Fish Oil and its Potential Harmful Side Effects

It's hard to believe that something that is as healthy and potentially life-prolonging as fish oil could be harmful to your health, but sometimes that can be the case. Like almost all things in life, there are good sides and bad sides to almost every subject, and this includes ingesting fish oil as well.

One of the first things to be mindful of when taking this supplement is how you care for itself. If your capsules or liquid are exposed to light or heat for long periods of time, they can go bad. This will not only reduce the healthful benefits of the supplement, it can also make you incredibly sick if ingested and may even lead to certain forms of cancer as well.

Another potential harmful side effect is that of taking low-quality fish oil supplements that may contain harmful levels of contaminants including mercury poisoning. Mercury poisoning can have an incredibly negative effect on your body and can even lead to death in the worst cases. It is important to make sure that you buy the highest grade of the supplement possible to avoid the possibility of any contaminants.

Fish oil may be harmful to diabetics who take them as well because of their potential to increase blood sugar levels following the ingestion. It is wise for anyone with diabetes to speak with their physician first before deciding to take fish oil supplements.

Another potentially harmful side effect of the supplements is that they occasionally can cause internal bleeding in the person who takes them. You'll want to watch for things such as nosebleeds or any blood in your stool and if you notice either, you should stop taking the supplements immediately and make an appointment with your doctor. These symptoms can be severe and even lead to a hemorrhage reaction that would cause you to vomit blood. Tingling, loss of sight or numbness in your limbs can be other additional side effects of this condition and should not be taken lightly.

Although the above to represent severe potential side effects of fish oil, most of us who take them merely only experience of fishy tasting burp or two. The overall health benefits of fish oil have been shown to far outweigh the negative potential side effects. That aside, it is always a good idea to let your doctor know when you've decided to take a new product of any kind so that if any negative effects are experienced, the doctor will have greater knowledge in helping you treat them. Make sure to read all the warning labels carefully, and only take the recommended amount of fish oil if you do decide to include it as part of your diet. Many of the side effects mentioned above have occurred to those who have greatly increased the recommended dosage.