Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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What are the effects of fish oil on gut flora?

I took some wild salmon oil (pill form), and my bowel movement was an absolute disaster. Fasting and doing some bone broth + sweet potato + massive butter to get back on the train.

Effect of the oil, or gelatin from the pill? Didn't seem like any weird additives were present.

edited Apr 11 2012 at 3:08

tdgor
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asked Feb 22 2012 at 0:07

Knarf
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sounds more like a functional issue than gut flora related – Dean Feb 22 2012 at 2:07

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Yeah, I have zero problems with fish oil. Can't see how it can damage gut flora... – Korion Feb 22 2012 at 11:22

Knarf, I'm sorry you had such a reaction. Was the oil only salmon oil, or was there a carrier oil? Was the oil rancid? – PaleoGran Feb 22 2012 at 17:41

I use Quantum cod liver oil and have never had a problem. I keep it in the fridge. – PaleoGran Feb 22 2012 at 17:42

I have no idea. I never liked the idea of popping pills. I'm pretty good with my diet and food quality, so I can probably ditch the fish oil. The diarrhea may have been caused by me overdoing it on the fat. – Knarf Feb 22 2012 at 17:49

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Otto · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-22 00:50:19Z UTC

I cannot stand much oil either, or butter for that matter, if it's not consumed with lots of other stuff. Especially eating some 'hard' food before I eat oils, and drown it with at least a normal glass of liquids. Although I have to take 3 1000mg (standard size) pills before my tummy starts to protest, with only 1 it's not very happy but not sad either.

How much did you take?

Nutritionator · Answer 2 · 2012-02-22 00:29:53Z UTC

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Describe disaster. If we can't talk about poop, we can't talk about shit. (See what I did thar?)

When I first started taking fish oil I had a little diarrhea that went away with continued use. I highly doubt gelatin caused bowel problems, any other ingredients?

answered Feb 22 2012 at 0:29

Nutritionator
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	The brand is Pure alaska Omega, ingredients 100% fish oil from wild alaskan salmon, d-alpha tocopherol softgel is made of gelatin, glycerin, water. says its cold pressed, extra-virgin, mercury free. 2 softgels contains 2 g total, 220 mg DHA, 180 mg EPA and 600 mg total omega fatty acids...which doesn't account for that last 1 g...funny. – Knarf Feb 22 2012 at 4:35
	Those are extremely low levels of DHA and EPA for 2mg of total oil, I'd look for another brand to save money if anything, you're getting robbed. – Nutritionator Feb 22 2012 at 12:58
	2g sorry....... – Nutritionator Feb 22 2012 at 12:58
	Yeah, while I was typing it out...it totally registered. Probably could get something of higher quality. – Knarf Feb 22 2012 at 17:50
	Most fish oils I've seen are in the 30-40% omega-3 range. His is only on the slightly low side I think. – Matt Feb 22 2012 at 19:34

Otto · Answer 3 · 2012-02-22 10:36:50Z UTC

You might wanna try the following:

eat it only during meals

If that does not help, there is a chance you are allergic to fish or on of the other ingrediënts. If you are allergic to fish:

try a pure vegetable omega 3 oil. It will (probably) also have a different shell, because gelatin is an animal product, and the vegetable omega 3 is mostly consumed by vegetarians.

That should eliminate the last part of a possible allergy.

Fish Oil and Gut Flora

3 Answers