If you had a bad fish in the fridge, you would notice almost immediately. But if your fish oil has turned rancid, then you may have no way of knowing it – particularly if your fish oil capsules have deteriorated due to improper preparation or storage. Not only is rancid fish oil not particularly good for you; it also loses its omega 3 benefits as the essential nutrients deteriorate and lose their positive health benefits all together.
Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to help keep your fish oil fresh and effective for as long as possible.
1. Always buy the capsules
Fish oil is available in pure liquid form, but it is usually not good for more than a month or so at the very outside. Less than optimal storage decreases this lifespan dramatically, and liquid fish oil is far less stable that capsules.
2. Keep your fish oil cool
Fish oil capsules should be refrigerated at the time of purchase and move straight into your refrigerator as soon as you get home. If you cannot obtain refrigerated capsules, you can get around this by making sure that the “fresh by” date on the package is far enough in advance that you will have consumed all the capsules before this date. Find out how the fish oil was stored before it came to you.
3. Keep the oil in the dark
The capsules should come in opaque bottles. At the very least, the bottles should be dark glass or plastic. This prevents exposure to bright light, which can hasten spoilage.
If you suspect that your fish oil is bad, then dispose of it. It is not good for you and can even make you sick. At best, you will not experience ill effects but you will not glean any benefits from taking the fish oil. If the oil tastes or smells bad then it is likely rancid.
You can make sure that you do not end up with rancid fish oil and that you do get all the benefits that you need from the fish oil by buying from a qualified vendor who cares as much as you do about the quality of their product.
To learn more about vendors with high standards for their fish oil, access www.omega-3.us.
