krill oil

although not an herb I thought this the best place to post this. I have tried taking the regular fish oil caplets but they are too big and make me gag. I know I'm a wimp, I have a superior gag reflex. A friend gave me some krill oil caplets that are smaller (says mercola on them so I guess they are form there) I can get those down but I don't have much info about them. anyone?

well according to wiki it could have possibly have more toxic residues than regular fish oil and is too new to know how its harvest affects the ecosystem or the already little known antarctic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krill_oil


I'm soon to be drying up my goat and the short days will affect egg production so I would like an omega 3 supplement to make up for the few months I don't have a good dietary source. 

Hi Leah,

Are you wanting more omega fatty acids? If that's the goal, I'm going to skip over the liquid fish or castor oil you take by the spoonful, because those are incredibly nasty (trust me!), but have you thought about vegetable sources?

Castor oil might come in smaller caplets. I have a castor bean extract I'm taking right now that's in caplets that are quite small. I can swallow five of them at once. 

Then there's Evening Primrose Oil, which I've had in rather big caplets, not sure if you could find it smaller, and while it's usually recommended not just for the omegas, but also for promoting female organ health, one doc told me it could promote uterine polyp growth! It's still a widely recommended omega source, so it might be an option.

The third veggie source I'm familiar with might be you best source: flax seed oil. It's got a mild enough flavor that you could even use the oil in salad dressings or drizzled on your food like olive oil. (Though for the best impact, I don't think you want to cook it.) My recollection is that capsules of flax are fairly big, too, but the liquid stuff really isn't bad! A little strong flavored like an olive oil can be, but decent and another good source of omegas.

Oh, wait, I have a fourth one! Hemp seeds! Hemp has more omegas than almost any other vegetable source. I've been using a hemp protein at times (um, green powder, mild flavor, but not always appetizing stirred into my applesauce...) and hemp milk, but don't know if the quantities are high enough in those for what you might be looking for.

Omegas are fabulous anti-inflammatories and do so many, many other crucial things in our systems that I think they're really fantastic. There may be less Vitamin D in veggie sources than fish, except I think castor oil has loads of Vitamin D, so if that's a piece of what you're after you might want to look it up.

Around here, I know which places carry standardized supplements, and their salespeople really know their stuff - you might be able to get good ideas from them. For me, I get some amazing supplements from my Naturopath. You have to be careful just buying any herbal or other supplement from "big box" stores or regular pharmacies and the like because they aren't always standardized. Standardized means that when they say there is a specific quantity in it, that specific quantity is truly in it with the active properties intact.

Too much information (TMI)? Or did I possibly land on a bit of what you're looking for?

I had no idea about the hempseed!! I stay away from any of the "female helping" herbs and such including primrose. I figure they generally make you feel better because they mimic hormones but those same hormones can really wreck havoc when they aren't needed or for long periods of time. one of those situations where just because it makes you feel good doesn't mean its good for you ha ha ha.

I will try and incorporate some flax in my diet and see if that helps. I will finish off the krill oil caplets that were given to me though. it might be my imagination but whenever I can choke down some fish oil caplets of some sort ( I never buy the super cheapo ones) it quickly aleviates pain in my hands and wrists which I haven't been kind to over the years. 

Boy, do I now agree with you about those "female helping" things. I had to completely cut out soy due to how it was working against my system!

It's not your imagination at all about the fish oil helping with your hands and wrists - it's really the anti-inflammatory properties of the omega fatty acids. The fish sources are more potent, but I hope the flax can be easier for you and help as well.

If I haven't babbled on far too much already, there are two other things that might make a huge difference for your hands and wrists. Maybe you've heard of them, maybe not.

One is bromelain. It's an enzyme from papayas and pineapples. If you take it with food, it's a digestive aid. Taken away from food (1/2 hour before or an hour after) it "digests" inflammation. Very safe and effective. Even though it's in capsules, I wonder if the powder could be dumped out and swallowed with water and not taste bad...

Second are foods. My daughter had joint inflammation from wheat for a while when she was younger, and my former doc would get arthritis symptoms from eating eggs. You can do an elimination-challenge to test one food at a time. Eliminate ALL forms of the suspected food for one week, then "challenge" that food by eating the pure food all by itself. So, for example you'd challenge by eating cream of wheat, or a soft-boiled or hard-boiled egg, so that the wheat doesn't also have yeast, etc. and the egg doesn't even have butter on it from the frying pan. If that food is a culprit, you will notice in a BIG way!

I have this vivid memory of my doc, who was also my boss at the time, as a jolly, robust man who loved to sing Gilbert and Sullivan tunes in his deep baritone about as much as he loved his coconut cream pie. Usually, he would avoid the pie unless his wife made it without eggs. One day, he couldn't resist and ate a huge fluffy piece of coconut goodness. Immediately after his wrists became sore and inflamed and he was rubbing and cursing them the rest of the day! Poor guy.

Pain sucks. Good luck Leah!

I found a bit of flax in my fridge today! I totally forgot that someone gave it to me to try and add into soap! I wonder if it is still good? It would just taste rancid if it wasn't wouldn't it? its probably close to a year old.

I will have to pay closer attention to any foods that might aggravate my joints. when I take the fish oil it is night and day difference, even though I am not religious about taking it I often choke a few down with my coffee when I start to get that twinge in the morning. I can't quite do a push up without pain in my wrist on the fish oil but without it I have bouts where I can't sleep because every time I try to roll over or move a pillow the pain in one of my wrists wakes me. I have spent a week or so several times earlier this year wearing a brace at night on my wrist so I wouldn't wake myself up with it.

before I made it a point to pay attention to the omegas in my diet their were days I would wake up and have to run my hands under hot water to help me get them to open up (I think it was more of a sensory thing, I felt the hot water and it distracted me from the feeling in my hands). of course part of the improvement is I have also quit riding like I used to. I used to ride 3-6 horses some days (and not the nice ones )and it seems those were the times I would wake up with my hands in a knot and my right hip and knee stuck. sheesh I'm not that old! 

I'm not sure how long flax oil lasts in the fridge, but I, too, would think it would taste rancid if it was too old.

Wow, I was struck by how much pain you're in! Thought of you today when I ran across this:

"For people who can’t handle fish oil capsules, Vitaglo carries the excellent Carlson’s liquid fish oil (the lemon flavor is surprisingly pleasant). Free shipping on orders over $50 and relatively quick shipping, this is another company I can highly recommend."

From http://www.bodyrecomposition.com by Lyle MacDonald; www.vitaglo.com is the website. A friend recommended Lyle as having more research than most of the diet or fitness books out there. He also had a Q&A on taking fish oil.

Have you considered the bromelain?

Based on some studies, experts shows that krill oil is way better than fish oil, krill oil is absorbed differently by our body that's why you don't burp up a fishy taste like the common complaint in fish oil. It has a much higher Omega 3 which is good for our health it also contains anti oxidants.

here's a source that might give you more info about krill oil
http://krilloil.com/

Walnuts are another important source.

Leafy greens, too. You need more of them, of course...

I've read that flax oil is one of the most delicate and shortest-lived of all vegetable oils once opened.  I am far from certain your oil is rancid, but I would not trust it if it were me, and I have disposed of flax oil I have found in the fridge of that age.  I figure it's not worth the risk for the modest price of a new bottle of oil.

If you're getting rid of it, using it to preserve wood would be better than composting. Going rancid is the first step toward forming a solid cross-linked polymer.

Flax oil does turn into linseed oil used in paints and wood preservers.  You can smell it when it goes bad.  Just like the oil based paints of years ago.

It has a very short life even in the fridge.

One correction on my comment.  Linseed oil for paint was usually boiled as I remember.

Flaxseed oil remains fresh in the fridge for 3-4 months. I give some drops of it daily to my dog and use it in salad dressings for myself. Sometimes I eat it with muesli-yoghurt. Its taste is quite neutral (compared to unrefined rapeseed oil - yuck!) in large amounts flaxseed oil tasts nuttily.

I switched from fish oil to flaxseed oil 2 years ago - not for some noble altruistic reason, I have to admit, nonetheless when you think about it makes perfect sense to use a common herbal oil instead of pressing overfished marine species to pulp. Pressing whales, penguins, seals directly to pulp would be less cruel then letting them starve, because they will all starve when krill is fished in industrial scale by humanity. Fishing krill means very, very fine-mashed fishing nets further reducing overfished marine species by killing their young ones "accidently". *sigh*

OT a wee bit, Purslane, which many consider a weed, has super high levels of Omega three's. Didn't take time to look for a great link but here's one to wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea

In my opinion you should try Krill oil. It would be best for you. Krill Oil, found in deep pure waters of Antarctic is a new generation of Omega-3's that literally beats the pants off fish oil. My dietician recommended me to use Krill Doctor Professional brand and so far, it has been working very well. Very much satisfied with the quality of the product.

emma86 wrote:
Krill Oil, found in deep pure waters of Antarctic is a new generation of Omega-3's that literally beats the pants off fish oil.

Ah - that is interesting to me. In a krill oil monograph in Natural Products Review, they did find that absorption was better for krill oil than fish oil. Krill oil also contains more astaxanthin. But krill oil is also more expensive.

http://www.altmedrev.com/publications/15/1/84.pdf

I read lots of article by Dr. Mercola and this is one thing I read why krill oil is good for our health.

"two fats in omega-3 oils that are crucial to your health -- DHA and EPA*. These compounds are not only essential to maintaining your health -- scientific research indicates that they may also promote heart health and provide immune system and mood support.* "

If you don't want to read, you can watch and listen to his video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-ZnG3NoZY

you will not get the same omega 3 amounts from plant based oils as you will from fish oils. it is generally the omega 3's that people lack in their diets and the omega 6's that people tend to get enough/too much of. this is due in large part to eating too much grain and vegetable oils.

i would recommend taking a liquid fish oil or ideally just eating more fatty fish.

purslane is a good veggie source of omega 3. not sure of ratios.

Krill oil is better. Omega 3 fatty acids are PUFA’s (polyunsaturated fatty acids) & extremely fragile & starting going rancid as soon as exposed to air. PUFA’s are fine from *whole food sources* but when separated from the food, begin oxidizing immediately & cause free radical damage to the body. I highly recommend making an effort to get as much fish oil from whole food sources. I recommend eating sardines several times per week. Mackerel, salmon, herring & oysters are also good options.

I had trouble getting enough essential fatty acids too and found a much better way recently - Chia Seeds!! I just put 1 or 2 tablespoons in about 16 ounces of water (any temperature really but I like warm) and after they sit for a few minutes, they make a "gel" - interesting texture, little taste. I love these and they are only $8.50 a pound at my local health food store! Flax seeds did not work for me and made my skin quite dry actually, and I know you have to grind those right before consumption. Chia has built-in antioxidants so this problem is not present. Look up some youtube videos on these too, some people are doing great recipes and such but I prefer just with water (and this makes me drink more water hehe)

Here's another recommendation for chia seeds. I add them to my morning juice cocktail, sprinkle them on food, use as dip for spoonfuls of peanut butter, etc, etc.

In the five or six months they have been part of my lifestyle, my quality of life has improved dramatically. Because of the damage done to my hands when working as a die-maker, I used to suffer from bouts of "trigger finger" and Reynauds disease. Not only have my hands improved, other portions of the body that were complaining about not being 40 any longer are cooperating with a full regimen whenever I ask.

I have run out of seeds and done without them for a week. Never again!

Lolly Knowles wrote:Here's another recommendation for chia seeds. I add them to my morning juice cocktail, sprinkle them on food, use as dip for spoonfuls of peanut butter, etc, etc.

In the five or six months they have been part of my lifestyle, my quality of life has improved dramatically. Because of the damage done to my hands when working as a die-maker, I used to suffer from bouts of "trigger finger" and Reynauds disease. Not only have my hands improved, other portions of the body that were complaining about not being 40 any longer are cooperating with a full regimen whenever I ask.

I have run out of seeds and done without them for a week. Never again!

I have used chia seed as well in fact it also goes in my juice first thing in the morning, I also take krill oil and used to be a big Mercola fan until it started shipping everywhere in fact sites like amazon now ship it and in one case I got a bottle that ws busted up, I did return it and they did replace it. Recently I have been using a product by everest nutrition its similarly priced and so far so good. In all fairness my favorite source of Omega 3 is a freshly cooked piece of salmon.