Fish Oil Pills

Fish Oil Pills: So I went to the doctor about two months ago to get one of those screenings that some insurance companies now require for you to get better rates and lower co-pays.  I didn't really know what the doc might tell me, but I don't think I would have been surprised if he told me that my cholesterol was too high.

Well he did tell me that my cholesterol needed fixing, but it wasn't because it was too high.  Instead he told me my HDL[1] was too low.  The solution for this was more exercise[2] and fish oil pills.  So on my next trip to Aldi, I picked up a bottle.


First of all these suckers are about the biggest pills I've seen.  They are the gel-cap type of pill so they are soft and squishy which helps when you're choking them down.[3]  If they were those hard chalky pills I suspect people would have serious trouble with them.


The real problem with these pills is the after effects.  About thirty minutes after taking them I get to start burping up fish oil.  Mmm mmm good.[4]  It's marginally better if I eat right after taking them.  But often that just means I get to burp up fish oil mixed with the flavor of whatever I just ate.  Good times![5]


Since I haven't had my cholesterol rechecked since then I have no idea if they are actually doing anything.  In fact if you read the packages of different brands they say things like, "May help to reduce . . ." and "Research suggests . . ."   In fact here's a quote directly from Wikipedia, the ultimate source of all accurate information on the Internet[6]: 


The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are thought to be beneficial in treating hypertriglyceridemia, and possibly beneficial in preventing heart disease. Fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids have been studied in a wide variety of other conditions, such as clinical depression, anxiety, cancer, and macular degeneration, although benefit in these conditions remains to be proven.


Sounds good?  Here's the quote again with some key words highlighted:


The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil ARE THOUGHT TO BE beneficial in treating hypertriglyceridemia, and POSSIBLY BENEFICIAL in preventing heart disease. Fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids have been studied in a wide variety of other conditions, such as clinical depression, anxiety, cancer, and macular degeneration, although benefit in these conditions REMAINS TO BE PROVEN.


In other words, they don't really know if fish pills do anything at all.  Oh joy.


Fish Oil Pills, if they actually do help with HDL's and preventing heart disease: A-
Fish Oil Pills, if they don't: F


[1] - High Density Lipids.  The "good" cholesterol.
[2] - This was about a month after the Bean was born, so I had been doing a whole lot of nothing as far as exercise was concerned.  Any free time I had went towards catching up on sleep.
[3] - In truth I have no problem taking pills, but they are ridiculously large.
[4] - That was sarcasm.
[5] - Also sarcasm.
[6] - Still sarcasm.