I get it from vitacost or amazon.

4. You can also get an herbal calcium source that is also bio-available and easily absorbed.

 

CHROMIUM PICOLINATE

ChromeMate is a bio-available form of chromium picolinate.

 

COPPER

Try to avoid multivitamins with copper. Research has shown that even tiny traces of copper from water pipes can lead to heart disease, as well as diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Over time, even small traces of copper can contribute to the production of excess damaging oxidant radicals. The study recommended that anyone over 50 should avoid supplements containing copper (and iron – more info on iron below). A good form of zinc will lower copper levels in the body. Copper overload can also cause:

Depresssion

Fatigue

Food Cravings

Poor Liver Function

Weight Gain

Yeast Infections

 

VITAMIN D3

Vitamin D helps everything—your bones, your immunity, your emotional well-being, your mind; it even helps prevent cancer.

If you're under 50, take at least 2,000 IU per day.

If you're 50 or over, take at least 5,000 IU per day of vitamin D3.

Always take your vitamin D with a fat-containing meal to ensure absorption.

Your need for vitamin D3 is affected by age, skin color, and the severity of any deficiency

 

VITAMIN E

If any multi or Vitamin E supplement has dl-alpha, rather than d-alpha, I stay away from it. D-alpha is the good and natural kind. Dl-alpha is synthetic and not processed by the body.

 

FISH OIL

Make sure to get a good, high-quality fish oil – such as Carlsons’s. You want to avoid fish oil that may come from polluted sources or that may be high in mercury. Other good brands are Nordic Naturals, Enzymatic Therapy, and Metagenics.

Fish Oil is good for your heart partially because it decreases blood clotting and reduces blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, high triglycerides, or other signs of heart disease, 3-5 grams may be helpful. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you’re taking medications to make sure there are no negative interactions. Fish oils thin the blood just like aspirin, gingko biloba, and garlic. You don’t want to thin your blood so much that it causes bleeding.

For all others, 1 gram (1,000 mg) is fine.

Stop taking fish oil and any EPA supplements 2 weeks before surgery – as well as possibly avoiding a fish dinner the night before any surgery.

Do not take fish oils if you are on any blood thinner.

[Negin]

GLUCOSAMINE

The cheaper glucosamine hydrochloride form is totally useless. Only glucosamine sulfate has been scientifically shown to have any efficacy whatsoever. But, glucosamine HCI is really, really cheap

 

IRON

I prefer to avoid iron in supplements. I always take iron-free multis and try to get my iron from natural sources instead. If you want natural iron alternatives, there are some supplements. I can share info on that.

Stored iron normally increases as we age, and accumulates in the body after menopause and may increase women’s risk for arthritis, cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Iron supplements may be used by tumors to promote their growth. Since it oxidizes, if you take too much supplemental iron, it can lead to cancer.

If you have had cancer, or if there is a high incidence of cancer in your family, you may want to take a formula without added iron unless a blood test determines that you are iron-deficient, in which case, natural sources may be far superior.

Iron supplements should also be avoided if you have arthritis.

 

MAGNESIUM

Magnesium is a key mineral that many are deficient in.

Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff -- whether it is a body part or an even a mood -- is a sign of magnesium deficiency.

Magnesium and many other minerals are best absorbed when they are bound to an acidic carrier such as citrate, aspartate, picolinate, or amino acid chelate. The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate, although magnesium bound to Kreb cycle chelates (malate, succinate, fumarate) are also good.

Avoid magnesium carbonate, oxide, sulfate, and gluconate. They are poorly absorbed (and the cheapest and most common forms found in supplements). If I see these in a multi, I avoid it.

Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to magnesium glycinate.

People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor's supervision.

 

MUSHROOM EXTRACT

Look for a formula that combines the immune-boosting and anticancer properties of reishi mushrooms, the blood-sugar balancing and cancer-fighting properties of the maitake mushrooms, and the cholesterol-lowering abilities of the shiitakes. Fungi Perfecti is very good, but expensive, however.

 

PROBIOTIC

Any probiotic you take should contain at least 1-5 billion colony-forming units (CFUs).

Good probiotics include:

Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics 12 PLUS is known to be the one of the strongest, most effective probiotics

Udo's Choice Adult's Probiotic – 12-36 billion CFUs

New Chapter Organics Probiotic All-Flora – 8 billion CFUs

Jarrow Formulas Enhanced Probiotic System, Jarro-Dophilus EPS – 5-20 billion CFUs

Puritan's Pride Probiotic Acidophilus – 3-9 billion CFUs

Jarrow Formulas femdophilus – 5-10 billion CFUs

Advocare Probiotic Restore – 2-4 Billion CFUs

Kyo-Dophilus – 3 billion CFUs

Nature’s Way Probifia Pearls

Enzymatic Therapy Acidophilus Pearls

 

ZINC

L-OptiZinc is a patented form of bio-available zinc

[Negin]

THE MOST IMPORTANT SUPPLEMENTS – in my personal order of preference – this may vary for each person, of course! – these are my top if $ is a concern

Fish Oil

Vitamin D3

Magnesium

Probiotic

Green Magma (or other high-quality green drink – if you don’t juice veggies regularly) and/or Capra Mineral Whey – these are important, very, very important to help balance our body’s pH – a healthy pH is essential for overall health. My husband refuses to touch the Mineral Whey. I love it, however. Since I juice veggies often, we don’t need Green Magma very much. On days that I have little time for juicing, we take the Green Magma.

Mushroom Extract

A good multivitamin/mineral formula

 

Overall, most of us are far more deficient in minerals than we are in vitamins. When budget is a concern, as it for most of us, focus much more on minerals and a healthy diet, than lots and lots of vitamins.

 

TIPS ON TAKING THEM

My naturopath friends have always told me is that it's good to take 2 days off most or all of your supplements every week, preferably any two days that are back-to-back. So, if you need to take them on weekends. Fine. You could try skipping them on any other 2 days of the week.

 

Another thing I do, based on what I have read and played around with - is take a break from some supplements for an entire month. Not all. Just some. They work so much better for me, when I get back on them - 5-HTP, Melatonin, even probiotics, whatever you want or think that your body could do well to take a break from in order to be more effective. The body sometimes becomes overly efficient and not challenged by supplements. That’s why taking a break and going back on them, in my opinion and experience, helps them to become much more effective.

[Blueridge]

Goodness, I just placed an order for lots of goodies to get ready for winter, and Nordic Naturals DHA caps are among the things I got. I had read on a lovely blog that the lady's naturopath recommended that brand to her as the best. I'm hoping that they are. Some doctors are so smug. :glare:

[BatmansWife]

Where do you all buy your Nordic Naturals? Right from their site? I haven't taken time to go look there yet. What kind of Nordic Naturals fish oil do you get (I would assume there are several kinds to choose from)?

[justamouse]

Of COURSE they are going to say you can only use prescription brands. you should see what the FDA has been trying to DO to the fish oil industry so that that pharmaceutical companies can have a monopoly on the market. Hell, they want to monopolize all of natural supplements.

 

I'm going to PM you some personal information so you can know where I'm coming from. ;)

[Blueridge]

Where do you all buy your Nordic Naturals? Right from their site? I haven't taken time to go look there yet. What kind of Nordic Naturals fish oil do you get (I would assume there are several kinds to choose from)?

 

This is what I got at Vitacost. Their prices are a bit less.

 

http://www.vitacost.com/Nordic-Naturals-DHA