More people are choosing to take fish oil supplements – and for good reason. The omega-3's found in fatty fish and fish oil supplements have shown a variety of health benefits. They appear to lower triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease and thrombotic stroke. They also have anti-inflammatory properties which may help to relieve some of the pain and stiffness associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Although fish oil supplements have significant health benefits, they're not always well tolerated. What are the side effects of taking fish oil?

    One of the most common side effects of taking fish oil supplements is digestive upset. Many people report mild nausea and bloating after taking fish oil capsules. It's also not uncommon to experience increased flatulence and a "fishy" taste in the mouth. In some cases, these symptoms come from taking rancid fish oils, so it's important not to take oils that are past their expiration date. Taking them with meals is another way to reduce the unpleasant fishy taste. These mild, but frequent, side effects of taking fish oil will often subside once the body adjusts to them.

    Another potential concern when taking fish oil capsules is the risk of bleeding. Because fish oil capsules affect the function of platelets which help clot the blood, there's the concern that they could cause bleeding problems in some individuals. This is why people taking prescription blood thinners should avoid using them – particularly if taking more than two grams a day. Some experts have recently questioned this risk – believing that the risk is more theoretical , but it's best to err on the side of caution.

    People who are on a weight loss diet where calorie intake is closely monitored should be aware that fish oil supplements are not calorie-free and could cause weight if not compensated for by reducing calories elsewhere. Some studies have shown they can also increase LDL cholesterol levels by up to ten percent, so this should be closely monitored.

    Finally, many people worry about fish oil supplements being contaminated with mercury and PCB's that are commonly found in the bodies of fatty fish. Studies suggest that fish oil capsules may actually be safer than eating the fish itself. When fish oil capsules were tested from a variety of manufacturers, most were found to be very low in mercury and PCB's. Most reputable fish oil manufacturers use molecular distillation to remove harmful contaminants which is a very effective process. Pharmaceutical grade fish oil capsules are also available that are virtually contamination free.

    The bottom line? Most of the side effects of taking fish oil supplements are relatively minor, but it's important to take them under a doctor's care, especially if taking blood thinners, and to buy from a reputable manufacturer that uses molecular distillation to remove harmful impurities.

    許多人選擇服用魚油補充劑--并有合理的解釋：高油脂魚類被發現含有Omega 3（一組多元不飽和脂肪酸）,魚油補充劑則有廣泛保健作用，可降低甘油三脂水平，降血壓，及減少心臟疾病和栓塞性中風的風險。它們還被發現具有抗炎作用，這將有助于減輕風濕性關節炎的疼痛和僵硬。盡管魚油補充劑有顯著地保健效果，卻并不總是耐受良好。那么，服用魚油有哪些副作用呢？

    一個最常見的副作用是消化系統紊亂。服用魚油膠囊后，許多人有輕微反胃和胃脹氣現象。增加腸胃脹氣和口中"魚腥"味兒也是魚油服用者中的常見現象。有時，這些癥狀緣于變質魚油，所以，超過保質期的產品一定不要使用。隨餐服用也是減少討厭的魚腥味兒的一個辦法。一旦身體調整適應，服用魚油導致的這些輕微卻常犯的副作用將會降低。

    服用魚油膠囊的另一個潛在問題是增加出血的風險。因為魚油膠囊影響血小板凝血功能，因此有人擔心它們可能會對某些個體引起出血問題。這就是為什么服薄血藥的人不能服用魚油--尤其是一天超過兩克。近來一些專家質疑這種風險--認為它過于理論化，但出于謹慎避免犯錯總是好的。

    進行節食減肥控制卡路里攝入量的人應該知道，魚油補充劑并非不含卡路里，如果不另外減少卡路里同樣也可能引起增重。一些研究標明，魚油還可能引起LDL膽固醇水平升高達10%,所以，應對此予以嚴密監控。

    最后，因為高油脂魚類體內常發現汞和PCB類物質，許多人擔心魚油補充劑因此遭受污染。研究表明魚油膠囊確實要比直接吃魚來的安全。從眾多廠家中測試魚油膠囊時，大多數的汞和PCB類物質含量還是很低的。多數知名魚油廠家通過高真空蒸餾法去除有害污染物，這是一道很有效的工序。確實做到無污染的藥品級魚油膠囊也可行。

    總的來說？服用魚油補充劑的多數副作用還是很小的，但是，特別對于服用薄血藥的人，一定要聽取醫生建議，同時向使用高真空蒸餾法去除有害雜質的知名廠家購買。