Hi-Strength Fish Oil Liquid

Fish oil is easy to get wrong on strength and easy to get right once you know where to look — so here is the triage our naturopaths run at the counter.

A good fit if

• You eat oily fish less than twice a week and would rather close the gap with a capsule
• You are happy to take it with a meal, which is both the label direction and how the oil absorbs best
• You want a dose you can compare between brands on the EPA and DHA lines
• The aftertaste has put you off before and you are open to a liquid or coated capsule
• No seafood allergy, no blood-thinning medicine and no surgery coming up

Check with us first if

• Taking an anticoagulant or antiplatelet medicine — omega-3 concentrates carry a mandatory 'seek medical advice' label statement, and INR monitoring is advised alongside warfarin.
• Surgery, a dental procedure or a colonoscopy coming up — tell the practitioner, because of the platelet effect.
• Considering a dose near 4 g a day of EPA plus DHA — where a slight increase in atrial fibrillation appeared in two long-term trials.
• Reflux, gastritis or a hiatus hernia — fish oil can aggravate reflux; format, timing and splitting the dose usually settle it.
• Choosing a cod liver oil while pregnant or planning a pregnancy — the issue is the vitamin A, not the omega-3.
• Buying for a child — children's products are formulated and labelled separately, and adult concentrates are not a smaller version.
• Diagnosed with a heart rhythm problem, or having triglycerides managed by a doctor.
• Taking any prescription medicine at all — check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths first.

• Standard strength capsule (1,000 mg oil) — Best known for: The cheapest per capsule and the most common product on Australian shelves. Absorption: Natural triglyceride; take with a meal containing some fat. Typical use: Three to four capsules a day to reach about a gram of EPA plus DHA.
• High or 'double' strength capsule — Best known for: Halving the capsule count without moving to a pharmaceutical-grade concentrate. Absorption: Usually natural or re-esterified triglyceride; the label states which. Typical use: One to two capsules a day.
• Triple strength 'one-a-day' concentrate — Best known for: A full daily dose in a single softgel, for people who will not swallow three. Absorption: Often ethyl ester; check whether the panel says triglyceride, which absorbs better. Typical use: One capsule with the main meal.
• Flavoured liquid oil — Best known for: A measured spoonful instead of capsules, and the easiest way to dose anyone who cannot swallow softgels. Absorption: Identical oil; no capsule shell, so freshness is judged by taste. Typical use: Refrigerate after opening; finish within the stated period.
• Enteric-coated or 'odourless' capsule — Best known for: Formulated to open past the stomach so the oil is not tasted again. Absorption: The coating delays release rather than reducing how much is absorbed. Typical use: For people who abandoned fish oil over reflux or aftertaste.
• Children's liquid, chewable or gummy — Best known for: Small sweetened doses for kids, often with added vitamin D. Absorption: The same oil at a fraction of the dose. Typical use: Follow the label's age bands; adult concentrates carry different warnings.

Reference values. No Nutrient Reference Value applies to fish oil itself. The NHMRC sets its figures for EPA, DPA and DHA as nutrients, and those are covered on the omega-3 page. A fish oil label gives you a quantity of oil; the EPA and DHA inside it are separate lines in the panel.

Typical supplemental range. Australian fish oil labels are built around the capsule, not the dose. A standard 1,000 mg softgel carries roughly 300 mg of EPA plus DHA, so the stated daily dose is usually two to four capsules; a triple-strength one-a-day carries that whole amount three times over in one softgel. Multiply the EPA and DHA lines by the number of capsules in the daily dose and add them — that single figure is the only thing worth comparing between brands.

Upper level. No NHMRC Upper Level of Intake exists for fish oil. Australian limits attach to the vitamins a natural fish oil carries, not to its omega-3. Verbatim from the Determination, item 3465 (NATURAL FISH OIL), Specific Requirements: "When for internal use, the maximum daily dose must be no more than 3000 micrograms of Retinol Equivalents." and "When for internal use, the maximum recommended daily dose must be no more than 25 micrograms of Vitamin D." Separate ingredient-level caps apply to omega-3 concentrates and are set out on the omega-3 page.

Worth knowing. Fish oil is a food-derived fat and behaves like one, so it goes with meals. Splitting the daily amount across two meals is the usual first move when someone reports repeat or reflux. Your needs depend on your age, diet and health circumstances — talk to one of our naturopaths.

Food first, where the diet allows it.

• Rainbow trout, wild, cooked, 85 g — About 0.84 g EPA plus DHA — about three standard capsules
• Sea bass, cooked, 85 g — About 0.65 g, most of it DHA
• Oysters, eastern, wild, cooked, 85 g — About 0.53 g EPA plus DHA
• Prawns, cooked, 85 g — About 0.24 g EPA plus DHA
• Tuna, light, canned in water, drained, 85 g — About 0.19 g — a much weaker source than people assume
• Cod, Pacific, cooked, 85 g — About 0.14 g — white fish stores oil in the liver, hence cod liver oil

This list is the part of the page we will not shorten. If any of it applies to you, talk to one of our naturopaths or your doctor before starting.

• Fish or shellfish allergy — not suitable; algal oil is the plant-source alternative.
• Anticoagulants and antiplatelets — concentrate labels carry a mandatory 'seek medical advice' statement; INR monitoring advised with warfarin.
• Pregnancy and lactation — omega-3-acid ethyl ester concentrates must be labelled not recommended.
• Children under 12 — those concentrates must be labelled not recommended; use children's products.
• Cod liver and other natural fish oils claiming vitamin A or D — VITA warnings and a 3,000 microgram retinol equivalent ceiling apply.
• Planned surgery, dental procedures or endoscopy — tell the practitioner, because of the platelet effect.
• Doses near 4 g a day EPA plus DHA — slight atrial fibrillation increase in two long-term trials.
• Existing heart rhythm disorders — discuss with the treating doctor first.
• Reflux, gastritis or hiatus hernia — fish oil can aggravate reflux.
• Unusual bruising or bleeding that will not stop — stop and seek medical advice.
• Palpitations or irregular heartbeat — stop and seek medical advice.
• Rancid smell or taste, or liquid kept past its post-opening period — discard.
• Unpleasant taste, bad breath, heartburn, nausea and loose stools are common, mild and usually dose-related.
• If you take prescription medicines, check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths first.